Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The invention relates to a fluid injection apparatus, and in particular relates to a micro fluid injection apparatus.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Micro fluid injection apparatuses have been widely used in digital apparatuses, such as inkjet printers or others. With the development of micro system engineering, micro fluid injection apparatuses are further used in other applications, such as fuel injection systems, cell sorting, drug delivery systems, print lithography or micro jet propulsion systems.  
         [0005]      FIG. 1  shows a conventional fluid injection apparatus  100 , in which distances between fluid injection units  112  and a corresponding manifold  110  vary, thus affecting performance thereof.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0006]     A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. These and other problems are generally solved or circumvented, and technical advantages are generally achieved, by preferred illustrative embodiments of the present invention, which provide a fluid injection apparatus.  
         [0007]     The invention provides a fluid injection apparatus. A manifold connects a plurality of fluid chambers to supply fluids thereto. A plurality of nozzles are connected to the fluid chambers respectively to eject the fluids, wherein at least two of the nozzles are not disposed along a column or a row, and distances between the nozzles and the manifold are substantially the same.  
         [0008]     The invention provides a fluid injection apparatus. A manifold comprises a plurality of chamber inlets, connecting a plurality of fluid chambers through the chamber inlets to supply fluids to the fluid chambers respectively. A plurality of nozzles is connected to corresponding fluid chambers to eject the fluids, wherein at least two of the nozzles are not disposed along a column or a row, and horizontal distances between the nozzle and the manifold are substantially the same.  
         [0009]     The invention provides a fluid injection apparatus. A plurality of fluid chambers are disposed on or in the substrate, wherein each fluid chamber comprises a nozzle plate covering the fluid chamber, each nozzle plate comprises a nozzle, and at least two of the nozzles are not disposed in a column or in a row. A manifold is disposed in the substrate, connecting the fluid chambers, wherein horizontal distances between the nozzles and the manifold are substantially the same. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  shows a conventional fluid injection apparatus.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is shows a fluid injection apparatus known by the inventor.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3A ˜ FIG. 3C  show intermediate plan views of a fluid injection apparatus of an embodiment of the invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 3D  shows a plan view of a fluid injection apparatus of an embodiment of the invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3E  shows a cross section along a I-I′ line of  FIG. 3D .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]     The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims. Embodiments of the invention, which provides a fluid injection apparatus, will be described in greater detail by referring to the drawings that accompany the invention. It is noted that in the accompanying drawings, like and/or corresponding elements are referred to by like reference numerals. The invention is not limited to any particular fluid driving device or driving method, which is not particularly mentioned in the specification. The invention can further comprise any fluid driving device, such as thermal driven bubble or piezoelectric actuator, or driving method.  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  shows a plan view of a fluid injection apparatus. This is not prior art for the purpose of determining the patentability of the present invention. This merely shows a problem found by the inventors. Referring to  FIG. 2 , a fluid injection apparatus  200  comprises a plurality of nozzles  202 . The nozzles are not arranged in a row or in a column to inject ink to a right location, not affected by scanning sequence of the nozzles  202 . A distance L 1  between a fluid injection unit  204  and the manifold  206 , however, is different with the distance L 2  between another fluid injection unit  204  and the manifold  206 . Thus, performance of the fluid injection units  200  may be affected.  
         [0018]     To eliminate performance non-uniformity of fluid injection units, an embodiment of the invention provides a fluid injection apparatus comprising fluid injection units having substantially uniform performance.  
         [0019]      FIG. 3A ˜ FIG. 3C  are intermediate plan views of a fluid injection apparatus of an embodiment of the invention. Referring to  FIG. 3A , a substrate  300 , such as silicon or glass, is provided. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the substrate  300  is a silicon substrate. Next, a structure layer  304  is formed on the substrate  300  to define a plurality of chambers  306  on or in the substrate  300 , as shown in  FIG. 3B . In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the chambers  306  are not disposed along a column direction or a row direction, but along a slanting line or a zigzag line, or in a particular pattern.  
         [0020]     Formation of the chambers  306  may comprise the following steps. As shown in  FIG. 3A , a patterned sacrificial layer  302  is formed on areas predetermined for forming chambers overlying a substrate  300 . Referring to  FIG. 3B , a structure layer  304  is formed on the patterned sacrificial layer  302  and the substrate  300 . Next, the structure layer  304  is patterned, for example by conventional lithography or etching, to form a plurality of nozzles  308  corresponding to the patterned sacrificial layer. Note that at least two nozzles  308  are not arranged in a column or in a row orientation. Arrangement of the nozzles  308  can be depended on a system of the fluid injection apparatus to optimize scanning performance. In an embodiment of the invention, the nozzles  308  are arranged along a slighting line, a curve or a zigzagged line for optimizing scanning performance of the fluid injection apparatus.  
         [0021]      FIG. 3D  is a top view of a fluid injection apparatus of an embodiment of the invention, in which  FIG. 3C  is a local view of  FIG. 3D .  FIG. 3E  is a cross section along I-I′ line of  FIG. 3D . Referring to  FIG. 3C ,  FIG. 3D  and  FIG. 3E , backside of the substrate  300  is patterned to form a manifold  310 , exposing the sacrificial layer  302 . Next, the sacrificial layer is removed to form the chambers  306 , each connecting the manifold  310  through a chamber inlet  312 . A fluid, preferably an ink, flows from the manifold  310  to the chambers  306  through the chamber inlets  312 , and further be ejected through the nozzles  308 . In another embodiment of the invention, the chamber inlet  312  comprises a first inlet  311  and a second inlet  313  disposed in the manifold  310 , both adjacent to the sidewall  314  of the manifold  310  and the chamber  306 . The first inlet  311  and the second inlet  313  are separated by the structure layer  304  (or structure layer can also be referred as a nozzle plate).  
         [0022]     Preferably, the sidewall  314  of the manifold  310  extends substantially along a line, parallel to another line connecting the chamber inlets  320 . Thus, distances between the nozzles  308  and the manifold  310  are substantially fixed when each chamber inlet  312  and nozzle  308  is separated by the same distance. The invention, however, is not limited thereto. The principle of the embodiment is that sidewalls of the manifold  310  corresponds to the arrangement of the nozzle  308 , thus the distance from the manifold  310  to the nozzles  308  is fixed. Preferably, distance between a sidewall of the manifold and each nozzle is substantially the same. More preferably, the distances between a sidewall  314  of the manifold  310  and centers of the nozzles  308  are substantially the same. The fluid injection apparatus further comprises a fluid driving device, such as a heater (not shown in the figures for simplicity), for driving fluid in the fluid injection apparatus. The invention is not limited to a particular fluid driving device or driving method. It can be designed and manufactured according to product spec or process window.  
         [0023]     Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the distances between the fluid injection units  320 , at least two of the fluid injection units  320  not arranged in a column or in a row, and the manifold  310  are substantially the same. Thus, the fluid injection units  320  have more uniform performance and stability and reliability of the fluid injection apparatus is increased.  
         [0024]     While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.

Technology Category: 7