Self-cooling high nozzle density ink jet nozzle arrangement

摘要

An inkjet printhead having a high density array of micro-electromechanical nozzles arrangements. Each arrangement comprises side walls located on a wafer substrate with a roof layer deposited on said walls to define an ink chamber, the roof layer defining a nozzle aperture; an inlet defined in the substrate to supply the ink chamber with printing fluid; and at least one heater element having a mass of less than 250 picograms suspended between the side walls in the chamber, the heater element operable to form a vapor bubble when electrical actuation energy of less than 120 nanojoules is applied thereto, said heater element having an annular shape with a point of collapse of the bubble near a center thereof. The inlet, heater element and nozzle aperture are configured such that all heat generated in the ink chamber by the heater element per actuation is negated completely between actuations by an intake of unheated ink into the ink chamber through the inlet and an expulsion of heated ink from the ink chamber through the nozzle aperture.