What is described is a MEMS device comprising a piezoelectric actuator, which includes a film of piezoelectric material. The film is penetrated by a plurality of holes.

The present disclosure provides a printhead assembly comprising: a plurality of printhead modules (100a), including a first printhead module, a second printhead module and a third printhead module. Each of the plurality of printhead modules (100a) comprises: a plurality of printhead nozzles (126) each provided with an actuator (118) for selectively ejecting print agent therefrom; at least one print agent manifold (122, 124) providing a fluid communication pathway between at least one print agent inlet and the plurality of printhead nozzles (126); and control circuitry (104) to control the actuators (118) of the printhead module (100a) to eject print agent from the printhead nozzles (126). The first printhead module is mounted to the third printhead module via the second printhead module.

Provided is a liquid ejection head being suitable for liquid suction and wipe operations and enabling diaphragm plates to achieve proper amounts of displacement with low drive voltage. The liquid ejection head includes first and second substrates. Ejection ports for ejecting liquid are provided at a flat first surface of the first substrate. Drive elements are provided on a second surface of the first substrate. The second substrate is joined to the second surface of the first substrate, forming pressure chambers configured to be supplied with liquid. Pressure-chamber forming portions of the first substrate form diaphragm plates. The liquid in the pressure chambers is ejected from the ejection ports upon displacement of the diaphragm plates. The second surface of the first substrate includes the drive elements and is uneven. In the diaphragm plate, second regions surrounding first regions provided with the ejection ports have lower rigidity than the first regions.

According to one embodiment in an inkjet head, the common electrodes for all the actuators, without overlapping with the first wiring pattern formed by individual electrodes, are connected to a second wiring pattern that passes between the outer peripheral portion of piezoelectric bodies, and a third wiring pattern that extends in a direction different from a direction of the second wiring pattern. The first wiring pattern and the third wiring pattern are electrically insulated at intersections thereof.

A droplet ejector for a printhead comprises: a substrate having a mounting surface and an opposite nozzle surface; at least one electronic component integrated with the substrate; a nozzle-forming layer formed on at least a portion of the nozzle surface of the substrate; a fluid chamber defined at least in part by the substrate and at least in part by the nozzle-forming layer, the fluid chamber having a fluid chamber outlet defined at least in part by a nozzle portion of the said nozzle-forming layer; a piezoelectric actuator formed on at least a portion of the nozzle portion of the nozzle-forming layer; and a protective layer covering the piezoelectric actuator and the in nozzle forming layer. The piezoelectric actuator comprises a piezoelectric body provided between first and second electrodes. At least one of the said first and second electrodes is electrically connected to the at least one electronic component. The piezoelectric body comprises one or more piezoelectric materials processable at a temperature below 450 C.

A process of manufacturing droplet jetting devices includes bonding together a nozzle wafer defining nozzles of the jetting devices, a membrane wafer carrying, on a membrane, actuators for generating pressure waves in a liquid in pressure chambers that are connected to the nozzles, and a distribution wafer forming a distribution layer that defines supply lines for supplying the liquid to the pressure chambers from a liquid reservoir formed on a side of the distribution layer opposite to the membrane wafer; and dicing the bonded wafers. The distribution layer has a thickness larger than the thickness of each of the other two wafers. A restrictor for controlling the inertance of the liquid supply line is formed through the distribution layer in a direction normal to the plane of that layer.

A droplet ejecting apparatus includes a solution container, first and second nozzle groups fluidly connected to the solution container and having nozzles from which the solution can be ejected, first actuators respectively associated with each nozzle in the first nozzle group, second actuators respectively associated with each nozzle in the second nozzle group, and drive circuits respectively connected in a parallel to the first and second actuators. Each nozzle has a pressure chamber associated therewith. Each actuator causes a pressure change in a corresponding pressure chamber to control an ejection of a droplet of the solution from the corresponding nozzle. Each drive circuit is configured to supply a drive signal. When supplied by each drive circuit to the first and second actuators respectively, each drive signal causes solution to be ejected from each nozzle of each respective nozzle group at a same time.

A printing platform includes a printing engine with one or more printheads arranged such that the ink drops are jetted vertically upwards against the action of gravity; and a substrate transportation system where the normal to the surface in contact with the substrate is parallel and with opposite direction to the travelling direction of the jetted ink drops. It is necessary to counteract the weight of the substrate during the printing process to avoid it from falling under the action of gravity. This is achieved through any of a mechanical element that interferes with the falling of the substrate and that keeps it in place; or a system that generates adhesion forces between the element that transmits the motion to the substrate, typically a conveyor belt, and the substrate through the action of electrostatic forces, an air pressure differential between both faces of the substrate, or any other suitable mechanism.

A microfluidic device, having a containment body accommodating a plurality of ejecting elements arranged adjacent to each other. Each ejecting element has a liquid inlet, a containment chamber, a piezoelectric actuator and an ejection nozzle. The piezoelectric actuators of each ejecting element are connected to a control unit configured to generate actuation signals and to be integrated in the containment body.

A droplet ejecting apparatus includes a plurality of nozzle groups each including a plurality of nozzles, a plurality of pressure chambers each configured to supply a solution to a corresponding nozzle of a nozzle group in the plurality of nozzle groups, a plurality of actuators each configured to cause a pressure change in a corresponding pressure chamber in the plurality of pressure chambers to control an ejection of a droplet of the solution from the corresponding nozzle, and a solution holding container having a solution inlet for receiving solution and a solution outlet, the solution holding container being configured to supply the solution to the plurality of nozzle groups via the plurality of pressure chambers.