According to one embodiment, a thermal print head includes a heat sink, a head substrate having a plurality of heat generating elements placed on the heat sink and disposed in a primary scanning direction, a circuit board placed on the heat sink so as to be adjacent to the head substrate in an auxiliary scanning direction and provided with a connection circuit, and a control element electrically connected to the heat generating element via a first bonding wire and electrically connected to the connection circuit via a second bonding wire, wherein a plurality of first bonding wires is disposed in parallel in the primary scanning direction, and among the first bonding wires, the first bonding wire having a length of at least 2 mm or more is a metal wire having a Young's modulus greater than that of gold.

According to one embodiment, a thermal print head includes a heat sink; a head substrate placed on the heat sink and having a plurality of heat generating elements arranged in a primary scanning direction; a circuit board placed on the heat sink so as to be adjacent to the head substrate in an auxiliary scanning direction and provided with a connection circuit; and a control element electrically connected to the heat generating element via a first bonding wire and electrically connected to the connection circuit via a second bonding wire, in which at least one of the first bonding wire and the second bonding wire includes any of a copper wire, a copper alloy wire, and a wire mainly made of copper and coated with a metal different from copper.

The method and apparatus for protecting the printhead in a thermal printer includes preparing the printer for label dispensing and then covering the printhead such that the label run or thermal material passing over the same does not contact the printhead. The cover for the printhead can take various forms. In one implementation, the cover is a sleeve configured to fit over the entire printhead assembly of the thermal printer. The printhead cover has a low coefficient of friction.

A thermal print head includes a head substrate (11) having a main surface (11a) on which a convex part (12) is formed, a resistor layer (21) that is formed on the main surface (11a) and the convex part (12), a wiring layer (22) that covers the resistor layer (21) such that the resistor layer (21) is exposed at a heat generating part (20) formed at a part of the convex part (12), and a protective layer (25) that is formed on the main surface (11a) of the head substrate (11) and covers the resistor layer (21) and the wiring layer (22). The resistor layer (21) has a main resistor layer that contains tantalum, and at least one of a first sub-resistor layer that contains tantalum nitride and is stacked below the tantalum layer and a second sub-resistor layer that contains tantalum nitride and is stacked on the tantalum layer. The nitrogen content of tantalum nitride contained in the first sub-resistor layer and the second sub-resistor layer exceeds a predetermined value such that the tantalum nitride is deposited in a stable structure.

A thermal head of the present disclosure includes a substrate; a heat generating section disposed on the substrate; an electrode which is disposed on the substrate and is connected to the heat generating section; a protective layer covering the heat generating section and the electrode, the protective layer having a surface provided with a depression portion; at least one particle of metal disposed inside the depression portion; and an oxide layer covering the at least one particle, the oxide layer being formed of oxides of the metal. A surface of the oxide layer is exposed to an outside and is located in a deeper position of the depression portion than the surface of the protective layer around the depression portion.

A thermal print head includes a semiconductor substrate, a resistor layer with heat generating portions arranged in the main scanning direction, a wiring layer included in a conduction path for energizing the heat generating portions, and a protective layer covering the resistor layer and the wiring layer. The semiconductor substrate includes a projection protruding from the obverse surface of the substrate and elongated in the main scanning direction. The projection has first and second inclined side surfaces spaced apart from each other in the sub-scanning direction. The heat generating portions are arranged to overlap with the first inclined side surface of the projection as viewed in plan view.

A thermal head of the present disclosure includes a substrate, a heating part, an electrode, a protection layer, and a coating layer made of a resin material. The heating part is placed on or above the substrate. The electrode is placed on or above the substrate and connected to the heating part. The protection layer is placed on or above the heating part and the electrode. The coating layer is placed on or above the electrode and the protection layer. The protection layer includes a recessed part that is opened on an upper surface and that extends along a thickness direction of the protection layer. The recessed part includes an inner wall having a plurality of recesses and projections, and the resin material is disposed inside the recessed part.

On an element substrate having a multilayered structure in which a temperature detection element is provided in an intermediate layer of a wiring layer and a print element layer, a wiring layer and a temperature detection element formed on the first interlayer insulation film are connected by a first conductive plug which penetrates through the first interlayer insulation film. In addition, a wiring layer and a print element which are formed on the second interlayer insulation film formed on the first interlayer insulation film are connected by a second conductive plug which penetrates through the first and second interlayer insulation films. By manufacturing the element substrate by this arrangement, the thickness of an interlayer insulation film between a print element and a temperature detection element can be made thin, and the sensitivity of the temperature detection element can be improved.

A thermal head includes a substrate, a glaze layer, and a reinforced conductor layer. The glaze includes a first glaze and a second glaze. The first glaze extends in a predetermined direction on the surface of the substrate. The second glaze is spaced part from the first glaze to one side in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction on the surface of the substrate. The reinforced conductor layer includes a lateral side part. The lateral side part extends on the surface of the substrate from the first glaze side to the second glaze side and is partially located on the second glaze. An edge part on the first glaze side in the second glaze includes a cutout portion cut out toward the one side in the direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction. The lateral side part passes through the cutout portion.

A thermal head of the disclosure includes a substrate; a heat generating section disposed on the substrate; an electrode disposed on the substrate, the electrode having a connecting portion connected to the heat generating section; and a protective layer which covers the heat generating section and the connecting portion of the electrode, a part of the protective layer which is disposed on the connecting portion having a closed first void therein.