A thermal head includes a substrate, a heat storage layer disposed on the substrate and including a bulging portion, heating elements disposed on the bulging portion, a protective layer disposed on the heating elements, and a covering layer disposed on the protective layer. The covering layer includes a first portion disposed apart from the bulging portion, and a second portion disposed between the bulging portion and the first portion. The height of the second portion from the substrate is smaller than the height of the first portion from the substrate.

The present disclosure provides an insulating substrate. The insulating substrate includes a ceramic substrate having a main surface and a planarization layer covering the main surface. The planarization layer is a ceramic layer.

A thermal print head includes: a substrate having an obverse surface; a plurality of heat generators arranged on the substrate in a main scanning direction; and a wiring layer provided on the substrate and constituting an energization path to the heat generators. The substrate has a protrusion protruding from the obverse surface and extending in the main scanning direction. The protrusion has a top portion having the largest distance from the obverse surface, and an inclined portion connected to the top portion in a sub-scanning direction. The inclined portion is inclined relative to the obverse surface at a predetermined angle. Each of the plurality of heat generators extends across a boundary between the top portion and the inclined portion. Each of the heat generators is formed on at least a part of the top portion and at least a part of the inclined portion in the sub-scanning direction.

Card substrate printers, such as credential production devices, are generally configured to print images to plastic substrates to form identification cards, driver's licenses, credit cards, and other items. The image printing process that is performed by the printer may be a direct-to-card printing operation, in which a print unit prints an image directly to a surface of the substrate. Alternatively, the image printing process may involve a reverse-image printing process, during which a print unit prints an image to an intermediate substrate, such as a transfer film, and the printed image is transferred from the intermediate substrate to a surface of the card substrate to complete the printing process.

A thermal head according to the disclosure includes: a substrate; a heat generating section disposed on the substrate; an electrode disposed on the substrate so as to be electrically connected to the heat generating section; a protective layer which covers the heat generating section and part of the electrode, the protective layer being formed of an inorganic material; a cover layer disposed on the protective layer, the cover layer being formed of a resin material; and inorganic particles disposed on a surface of the protective layer so as to protrude from the surface. Moreover, the inorganic particles each comprise a first portion located inside the cover layer and a second portion located inside the protective layer.

A recording element substrate includes a substrate, a plurality of energy generating elements arranged on the substrate to form an element row, a plurality of supply ports arranged along the element row to form a supply port row, and a plurality of supply paths extending from the plurality of supply ports along the thickness direction of the substrate, wherein a plurality of beam portions disposed between adjacent supply ports in the direction of the supply port row has a plurality of conductor layers in which a conductor layer including a power supply conductor connected to the energy generating elements and a conductor layer including a ground conductor connected to the energy generating elements, are stacked along the thickness direction of the substrate, and wherein at least one of the plurality of conductor layers is occupied by one power supply conductor or one ground conductor.

A thermal head includes a substrate; a plurality of heat generating portions; a common electrode disposed on the substrate and electrically connected to the plurality of heat generating portions; a plurality of individual electrodes disposed on the substrate and each electrically connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of heat generating portions; a first insulation layer disposed on the heat generating portions, a part of the common electrode, and a part of the individual electrodes; a second insulation layer located adjacent to the first insulation layer and disposed on a part of the individual electrodes; and a static removing layer disposed on the first insulation layer and grounded. The static removing layer includes a first portion disposed on an upper surface of the first insulation layer and a second portion electrically connected to the first portion and disposed on an upper surface of the second insulation layer.

A thermal print head includes a substrate, a resistor layer and a wiring layer. The substrate is made of a single crystal semiconductor and includes an obverse surface facing in one sense of a thickness direction. The resistive layer is supported by the substrate and includes a plurality of heat generating parts arranged side by side in a main scanning direction. The wiring layer is supported by the substrate and forms a conductive path to the plurality of heat generating parts. The wiring layer includes a conductive part and a heat generating sub-part for each of the plurality of heat generating parts, where the conductive part has a lower resistance value per unit length in a sub-scanning direction than the heat generating part, and where the heat generating sub-part has a resistance value per unit length in the sub-scanning direction that falls between the respective resistance values of the heat generating part and the conductive part. The substrate includes a ridge raised from the obverse surface and extending in the main scanning direction. The heat generating part, the heat generating sub-part and the conductive part are disposed on the ridge. The heat generating sub-part is located between the heat generating part and the conductive part in the sub-scanning direction.

A thermal head includes a substrate, a bonding material, an electrically conductive member, and a gold electrode. The bonding material is located on the substrate and contains gold and tin. The electrically conductive member is located on the bonding material. The gold electrode is located on the substrate and electrically connected to the bonding material.

A thermal head according to the disclosure includes: a substrate; a heat generating section disposed on the substrate; an electrode disposed on the substrate so as to be electrically connected to the heat generating section; a protective layer which covers the heat generating section and part of the electrode, the protective layer being formed of an inorganic material; a cover layer disposed on the protective layer, the cover layer being formed of a resin material; and inorganic particles disposed on a surface of the protective layer so as to protrude from the surface. Moreover, the inorganic particles each comprise a first portion located inside the cover layer and a second portion located inside the protective layer.