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 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.

An ink contains water, an organic solvent, a polyurethane resin, and a cyclic ester including a structure represented by Chemical formula I, wherein the proportion of the cyclic ester having a crystal having a particle diameter of 1 μm or greater is less than 4 ppm of the total of the ink after the ink is allowed to stand at a temperature range of from 20 to 30 degrees C. for 30 days. ##STR00001##

A thermal head includes a substrate, an electrode, a bonding material, an electrically conductive member, and a sealing material. The electrode is located on the substrate. The bonding material is located on the substrate or the electrode. The electrically conductive member is located on the bonding material and is electrically connected to the electrode via the bonding material. The sealing material is located on the substrate and covers the bonding material and the electrically conductive member. The bonding material includes a protruding portion located at an outer circumferential edge of the electrically conductive member away from the substrate and the electrically conductive member.

A thermal transfer sheet, a combination of an intermediate transfer medium and a thermal transfer sheet, method for producing a printed material using the thermal transfer sheet, and a decorative material, wherein the thermal transfer sheet includes a transfer layer on one surface of a substrate, the transfer layer having a single layer structure consisting only of a heat seal layer or a multilayer structure including a heat seal layer, and in a case where the transfer layer has the multilayer structure, the heat seal layer among the layers constituting the transfer layer is positioned closest to the substrate. The heat seal layer contains one or both of (i) a polyester having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 55° C. or more and a number average molecular weight (Mn) of 15000 or less, and (ii) a polyester having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of less than 55° C.

The present disclosure provides a thermal print head for achieving fine printing. A thermal print head of the disclosure includes: a substrate, having a substrate main surface and a substrate back surface facing opposite sides in a z direction; a resistor layer, disposed on a side of the substrate main surface and including a plurality of heat generating portions arranged in a main scan direction to generate heat by energization; a wiring layer, disposed on the side of the substrate main surface and including a conduction path for electrically conducting the plurality of heat generating portions; a metal layer, interposed between the substrate and the wiring layer with the resistor layer; and an insulating layer, interposed between the metal layer and the wiring layer with the resistor layer. The conduction path includes the metal layer. The metal layer includes tantalum (Ta).

An apparatus is configured to heat a print medium in which a plurality of color development layers that develop colors in accordance with heating are stacked in correspondence with a plurality of colors so as to form an image on the medium by causing a desired color development layer in the plurality of color development layers to independently develop the color. The apparatus includes a printhead, an input unit configured to receive a print job, a generation unit configured to generate image data and cut information for specifying a cut position, a second generation unit configured to generate first and second pulses for driving the print head, and a drive unit configured to drive the print head to form an image on the medium and apply heat beyond a melting point to melt the medium so as to cut the medium.

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 heat-generating portion disposed on the substrate, electrodes disposed on the substrate and electrically connected to the heat-generating portion, a driver IC disposed on the substrate and electrically connected to the electrodes, and a covering member covering the driver IC. In plan view, a center line of the driver IC extending in a main scanning direction and a highest position of the covering member are located farther form the heat-generating portion than a center line of the covering member extending in the main scanning direction.

Provided is a thermal print head including: a substrate having a convex part thereon; a wiring layer over the convex part; a heat storage layer over the wiring layer; a heating resistive part that is formed over the heat storage layer and is arranged along a main scanning direction; a first electrode in contact with the heating resistive part on one side in a sub-scanning direction; a second electrode in contact with the heating resistive part on another side in the sub-scanning direction; and a connection wiring formed in an opening that passes through the heating resistive part and the heat storage layer and reaches the wiring layer, in which the first electrode is electrically connected to the wiring layer via the connection wiring.