Piston-Driven Fluid Ejectors In Silicon Mems

Patent · Tue May 03 00:00:00 EDT 2005

OSTI ID:880081

Galambos, Paul C ^[1]; Benavides, Gilbert L ^[2]; Jakubczak, II, Jerome F ^[3]

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1. Albuquerque, NM
2. Los Ranchos, NM
3. Rio Rancho, NM

A surface-micromachined fluid-ejection apparatus is disclosed which utilizes a piston to provide for the ejection of jets or drops of a fluid (e.g. for ink-jet printing). The piston, which is located at least partially inside a fluid reservoir, is moveable into a cylindrical fluid-ejection chamber connected to the reservoir by a microelectromechanical (MEM) actuator which is located outside the reservoir. In this way, the reservoir and fluid-ejection chamber can be maintained as electric-field-free regions thereby allowing the apparatus to be used with fluids that are electrically conductive or which may react or break down in the presence of a high electric field. The MEM actuator can comprise either an electrostatic actuator or a thermal actuator.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• Assignee: Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
• Patent Number(s): US 6,886,916
• Application Number: 10/600008
• OSTI ID: 880081
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English