Xaar Technology Limited

A nozzle plate for a droplet ejection device: comprising a first, media facing surface and, opposing it, a second, back surface; and at least one nozzle: wherein said at least one nozzle passes through the nozzle plate from the second surface to the first surface; and wherein said at least one nozzle comprises an exit bore having an exit bore centreline and wherein the exit bore centreline is inclined at an oblique inclination angle θ to the first surface and is adapted such that, in use, one or more droplets will be ejected from the nozzle at an acute inclination angle θ to the first surface. A droplet ejection device comprising the nozzle plate. A droplet ejection apparatus comprising at least one droplet ejection device and a deposition media movement apparatus and a method of operating the droplet ejection apparatus.

The present invention relates to an electrical component for a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device, in particular, but not limited to, an electromechanical actuator. In one aspect, the present invention provides an insulated electrical component for a microelectromechanical systems device comprising: i) a substrate layer comprising first and second sides spaced apart in a thickness direction; ii) one or more electrical elements arranged over the first side of the substrate layer, wherein each of the one or more electrical elements comprises: a) a ceramic member; and b) first and second electrodes disposed adjacent the ceramic member such that a potential difference may be established between the first and second electrodes and through the ceramic member during operation; iii) a continuous insulating layer, or laminate of insulating layers, arranged to overlie each of the one or more electrical elements arranged on the first side of the substrate layer; and iv) a passivation layer, or laminate of multiple passivation layers, disposed adjacent to, and at least partially overlying, each of the one or more electrical elements so as to provide electrical passivation between the first and second electrodes of each of the one or more electrical elements; wherein: a) the passivation layer, or at least an innermost layer of the laminate of multiple passivation layers which is disposed adjacent each of the one or more underlying electrical elements, is discontinuous; and/or b) the laminate of multiple passivation layers is recessed at a side which faces away from each of the underlying electrical elements, wherein a recess is provided in a region overlying each of the one or more electrical elements, such that the laminate of passivation layers is thinner in a thickness direction across the recess compared to other non-recessed regions of the laminate of passivation layers.

A sub-controller ( 20 ), controller ( 30 ), fluid supply system and apparatus for printing and a method for printing. Provided is a processor controlled sub-controller ( 20 ) for controlling the fluid pressure in one or more droplet ejection heads ( 60 ); wherein said controller ( 30 ) is configured to receive a droplet ejection head movement profile for each of said one or more droplet ejection heads ( 60 ), determine a respective induced fluid pressure profile at one or more predetermined locations for each of said one or more droplet ejection heads ( 60 ) using the respective droplet ejection head movement profile; and generate respective pressure correction data for each of said one or more droplet ejection heads based on the respective induced fluid pressure profile and a predetermined pressure window to be maintained at said one or more droplet ejection heads ( 60 ). Also provided is a method of printing using one or more droplet ejection heads ( 60 ) fluidically connected to a fluid supply system wherein said method comprises the steps of receiving droplet ejection head movement profile(s); determining a respective induced fluid pressure profile at one or more predetermined locations for each of said one or more droplet ejection heads using the respective droplet ejection head movement profile(s); generating respective pressure correction file(s) at said one or more predetermined locations based on said induced fluid pressure profile(s) and said predetermined pressure window.

A piezoelectric thin film element having a first electrode, a second electrode and a piezoelectric thin film between the electrodes, wherein the thin film comprises a laminate having two or more piezoelectric thin film layers and wherein a first thin film layer is doped by one or more dopants and a second film layer is doped by one or more dopants and wherein at least one dopant of the second thin film layer is different from the dopant or dopants of the first thin film layer.

There is disclosed a piezoelectric ceramic having the composition: a[PbTiO 3 ]-b[SrTiO 3 ]-c[BiFeO 3 ]-d[(K x Bi 1-x )TiO 3 ]; wherein 0.4<x<0.6; 0.1<a<0.4; 0.01<b≤0.2; c≥0.05; d≥0.01; and a+b+c+d=1 optionally comprising an A- or B-site metal dopant in an amount of up to 2 at. %.

A method for reducing instability of a nozzle meniscus of a droplet deposition apparatus. The method includes the steps of receiving first and second data blocks for respective first and second line pixels, receiving a data set of forbidden pixel periods, determining a first jitter delay value based on the forbidden pixel periods, generating first and second print data based on the first and second data blocks, the first print data defining a first holding period and one or more drive pulses and the second print data defining one or more drive pulses; wherein the first and second print data generate first and second actuating element signals that cause an actuating element to eject at least one droplet from a nozzle, wherein the first jitter delay value adjusts a first pixel period, defined by the drive pulses, to fall outside of the forbidden pixel periods to reduce nozzle meniscus instability.

An actuator component for a droplet ejection head; wherein said actuator component comprises a substrate and one or more strips of piezoelectric material fixedly attached to said substrate; wherein said one or more strips of piezoelectric material comprise one or more layers of piezoelectric material, and an array of fluid chambers defined within said one or more strips of piezoelectric material and extending in an array direction; wherein said actuator component further comprises one or more cover parts; wherein the or each cover part extends in said array direction and is fixedly attached to at least one of a side face of one of said strips of piezoelectric material and/or at least a portion of said substrate; and wherein said one or more cover parts comprise a plurality of openings so as to enable fluid to be supplied to selected ones of said fluid chambers through said openings. Associated methods of manufacturing an actuator component for a droplet ejection head are also provided.

The present invention relates to an electrical component for a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device, in particular, but not limited to, an electromechanical actuator. In one aspect, the present invention provides an electrical component for a microelectromechanical systems device comprising: i) a substrate layer; ii) a plurality of adjacent electrical elements arranged over the substrate layer, where each electrical element is separated from a neighbouring electrical element by an intermediate region, each of the plurality of electrical elements comprising: a) a ceramic member; and b) first and second electrodes disposed adjacent the ceramic member such that a potential difference may be established between the first and second electrodes and through the ceramic member during operation; iii) a passivation layer, or a laminate of multiple passivation layers, at least partially overlying each of the plurality of electrical elements so as to provide electrical passivation between the first and second electrodes of each of the plurality of electrical elements; wherein the passivation layer, or at least an innermost layer of the laminate of passivation layers which is disposed adjacent each underlying electrical element, is discontinuous over at least one intermediate region between neighbouring electrical elements of the electrical component.