Thermal ink jet technology

Micromachining and microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology have enabled the unprecedented cost/performance ratio of thermal ink jet (TIJ) products that currently dominate the desktop color printing market. The generic TIJ operating principles are based on an intimate blend of thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and large-scale integration (LSI) electronics. This article introduces the generic operating principles and design issues of TIJs, and the fabrication of TIJ printheads is illustrated with an implementation by the Xerox Corporation.