Hewlett Packard's inkjet MEMS technology: past, present, and future

In 1985, HP introduced the ThinkJet - the first low-cost, mass-produced thermal inkjet printer. Providing a reasonable alternative to noisy dot matrix printers, ThinkJet set the stage for subsequent generations of HP thermal inkjet technology (TIJ). With each new generation, HP TIJ products provided new standards for print quality, color, and an unprecedented cost/performance ratio. Regarded as the first and most successful commercial MEMS technology, the development of HP's TIJ printheads required multidisciplinary innovation in fluid dynamics, bulk and surface micromachining, large-scale integration of electronics, packaging, and high volume MEMS manufacturing. HP's current TIJ printhead products combine Pentium-class addressing circuitry, high voltage mixed-signal driver electronics, dense electrical interconnects, and up to 3900 high-precision microfluidic devices - all on a single silicon chip. In this paper, we will provide a brief history of HP's TIJ technology and discuss how the unique capabilities that were required to advance the state-of-the-art of TIJ printheads are now providing a platform for the development of new MEMS devices and systems.