What is claimed is:
1. An ink jet head comprising:
an ink jet nozzle from which an ink liquid drop is ejected onto a recording medium;
a substrate having a heat conductivity of 15 (WmK) or less;
a heat-transfer layer having a thickness of 10 m or more which is formed on the substrate;
a heat insulating layer which is adjacently formed on top of the heat-transfer layer; and
a heat generating heater which is adjacently formed on top of the heat insulating layer, said heat generating heater having:
a thin film resistor for boiling a part of ink to generate a bubble and allow the ink liquid drop to be ejected from the ink jet nozzle by an expansion of the bubble; and
a thin film conductive electrode for supplying a current to the thin film resistor.
2. The ink jet head according to claim 1, wherein said heat-transfer layer is made of metal selected from the group consisting of Cu, Al and Si.
3. The ink jet head according to claim 1, wherein said heat-transfer layer is formed continuously from a top face of the substrate on which said heat generating heater is formed to a back face of the substrate opposite to the top face to surround end portions of the substrate, and a heat release portion for releasing the heat transmitted from said heat generating heater through said heat-transfer layer is formed on the back face of the substrate.
4. The ink jet head according to claim 1,
wherein said substrate is provided with the heat release portion on the back face opposite to the top face thereof on which said heat generating heater is formed; and
a heat-transfer member penetrating said substrate from the top face to the back face and connecting said heat-transfer layer on said top face and the heat release portion on said back face to each other, is formed.
5. The ink jet head according to claim 1, wherein said heat insulating layer has a heat conductivity of 0.1 to 10 (WmK).
6. The ink jet head according to claim 1, wherein said heat insulating layer is made of an Si oxide, an Si nitride, an Si carbide, or a polyimide resin material.
7. The ink jet head according to claim 1, wherein said thin film resistor contains Ta metal in the form of a composition.
8. The ink jet head according to claim 7, wherein said thin film resistor uses a TaSiO ternary alloy as a resistive material.
9. The ink jet head according to claim 1, wherein said heat generating heater has a protective layer having a thickness of 1 m or less formed on top of said thin film resistor.
10. The ink jet head according to claim 1, wherein said ink jet nozzle is arranged such that an inlet port end of said ink jet nozzle faces said thin film resistor formed on the substrate, and the ink liquid drop is ejected from said ink jet nozzle substantially in a direction perpendicular to the substrate.
11. The ink jet head according to claim 10,
wherein a distance from a heater surface of said heat generating heater to an eject end of said ink jet nozzle is 40 m or less, and
a profile of the inlet port end of said ink jet nozzle is included in a profile of the heater surface of said heat generating heater when projected onto the heater surface of said heat generating heater.
12. The ink jet head according to claim 1, further comprising:
a control circuit for controlling driving of said heat generating heater which is formed of polycrystalline silicon layer formed on said substrate.
13. An ink jet head comprising:
an ink jet nozzle from which an ink liquid drop is ejected onto a recording medium,
a substrate having a heat conductivity of 15 (WmK) or less;
a heat-transfer layer which is formed;
a heat insulating layer which is adjacently formed on top of the heat-transfer layer; and
a heat generating heater which is adjacently formed on top of the heat insulating layer, said heat generating heater having:
a thin film resistor for boiling a part of ink to generate a bubble and allow the ink liquid drop to be ejected from the ink jet nozzle by an expansion of the bubble; and
a thin film conductive electrode for supplying a current to the thin film resistor,
wherein said heat-transfer layer is connected to a heat release portion for releasing heat to the ink supplied for ink ejection.
14. The ink jet head according to claim 13,
wherein a plurality of said heat generating heaters are formed on top of said heat-transfer layer, a being arranged in parallel; and
said heat-transfer layer constitutes a wiring pattern which transmits heat from the plurality of heat generating heaters collectively to said heat release portion.
15. The ink jet head according to claim 13,
wherein said heat release portion is formed on a back face of said substrate opposite to a top face thereof on which said heat generating heater is formed; and
said substrate is provided with a heat-transfer member which is intended to penetrate said substrate from the top face to the back face and connect said heat-transfer layer on said top face and the heat release portion on said back face to each other.
16. The ink jet head according to claim 15,
wherein said substrate has a through hole formed therein for supplying ink for ink ejection from the back face toward the top face of said substrate; and
said heat-transfer member is provided along said through hole.
17. An ink jet printer having an ink jet head, said ink jet head comprising:
an ink jet nozzle from which an ink liquid drop is ejected onto a recording medium;
a substrate having a heat conductivity of 15 (WmK) or less;
a heat-transfer layer having a thickness of 10 m or more which is formed on the substrate;
a heat insulating layer which is adjacently formed on top of the heat-transfer layer; and
a heat generating heater which is adjacently formed on top of the heat insulating layer, said heat generating heater having:
a thin film resistor for boiling a part of ink to generate a bubble and allow the ink liquid drop to be ejected from the ink jet nozzle by an expansion of the bubble; and
a thin film conductive electrode for supplying a current to the thin film resistor.
18. An ink jet printer having an ink jet head, said ink jet head comprising:
an ink jet nozzle from which an ink liquid drop is ejected onto a recording medium,
a substrate having a heat conductivity of 15 (WmK) or less;
a heat-transfer layer which is formed;
a heat insulating layer which is adjacently formed on top of the heat-transfer layer; and
a heat generating heater which is adjacently formed on top of the heat insulating layer, said heat generating heater having:
a thin film resistor for boiling a part of ink to generate a bubble and allow the ink liquid drop to be ejected from the ink jet nozzle by an expansion of the bubble; and
a thin film conductive electrode for supplying a current to the thin film resistor,
wherein said heat-transfer layer is connected to a heat release portion for releasing heat to the ink supplied for ink ejection.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for atomizing a particle comprising:
producing a first molten particle;
applying a rapid electrostatic charge to the first molten particle, wherein the rapid electrostatic charge causes the first molten particle to form at least one smaller second molten particle; and
cooling the second molten particle by producing a non-equilibrium plasma that transfers heat from the second molten particle to a first heat sink, wherein the first heat sink is electrically charged or held at a potential.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first molten particle is produced by melting a material in a melt chamber, and expelling the first molten particle through at least one orifice in the melt chamber.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the rapid electrostatic charge is an arc discharge or an electron beam.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-equilibrium plasma is a glow discharge or a cold corona discharge.
5. An apparatus for transferring heat between a first heat transfer device and a workpiece comprising:
the first heat transfer device, wherein the first heat transfer device is electrically charged or held at a potential, and wherein the first heat transfer device comprises a heat sink or a heat source;
the workpiece, wherein the workpiece is mechanically separate from the first heat transfer device; and
a means for transferring heat between the workpiece and the first heat transfer device comprising a means for generating a non-equilibrium plasma.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the non-equilibrium plasma is a glow discharge or a cold corona discharge.
7. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising an external means for generating or maintaining the non-equilibrium plasma.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the external means for generating or maintaining the non-equilibrium plasma is a thermionic emission, an RF electromagnetic radiation, an electromagnetic radiation, a magnetic field or an electron beam.
9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first heat transfer device comprises a plurality of heat-transfer devices.
10. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a second heat-transfer device that is mechanically and electrically separate from the first heat-transfer device, wherein the second heat-transfer device comprises a heat sink or a heat source, and wherein the potential between the fist heat-transfer device and the second heat-transfer device produces a non-equilibrium plasma.
11. A method for transferring heat between a first heat-transfer device and a workpiece comprising producing a non-equilibrium plasma that transfers heat between the first heat-transfer device and the workpiece, wherein the first heat-transfer device is electrically charged or held at a potential, wherein the first heat-transfer device is mechanically separate from the workpiece, and wherein the first heat-transfer device comprises a heat sink or a heat source.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the non-equilibrium plasma comprises a glow discharge or a cold corona discharge.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising an external means for producing or maintaining the non-equilibrium plasma.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the external means for producing or maintaining the non-equilibrium plasma comprises a thermionic emission, an RF electromagnetic radiation, an electromagnetic radiation, a magnetic field or an electron beam.
15. A preform produced by the method of one of claims 11-14.
16. The preform of claim 15 which is a near net preform.
17. An article of manufacture produced by the method of one of claims 11-14.
18. The article of claim 17 which is a component of a gas turbine engine.