Konica Minolta Introduces the World's First Inkjet Printhead for Printed Electronics, Providing Tiny Drop Size and High Precision

Submitted by Visitor on Tue, 02/14/2012 - 15:33

TOKYO -- -Konica Minolta IJ Technologies, Inc. (Konica Minolta) announced today that the company developed KM128SNG-MB, a high precision inkjet printhead, with the first use of MEMS technology at Konica Minolta. KM128SNG-MB delivers tiny drop size (1 picoliter*) for the first time for printed electronics applications, and is planned to go on sale in sample quantities this spring.

This next-generation inkjet printhead is manufactured using silicon MEMS technology that is also used in semiconductor processing. This technology made possible the successful development of a small printhead structure (38 mm wide, 128 nozzles in one row) that can eject tiny drops of ink. Careful ink path design and high precision assembly technology enable stable, high precision printing with a tiny drop size, while also providing the ink resistance and optimization for low viscosity inks that are demanded in industrial applications. Utilization of MEMS technology will enable future nozzle integration according to customer need, as well as further miniaturization of the printhead itself. KM128SNG-MB will demonstrate its worth in OLED display patterning, OLED lighting thin film layer coating, and new manufacturing technologies to provide high-resolution, high added value displays for smartphones and similar devices.