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Abstract

An ink jet nozzle assembly is provided for an inkjet printer. The nozzle assembly includes a wafer substrate arrangement defining an ink supply passage. A drive circuitry layer is formed on the wafer substrate arrangement. An ink chamber structure is formed on the drive circuitry layer. The ink chamber structure defines an ink chamber in fluid communication with the ink supply passage and an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the ink chamber. The ink chamber structure further defines an actuator guide slot. A support extends from the drive circuitry layer at a location external to the nozzle. An elongate, cantilevered thermal bend actuator extends from a fixed end at the support, through the guide slot and terminates in a free end within the ink chamber. The actuator is electrically coupled to the drive circuitry layer so that the drive circuitry layer can actuate bending of the actuator to move the free end, which is constrained to substantially linear motion by the guide slot, and thereby eject ink from the ink ejection port.

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First Claim