A Study on the Low Energy Consumption Thermal Head Using Electroless Ni‐W‐P Alloy Films as Heating Resistors

Abstract

The new type of thermal head with an electroless Ni‐W‐P film on a polyimide film substrate was investigated for the purpose of low cost and low energy consumption. The electroless plating method attained a fine patterned heating element and the polyimide substrate worked as a heat‐insulating layer with a lower heat conductivity. In our simulation, the applied power was reduced about 50% by using polyimide film as the heat‐insulating layer. The accumulation of heat could be suppressed by controlling the polyimide film thickness without reducing the advantage of low energy consumption. The new head, composed of screen‐printed polyimide resin with powder (10 μm thick) as the protective layer, an electroless Ni‐W‐P film (0.25 μm thick) as the heating element, a polyimide film (50 μm thick) as the heat‐insulating layer, and an Al board (3.0 mm) as the heat sink, was produced. The new head shows the same dot size as that of the conventional thin‐film‐type head produced by vacuum technology, and its cost is lower than that of the conventional thin‐film‐type head. The new head produces the good printing quality with 60% of the power required by the conventional one. Therefore, the new head provides low cost and low energy consumption.