Abstract
The nucleation and growth of a vapor bubble from superheated water is the triggering event for the eventual ejection of an ink drop in the thermal ink jet (TIJ) printing process. A high speed stroboscopic system capable of time resolving the kinetics of the nucleation process has been developed. The core of the system is a semiconductor laser and a high speed electronic driver that is used to replace the more conventional flashlamp strobe. The time resolution of the new laser strobe is < 50 ns, which is 20-40 times higher resolution than the 1-2 microsecond(s) duration of the typical flashlamp strobe. We observe site specific formation of small vapor bubbles on the surface of a TIJ heater that are stable for up to 0.5 microsecond(s) . These site-specific bubbles also play a role in the growth of the continuous vapor bubble, the expansion of which imparts the force to eject an ink drop. A model is proposed that explains these observations.
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