Etching a substrate: processes – Forming or treating thermal ink jet article
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-10
2001-06-05
Alanko, Anita (Department: 1746)
Etching a substrate: processes
Forming or treating thermal ink jet article
C438S021000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241905
ABSTRACT:
S
TATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT Not applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the manufacture of ink jet printheads.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many ink jet printing mechanisms are known. Unfortunately, in mass production techniques, the production of ink jet printheads is quite difficult. For example, often, the orifice or nozzle plate is constructed separately from the ink supply and ink ejection mechanism and bonded to the mechanism at a later stage (Hewlett-Packard Journal, Vol. 36 no 5, pp 33-37 (1985)). The separate material processing steps required when handling such precision devices often add a substantial expense in manufacturing.
Additionally, side shooting ink jet technologies (U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,181) are often used but again, this limit the amount of mass production throughput given any particular capital investment.
Additionally, more esoteric techniques are also often utilised. These can include electroforming of nickel stage (Hewlett-Packard Journal, Vol. 36 no 5, pp 33-37 (1985)), electro-discharge machining, laser ablation (U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,604), micro-punching, etc.
The utilisation of the above techniques is likely to add substantial expense to the mass production of ink jet printheads and therefore to add substantially to their final cost.
It would therefore be desirable if an efficient system for the mass production of ink jet printheads could be developed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative form of ink jet printer and in particular an alternative form of nozzle construction for the ejection of ink from a nozzle port.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a curling calyx thermoelastic ink jet printhead wherein an array of nozzles are formed on a substrate utilising planar monolithic deposition, lithographic and etching processes. Preferably, multiple ink jet printheads are formed simultaneously on a single planar substrate such as a silicon wafer.
The printheads can be formed utilising standard vlsi/ulsi processing and can include integrated drive electronics formed on the same substrate. The drive electronics preferably being of a CMOS type. In the final construction, ink can be ejected from the substrate substantially normal to the substrate.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacture of an ink jet printhead arrangement including a series of nozzle chambers, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing an initial semiconductor wafer having an electrical circuitry layer formed thereon on; (b) etching a nozzle ink inlet hole in the electrical circuitry layer in addition to a series of vias at predetermined positions interconnecting with the electrical circuitry; (c) depositing and etching a first sacrificial material layer over the electrical circuitry layer including filling the nozzle ink inlet hole, the etching including etching an actuator anchor area in the first sacrificial material layer located around the vias; (d) depositing and etching a first expansion material layer of a material having a high coefficient of thermal expansion, the etching including etching predetermined vias in the first expansion material layer; (e) depositing and etching a first conductive layer on the first expansion material layer, the first conductive material layer being conductively interconnected to the electrical circuitry layer via the vias; (f) depositing and etching a second expansion material layer of a material having a high coefficient of thermal expansion, the etching including forming a disk centered substantially around the vias from the combination of the first and second expansion material layers and the first conductive layer; (g) depositing and etching a second sacrificial material layer, the etching forming a nozzle chamber mould; (h) depositing and etching an inert material layer over the sacrificial material layer so as to form a nozzle chamber around the moveable paddle, the etching including etching an ejection port aperture in the inert material layer; (i) etching an ink supply channel through the wafer; and (j) etching away the sacrificial layers.
The method can include etching a series of radial slots in the disk
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The step (h) preferably can include etching a series of small holes in the inert material layer and to define a lip about a periphery of the disk.
The first and second expansion material layers can comprise substantially polytetrafluoroethylene and the inert material layer can comprise substantially silicon nitride. The ink supply channel can be formed by etching a channel from the back surface of the wafer.
The steps are preferably also utilized to simultaneously separate the wafer into separate printheads.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5828394 (1998-10-01), Khuri-Yakub et al.
patent: 5872582 (1999-02-01), Pan
patent: 5970998 (1999-10-01), Talbot et al.
Alanko Anita
Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
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