Ink jet printhead and method of making

• US 5,790,151 A
• Filed: 03/27/1996
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: imaging Technology international Corp.
• Original Assignee: imaging Technology international Corp.
• Inventors: Mills, Ross Neal
• Primary Examiner(s): LUND, VALERIE A
• Application Number:
  US08/622,815
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 347/45, 347/47, 216/27
• US Class Current: 347/47
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/162 Manufacturing of the nozzle plates
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1625 electroforming
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1628 dry etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1631 photolithography
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1632 machining
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1634 laser machining
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1637 molding
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1642 thin film formation by CVD [chemical vapor deposition]
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1643 thin film formation by plating
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1646 thin film formation by sputtering

Abstract

An ink jet printhead includes a nonconductive substrate into which a plurality of tapered nozzle holes are formed with the wide hole area coincident with an ink entry side and with the marrow hole area coincident with an ink exit side, and with an ink reservoir mounted on the ink entry side. A metal layer covers the interior of each nozzle hole, and also provides an electrical control-signal conductor on the ink entry side for each metallized nozzle hole. The metal layer also provides a tubular metal extension for each metallized nozzle, these extensions extending a common distance beyond the ink exit side. A plurality of metal conductors may be provided on the ink exit side to facilitate nozzle control using signal-multiplexing techniques, or a field compensation electrode may be provided on the ink exit side.

Claims

1. A method of making an electrostatic ink jet head having a plurality of ink jet nozzles, comprising the steps of:

providing a flat, electrically nonconductive, and rigid plastic plate having a plurality of physically spaced nozzle holes formed therein;

a top flat surface of said plate comprising an ink entry side, and a bottom flat surface of said plate comprising an ink exit side that is parallel to said ink entry side;

each individual one of said nozzle holes being formed as a cone having an interior surface that extends through said plate from said entry side to said exit side, a wide portion that is located at said entry side, and a narrow portion that is located at said exit side;

forming (1) a plurality of first areas of a first metal on said entry side of said plate, each individual one of said first areas of said first metal surrounding one of said plurality of nozzle holes, (2) a plurality of second areas of said first metal on said entry side of said plate, each individual one of said second areas of said first metal extending away from an individual one of said first areas of said first metal, and (3) a plurality of third areas of said first metal, each individual one of said third areas of said first metal being located on an individual one of said interior surfaces of said plurality of nozzle holes, and each individual one of said third areas of said first metal being connected to an individual one of said second areas of said first metal;

plating a second metal on said first, second and third plurality of areas of said first metal;

processing said exit side of said plate in a manner to remove a portion of said exit side of said plate, and to thereby provide a metal extension for each of said plurality of nozzle holes extending beyond said exit side of said plate, and

providing an ink reservoir on said ink entry side of said plate, said reservoir being in ink-flow communication with said wide portion of said plurality of ink jet nozzle holes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said processing step comprises the steps of:

lapping said exit side of said plate; and

thereafter etching said exit side of said plate to thereby remove said portion of said exit side of said plate.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said first metal comprises a chromium flash that is covered by cooper, and wherein said second metal comprises a nickel-cobalt alloy having gold thereon.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said processing step comprises the steps of:

lapping said exit side of said plate; and

thereafter etching said exit side of said plate to thereby remove said portion of said exit side of said plate.

12. The ink jet nozzle plate of claim 4 wherein:

said substrate is a polycarbonate substrate; and

said first, second and third metal portions are a nickel-cobalt alloy.

5. A method of making an electrostatic ink jet head having a flat X-Y nozzle matrix consisting of a plurality of individual and physically spaced ink jet nozzles, comprising the steps of:

providing a flat and electrically nonconductive substrate having said plurality of ink jet nozzle holes formed therein, said plastic substrate having a flat ink entry surface and a flat ink exit surface that is generally parallel to said ink entry surface;

each individual one of said plurality of nozzle holes being formed as a tapered hole having a wide-area portion that is coincident with said entry side, and having a narrow-area portion that is coincident with said exit side;

coating a first metal on all surfaces of said substrate;

covering said first metal coating with a photoresist;

selectively exposing and then removing said photoresist on said entry side to form an exposed border of said first metal surrounding each individual one of said nozzle holes generally coincident with said wide-area portion, to form an exposed electrical conductor of said first metal connecting to each of said exposed borders, and to form an exposed cone-shape of said first metal coincident with each of said nozzle holes;

plating a second metal on said exposed first metal;

removing said first metal in thereof areas that are not plated with said second metal;

lapping said exit side;

etching said substrate on said exit side in a manner to remove a uniform thickness of said exit side of said substrate, and to thereby provide a metal projection for each of said nozzle holes that extends beyond said exit side of said substrate, and

providing an ink reservoir on said entry side of said substrate.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said substrate comprises polycarbonate, wherein said first metal comprises a chromium/cooper layer, and wherein said second metal comprises a nickel/cobalt layer.

7. The method of claim 5 including the step of:

plating a metal field-compensation-electrode on said exit side of said substrate in a manner to physically surround the X-Y matrix of said metal projections of said X-Y matrix of nozzles.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said substrate comprises polycarbonate, wherein said first metal comprises a chromium/cooper layer, wherein said second metal comprises a nickel/cobalt layer, and wherein said field-compensation-electrode comprises a nickel/cobalt layer that is coated with a gold layer.

9. An ink jet nozzle plate having a plurality of physically spaced ink nozzles, comprising:

a flat, electrically nonconductive substrate having a plurality of physically spaced and generally identically shaped nozzle holes extending through said substrate;

a top flat surface of said substrate comprising an ink entry side, and a bottom flat surface of said substrate comprising an ink exit side that is generally parallel to said ink entry side;

each individual one of said plurality of nozzle holes having an interior surface, and each individual one of said plurality of nozzle holes having a large area that is locate adjacent to said ink entry side, and having a small area that is located adjacent to said ink exit side;

each individual one of said plurality of nozzle holes having a central axis that extends generally perpendicular to said ink entry side and to said ink exit side;

a plurality of individual first metal portions on said ink entry side, one first metal portion for each of said nozzle holes, and each individual one of said first metal portions being physically spaced and electrically insulated from a remainder of said first metal portions;

each of said first metal portions having a first metal area that generally surrounds said large area of one of said nozzle holes, and each of said first metal portions having a second metal area that is connected to one of said first metal areas and extends therefrom to provide an electrical signal conductor for said one nozzle hole;

a plurality of individual second metal portions, each individual one of said second metal portions coating said interior surface of one of said nozzle holes, and each individual one of said second metal portions being formed as a unit with one of said first metal areas; and

a plurality of individual third metal portions extending a common distance beyond said ink exit side, each individual one of said third metal portions being formed as a unit with one of said second metal portions.

10. The ink jet nozzle plate of claim 9 wherein:

said substrate is a polycarbonate substrate; and

said first, second and third metal portions are a nickel-cobalt alloy.

11. The ink jet nozzle plate of claim 9 wherein said plurality of nozzle holes comprise a nozzle hole array having edge nozzle holes that are on an edge of said array, and including:

a fourth metal portion on said exit side of said substrate, said fourth metal portion being adjacent to, but electrically insulated from, said third metal portion of said edge nozzle holes that are on said edge of said array; and

said fourth metal portion comprising a field compensation electrode for said edge nozzle holes that are on said edge of said array.

13. A method of making a nozzle plate usable in an multi-nozzle ink jet head having a plurality N of physically spaced and individually controllable ink jet nozzles, comprising the steps of:

providing an electrically nonconductive and structurally stable substrate;

forming a plurality N of physically spaced nozzle holes individually extending through said substrate from an ink entry side to an ink exit side, each of said nozzle holes having an interior surface, and each of said nozzle holes being formed as a tapered hole having a large cross section area that is locate adjacent to said ink entry side and a small cross sectional area that is located adjacent to said ink exit side;

providing a plurality N of first metal areas on said ink entry side, each of said first metal areas being positioned coincident with said large cross section area of one of said nozzle holes;

providing a plurality N of second metal areas on said ink entry side, each of said second metal areas being physically continuous with one of said first metal areas;

providing a plurality N of third metal areas, each of said third metal areas being located on one of said interior surfaces of said nozzle holes, and each of said third metal areas being physically continuous with one of said first metal areas;

providing a plurality N of tubular metal extensions, each of said metal extensions being located coincident with a one of said smaller areas of said nozzle holes and being physically continuous with a one of said third metal portions, and said plurality N of tubular extensions extending a common distance beyond said ink exit side of said substrate; and

selecting said common distance as a function of said small cross sectional area.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said substrate is selected from the group plastic and silicon.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said substrate is polycarbonate, and wherein said first metal areas, said second metal areas, said third metal areas, and said metal extensions are formed of a nickel-cobalt alloy.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein said plurality N of nozzle holes comprise a two dimensional nozzle array having edge nozzles that are located at a physical edge of said array, and including the step of:

providing a fourth metal portion on said ink exit side of said substrate, said fourth metal portion surrounding, and being electrically insulated from, said certain nozzles that are located at said physical edge of said array.

17. The method of claim 13 including the step of:

providing an ink reservoir on said ink entry side of said substrate in fluid flow communication with said large cross sectional area of said plurality N of nozzles.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein:

said tapered holes comprise circular cross section conical holes having a large diameter located adjacent to said ink entry side and having a small diameter located adjacent to said ink exit side;

said tubular metal extensions having a circular cross section of a diameter generally equal to said small diameter; and

said common distance is selected as a function of said small diameter.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said common distance is generally equal to said small diameter.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said first, second and third metal areas, and said metal extensions all have a gold exterior surface.

21. A method of making an ink jet head having a plurality N of physically spaced ink jet nozzles, comprising the steps of:

providing an electrically nonconductive, generally flat, and structurally stable substrate, said substrate having a generally flat ink entry surface and a generally flat ink exit surface;

forming a plurality N of physically spaced nozzle holes extending through said substrate from said ink entry surface to said ink exit surface, each of said nozzle holes having an interior surface, and each of said nozzle holes being formed as a tapered hole having a large cross section area that is locate adjacent to said ink entry surface and a small cross sectional area that is located adjacent to said ink exit surface;

providing an ink reservoir on said ink entry surface in fluid flow communication with said large cross section area of said plurality N of nozzles holes;

providing a plurality N of first metal portions, each of said first metal portions being located on one of said interior surfaces of said nozzle holes, and each of said first metal portions extending from said ink entry surface to said ink exit surface;

providing a plurality N of tubular metal extensions, each of said metal extensions being located coincident with one of said small cross section areas of said nozzle holes and being physically continuous with one of said first metal portions, and said plurality N of tubular metal extensions extending a common distance beyond said ink exit surface; and

said common distance being selected as a function of said small cross section area.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said substrate is selected from the group plastic, ceramic and silicon.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said substrate is polycarbonate, and wherein said first metal portions and said tubular metal extensions are formed of a nickel-cobalt alloy.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein said plurality N of nozzle holes comprise a two dimensional nozzle array having edge nozzles that are located at a physical edge of said array, and including the step of:

providing a second metal portion on said ink exit surface, said second metal portion surrounding and being electrically insulated from said certain nozzles located at said physical edge of said array.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein:

said tapered holes comprise circular cross section conical holes having a large diameter located adjacent to said ink entry surface and having a small diameter located adjacent to said ink exit surface;

said tubular metal extensions having a circular cross section of a diameter generally equal to said small diameter; and

said common distance being selected as a function of said small diameter.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said common distance is generally equal to said small diameter.

27. The method of claim 22 wherein said first metal portions and said tubular metal extensions include a gold exterior surface.

30. The ink jet head of claim 24 wherein said plurality of nozzle holes comprise a nozzle hole array having certain nozzle holes that are on an edge of said array, and including:

a second metal portion on said exit surface;

said second metal portion being adjacent to, but electrically insulated from, said tubular metal extensions of said edge nozzle holes that are on said edge of said array;

said second metal portion comprising a field compensation electrode for said edge nozzle holes that are on said edge of said array.

28. An ink jet head having a plurality of physically spaced nozzles, comprising:

a flat and electrically nonconductive substrate having an ink entry surface and an ink exit surface that is generally parallel to said ink entry surface;

a plurality of physically spaced and generally identically shaped nozzle holes extending through said substrate from said ink entry surface to said ink exit surface;

each of said nozzle holes having an interior surface;

each of said nozzle holes having a large area that is locate adjacent to said ink entry surface;

each of said nozzle holes having a small area that is located adjacent to said ink exit surface;

each of said nozzle holes having a central axis that extends generally perpendicular to said ink entry surface and said ink exit surface;

an ink reservoir on said ink entry surface in ink-flow communication with said large area of said nozzle holes;

a plurality of individual first metal portions;

each of said first metal portions coating a said interior surface of one of said nozzle holes;

a plurality of tubular metal extensions extending a common distance beyond said ink exit surface; and

each of said tubular metal extensions being formed as a unit with one of said first metal portions.

29. The ink jet head of claim 28 wherein:

said substrate is a polycarbonate substrate; and

said first metal portions and tubular metal extensions are a nickel-cobalt alloy.