Method of manufacture of an image creation apparatus

• US 6,235,211 B1
• Filed: 07/10/1998
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Gulakowski, Randy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed, Shamim
• Application Number:
  US09/112,798
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 216/27, 347/56-62
• US Class Current: 216/27
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1628 dry etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1629 wet etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1631 photolithography
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1632 machining
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1635 dividing the wafer into individual chips
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1639 sacrificial 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 2/1645 thin film formation by spincoating
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1646 thin film formation by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1648 Production of print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16585 for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 Ink pumps, ink valves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/041 Electromagnetic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/121 by printing code marks applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/56 : using storage elements with more than two stable states represented by steps, e.g. of voltage, current, phase, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 : Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 : Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation

Abstract

An ink jet printer includes a trough having side walls and an exposed roof, the trough being substantially filled with fluid during operation. A paddle vane is located within the trough and offset from one wall when the paddle vane is in a quiescent position. An actuation mechanism is attached to the paddle vane such that, upon activation of the actuation mechanism, the paddle vane is caused to move towards the wall, resulting in an increase in pressure in the fluid between the wall and the paddle vane. This results in a consequential ejection of fluid via the exposed roof. A method of manufacture of the ink jet printer comprises the steps of initially providing a silicon wafer having a circuitry wafer layer including electrical circuitry necessary for the operation of the thermal actuation mechanisms on demand. The trough is etched in the surface of the wafer. The actuation mechanism and the paddle vane are created on the silicon wafer by means of depositing and etching a series of sacrificial layers to form a supporting structure for the actuation mechanism and the paddle vane, in addition to depositing and suitably etching a series of materials for forming the actuation mechanism and the paddle vane. An ink supply channel interconnecting the trough with an ink supply is etched through the wafer. Any remaining sacrificial layers are etched away so as to release the actuation mechanism and the paddle vane for operation.

Claims

1. A method of manufacture of an ink jet printer which includes a trough having side walls and an exposed roof, said trough being substantially filled with fluid during operations;

a paddle vane located within the trough and offset from one wall when said paddle vane is in a quiescent position;

an actuation mechanism attached to said paddle vane such that, upon activation of said actuation mechanism, said paddle vane is caused to move towards said one wall, resulting in an increase in pressure in the fluid between said one wall and said paddle vane, resulting in a consequential ejection of fluid via said exposed roof, said method comprising the steps of;

(a) initially providing a silicon wafer having a circuitry wafer layer including electrical circuitry necessary for the operation of the actuation mechanism on demand;

(b) etching said trough in the surface of said wafer;

(c) creating said actuation mechanism and said paddle vane on said silicon wafer by means of depositing and etching a series of sacrificial layers to form a supporting structure for said actuation mechanism and said paddle vane, in addition to depositing and suitably etching a series of materials for forming said actuation mechanism and said paddle vane;

(d) etching an ink supply channel interconnecting said trough through said wafer with an ink supply reservoir; and

(e) etching away any remaining sacrificial layers so as to release said actuation mechanism and said paddle vane for operation.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein step (c) comprises the steps of:

(i) depositing and etching a first series of sacrificial layers to form a first supporting structure;

(ii) depositing and etching a conductive material to form a first conductive portion of said actuation mechanism and said paddle vane;

(iii) depositing and etching a second series of sacrificial layers to form a second supporting structure for a non-conductive portion of said actuation mechanism;

(iv) depositing and etching a non-conductive material to form those non-conductive portions of said actuation mechanism;

(v) depositing and etching a third series of sacrificial layers to form a third supporting structure for said actuation mechanism; and

(vi) depositing and etching a second conductive material to form a second conductive portion of said actuation mechanism and said paddle vane.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first and second conductive material comprises substantially titanium diboride.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said non-conductive material comprises substantially silicon nitride.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sacrificial layers comprises substantially glass and aluminum.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said wafer comprises a double sided polished CMOS wafer.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least step (e) is also utilized to simultaneously separate said wafer into separate printheads.