Method of manufacture of a surface bend actuator vented ink supply ink jet printer
First Claim
1. A method of manufacture of an ink jet print head arrangement including a series of nozzle chambers, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing an initial semiconductor wafer having an electrical circuitry layer formed thereon;
(b) etching said circuitry layer to define a nozzle cavity area;
(c) plasma etching the wafer in the area of said nozzle cavity area to create a nozzle chamber;
(d) depositing and etching a first sacrificial layer so as to fill said nozzle chamber;
(e) etching said first sacrificial layer to create an actuator end cavity volume;
(f) depositing and etching a first material layer over said first sacrificial layer so as to fill said end cavity volume and to form a lower portion of a thermal actuator unit on said sacrificial layer;
(g) depositing and etching a conductive heater layer on top of said lower portion, said conductive heater layer forming a heater element on said lower portion, said heater element being connected to said electrical circuitry layer;
(h) depositing a second material layer;
(i) etching said second material layer and said first material layer down to said sacrificial layer so as to form a slot around said surface actuator and a nozzle chamber nozzle;
(j) etching an ink supply channel through said wafer in fluid communication with said nozzle chamber; and
(k) etching away said sacrificial material.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of manufacture of an ink jet print head arrangement including a series of nozzle chambers, the method comprising the steps of: (a) utilizing an initial semiconductor wafer having an electrical circuitry layer formed thereon; (b) etching the circuitry layer to define a nozzle cavity area; (c) plasma etching the wafer in the area of the nozzle cavity area to create a nozzle chamber; (d) depositing and etching a first sacrificial layer so as to fill the nozzle chamber; (e) etching the first sacrificial layer to create an actuator end cavity volume; (f) depositing and etching a first material layer over the first sacrificial layer so as to fill the end cavity volume and to form a lower portion of a thermal actuator unit on the sacrificial layer; (g) depositing and etching a conductive heater layer on top of the lower portion, the conductive heater layer forming a heater element on the lower portion, the heater element being interconnected to the electrical circuitry layer; (h) depositing a second material layer; (i) etching the second material layer and the first material layer down to the sacrificial layer so as to form a slot around the surface actuator and a nozzle chamber nozzle; (j) etching an ink supply channel through the wafer in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber; and (k) etching away the sacrificial material.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. A method of manufacture of an ink jet print head arrangement including a series of nozzle chambers, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing an initial semiconductor wafer having an electrical circuitry layer formed thereon;
(b) etching said circuitry layer to define a nozzle cavity area;
(c) plasma etching the wafer in the area of said nozzle cavity area to create a nozzle chamber;
(d) depositing and etching a first sacrificial layer so as to fill said nozzle chamber;
(e) etching said first sacrificial layer to create an actuator end cavity volume;
(f) depositing and etching a first material layer over said first sacrificial layer so as to fill said end cavity volume and to form a lower portion of a thermal actuator unit on said sacrificial layer;
(g) depositing and etching a conductive heater layer on top of said lower portion, said conductive heater layer forming a heater element on said lower portion, said heater element being connected to said electrical circuitry layer;
(h) depositing a second material layer;
(i) etching said second material layer and said first material layer down to said sacrificial layer so as to form a slot around said surface actuator and a nozzle chamber nozzle;
(j) etching an ink supply channel through said wafer in fluid communication with said nozzle chamber; and
(k) etching away said sacrificial material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 7, 8)
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- 5. A method as claimed in 1 wherein said first material layer and said second material layer comprise a nonconductive material having a high coefficient of thermal expansion.
Specification