Method of manufacture of a Lorenz diaphragm electromagnetic ink jet printer

• US 6,248,249 B1
• Filed: 07/10/1998
• Issued: 06/19/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zamtec Limited (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): ALANKO, ANITA KAREN
• Application Number:
  US09/113,119
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 216/2, 216/27, 438/21, 430/323, 347/53, 347/54, 347/59, 298/900.9, 251/129.06, 251/129.15
• US Class Current: 216/27
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14 Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14314 Structure of ink jet print heads with electrostatically actuated membrane
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16 Production of nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1623 bonding and adhesion
• 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 2/16585 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: 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

A method of manufacturing a printhead, the method including the step of providing a semiconductor wafer having an electrical circuity layer and a buried epitaxial layer. A nozzle chamber cavity is etched in the wafer. The cavity is filled with sacrificial material and the sacrificial material is etched to form a series of concertina-like ridges in the sacrificial material. A first inert material layer is deposited on the ridges and etched. A conductive material layer is deposited on the inert material and is then etched to form a coil layer having concertina-like ridges. A second inert material layer is deposited on the conductive material layer. The back of the wafer is etched to the epitaxial layer. An ink ejection port is etched through the epitaxial layer to be interconnected with the nozzle chamber cavity and any remaining sacrificial layers are etched away.

Claims

1. A method of manufacture of an ink jet printhead, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a semiconductor wafer having an electrical circuitry layer formed thereon;

(b) etching a nozzle chamber cavity in the wafer and stopping the etching substantially at said epitaxial layer;

(c) depositing a first layer of sacrificial material, filling the nozzle chamber cavity with the sacrificial material, and etching a series of concertina ridges in the sacrificial layer above the nozzle chamber cavity;

(d) depositing a first inert material layer on the concertina ridges, and etching the first inert material layer to retain the series of concertina ridges on a surface of the first inert material layer;

(e) depositing a first conductive material layer over the concertina ridges of the first inert material layer and etching the first conductive material layer to form a coil layer having a series of concertina wire portions over the nozzle chamber cavity;

(f) depositing a second inert material layer on the first conductive material layer, and etching the second inert material layer to retain the series of concertina ridges on the surface thereof;

(g) etching a back of the wafer to the epitaxial layer;

(h) etching an ink ejection port through the epitaxial layer to be interconnected with the nozzle chamber cavity; and

(i) etching away any remaining sacrificial layers.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said inert material layers comprise substantially silicon nitride.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said conductive layer comprises substantially copper.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 further including the step of depositing corrosion barriers over portions of said wafer so as to reduce corrosion effects.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the etching of layers includes etching vias so as to allow for the electrical interconnection of portions of subsequent layers.

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 the wafer is separated into separate printhead chips.