Dual nozzle single horizontal fulcrum actuator inkjet

• US 6,264,850 B1
• Filed: 07/10/1998
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• 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): Markoff, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed, Shamim
• Application Number:
  US09/112,800
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 216/27, 347/56-62, 438/21
• 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 2/1626 etching
• 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 printhead includes a nozzle chamber having at least two fluid ejection apertures defined in a roof of the chamber; a moveable paddle vane located in a region of a first one of the fluid ejection apertures; an actuator mechanism attached to the moveable paddle vane and adapted to move the paddle vane in a first direction so as to cause the ejection of fluid drops out of the first fluid ejection aperture and to further move the paddle vane in a second, alternative direction so as to cause the ejection of fluid drops out of a second fluid ejection aperture. A method of manufacture of such a printhead comprises initially providing a silicon wafer having a circuitry wafer layer including electrical circuitry necessary for the operation of the actuator mechanism on demand. A trough is etched in the wafer to provide for an ink supply channel through a portion of the wafer. The nozzle chamber, the actuator mechanism and the paddle vane within the nozzle chamber are created on the silicon wafer by means of depositing and etching a series of sacrificial layers to form a supporting structure for the nozzle chamber, the actuator mechanism and the paddle vane, in addition to depositing and suitably etching a series of materials for forming the nozzle chamber including a pair of fluid ejection apertures in a roof of the nozzle chamber, the actuator mechanism and the paddle vane. An ink inlet is etched in the wafer, the inlet being in communication with the nozzle chamber via the ink supply channel extending through the wafer. Any remaining sacrificial layers are etched away so as to release the actuator mechanism and the paddle vane such that the paddle vane is displaceable relative to the fluid ejection apertures for effecting ink ejection from one of the apertures at a time on demand.

Claims

1. A method of manufacture of an ink jet printhead which includes a nozzle chamber having at least two fluid ejection apertures defined in a roof of the chamber;

a moveable paddle vane located in a region of a first one of the fluid ejection apertures;

an actuator mechanism attached to the moveable paddle vane and adapted to move the paddle vane in a first direction so as to cause the ejection of fluid drops out of the first fluid ejection aperture and to further move the paddle vane in a second, alternative direction so as to cause the ejection of fluid drops out of a second fluid ejection aperture, the 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 actuator mechanism on demand;

(b) etching a trough in the wafer to provide for an ink supply channel through a portion of the wafer;

(c) creating the nozzle chamber, the actuator mechanism and the paddle vane within the nozzle chamber on the silicon wafer by means of depositing and etching a series of sacrificial layers to form a supporting structure for the nozzle chamber, the actuator mechanism and the paddle vane, in addition to depositing and suitably etching a series of materials for forming the nozzle chamber including a pair of fluid ejection apertures in a roof of the nozzle chamber, the actuator mechanism and the paddle vane;

(d) etching an ink inlet in the wafer, the inlet being in communication with the nozzle chamber via the ink supply channel extending through the wafer; and

(e) etching away any remaining sacrificial layers so as to release the actuator mechanism and said paddle vane such that the paddle vane is displaceable relative to the fluid ejection apertures for effecting ink ejection from one of the apertures at a time on demand.

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 first non-conductive material layer to form a first structure including a portion of the nozzle chamber and a first portion of the actuator mechanism;

(iii) depositing and etching a first conductive material layer to form a lower heater structure of the actuator mechanism;

(iv) depositing and etching a second non-conductive material layer forming a central portion of the actuator mechanism, a portion of the nozzle wall and the paddle vane in addition to a supporting structure for an upper heater structure;

(v) depositing and etching a second conductive material layer to form an upper heater structure of the actuator mechanism;

(vi) depositing and etching a further, third non-conductive material layer so as to form the paddle vane, the nozzle chamber walls and a portion affixing one end of the actuator mechanism to the wafer;

(vii) depositing and etching a further sacrificial layer to form a further supporting structure for the nozzle chamber walls; and

(viii) depositing and etching a further, fourth non-conductive material layer forming the nozzle chamber walls and roof in addition to the fluid ejection apertures.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first and second conductive material comprises substantially a copper nickel alloy.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the non-conductive material comprises substantially silicon dioxide.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sacrificial layers comprise substantially glass and/or aluminum.

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

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

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