Inkjet printhead having a self aligned nozzle

• US 6,273,544 B1
• Filed: 10/19/1999
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zamtec Limited (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo, Anh T. W.
• Application Number:
  US09/425,419
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 347/85, 347/86, 347/87, 347/20, 347/44, 347/47, 346/140.1, 216/27
• US Class Current: 347/20
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1623 bonding and adhesion
• 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 2/1635 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 2/1646 thin film formation by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1648 Production of print heads with thermal bend detached actuators

Abstract

An inkjet printing arrangement having a series of nozzles for the ejection of ink wherein the nozzle rims are formed as a result of the deposition of a rim material layer and a subsequent planar etching of the material layer so as to form the nozzle rim. The planar etching can comprise chemical-mechanical planarization of the rim material layer and any associated sacrificial layers.

Claims

1. An inkjet printhead having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink from respective nozzle chambers wherein each said nozzle has a protruding rim formed from an overcoat layer deposited to conform on an uneven sacrificial layer and planar removal of part of said overcoat layer so as to form said nozzle rim, said sacrificial layer having been subsequently etched away to form said nozzle chambers.

2. An inkjet printhead as claimed in claim 1 wherein said planar removal comprises chemical-mechanical planarization.

3. An inkjet printhead as claimed in claim 2 wherein parts of said sacrificial layer are also removed by said planar removal.

4. An inkjet printhead as claimed in claim 1 wherein said planar removal is an etching process.

5. An inkjet printhead as claimed in claim 1 wherein said overcoat layer comprises TEOS glass.

6. An inkjet printhead as claimed in claim 1 wherein said overcoat layer is PECVD Si₃N₄.

7. An inkjet printhead as claimed in claim 1 wherein said overcoat layer is MOCVD TiN.

8. An inkjet printhead as claimed in claim 1 wherein said overcoat layer is ECR CVD TiN.