Method of manufacture of a conductive PTFE bend actuator vented ink jet printer

• US 6,290,861 B1
• Filed: 07/10/1998
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• 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:
  US09/113,110
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 216/27, 347/54, 347/59, 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: 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

A method of manufacturing a conductive PTFE bend actuator vented ink jet print head wherein an array of nozzles are formed on a substrate utilising planar monolithic deposition, lithographic and etching processes. Multiple ink jet heads are formed simultaneously on a single planar substrate such as a silicon wafer. The print heads can be formed utilising standard VLSI/ULSI processing and can include integrated drive electronics formed on the same substrate. The drive electronics preferably being of a CMOS type. In the final construction, ink can be ejected from the substrate substantially normal to the substrate plane.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an ink jet printhead which includes:

providing a base silicon wafer which includes drive and control circuitry; and

forming an array of nozzle arrangements on the base silicon wafer, each nozzle arrangement being formed by carrying out the following steps;

constructing a venting layer having a plurality of holes defined therein, using a deposition and etching process;

forming a bend actuator of two layers over the venting layer, with a lower layer of the actuator being, polytetrafuoroethlene (PTEE) using a deposition and etching process;

rendering the lower layer electrically conductive to heat up when a current is passed through the lower layer;

connecting the lower layer of the actuator to the drive and control circuitry;

forming walls to define a nozzle chamber in which the venting layer and the actuator are positioned, by a deposition and etching process; and

forming an ink ejection port in one of the walls so that movement of the actuator results in the ejection of ink from the ink ejection port, by an etching process.

2. A method of manufacturing an ink jet printhead as claimed in claim 1 wherein said drive and control circuitry are formed using a CMOS fabrication process.

3. A method of manufacturing an ink jet printhead as claimed in claim 1 wherein ink is ejected from said substrate normal to said substrate.

4. A method of manufacturing an ink jet printhead as claimed in claim 1, in which both the venting layer and the actuator are manufactured of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and in which the method includes rendering the layer of PTFE conductive by doping the PTFFF with a conductive material.