Method of manufacture of a coil actuated magnetic plate ink jet printer

• US 6,315,914 B1
• Filed: 07/10/1998
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zamtec Limited (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Gulakowski, Randy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed, Shamim
• Application Number:
  US09/112,835
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 216/27, 347/54-63, 347/53
• 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 2/1639 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 2002/041 Electromagnetic transducer

Abstract

A method of manufacture of an ink jet print head arrangement is disclosed 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 on; (b) etching a series of slots in at least the circuitry layer to define a nozzle cavity inlet; (c) depositing and etching a first layer of magnetic flux material on the electrical circuitry layer to define a first magnetic plate; (d) depositing and etching a insulating layer on the first layer and the electrical circuitry layer, the etching including etching vias for a subsequent conductive layer; (e) depositing and etching a conductive layer in for form of a conductive coil conductively interconnected to the electrical circuitry layer; (f) depositing and etching a hydrophobic material layer in the region of the conductive coil; (g) depositing and etching a sacrificial material layer in the region of the first magnetic plate and the coil, the etching including defining a cavity for the walls of a nozzle chamber; (h) depositing and etching a second layer of magnetic flux material over the sacrificial material so as to substantially enclose the conductive coil; (i) etching away the sacrificial material; (j) etching an ink supply channel through the wafer to form a fluid communication with the nozzle chamber.

Claims

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

providing an initial semiconductor wafer having an electrical circuitry layer formed thereon;

etching a series of slots in at least the circuitry layer to define a nozzle cavity inlet;

depositing a first layer of magnetic flux material on the electrical circuitry layer and etching the flux material to define a fixed magnetic plate;

depositing an insulating layer on the first layer of magnetic flux material and on the electrical circuitry layer and etching vias for a subsequent conductive layer;

depositing a conductive layer and etching the conductive layer to define a conductive coil conductively interconnected to the electrical circuitry layer;

depositing a hydrophobic material layer in the region of the conductive coil and etching the hydrophobic material layer;

depositing a sacrificial material layer in the region of the fixed magnetic plate and the coil and etching the sacrificial material layer to define a cavity for a plunger incorporating walls of a nozzle chamber;

depositing a second layer of magnetic flux material over the sacrificial material and etching the second layer to form the plunger to substantially enclose the conductive coil;

etching away the sacrificial material; and

etching an ink supply channel through the wafer to be in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises forming a series of springs connected to the plunger for biasing the plunger away from the fixed magnetic plate.

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

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

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the magnetic flux material comprises substantially a cobalt nickel iron alloy.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the wafer comprises a double-sided polished CMOS wafer.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 which includes etching the ink supply channel from a back surface of the wafer.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the wafer is separated into printhead chips.