Method of fabricating inkjet nozzle

• US 7,014,785 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Hassanzadeh, Parviz
• Assistant Examiner(s): CULBERT, ROBERTS P
• Application Number:
  US11/082,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20050189317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 368 Days
• Field of Search: 216/27, 438/21, 298/901, 347/20, 347/44, 347/47, 347/54, 347/56, 347/67, 347/75, 347/77
• US Class Current: 216/27
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04505 aiming at correcting alignment
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04516 preventing formation of satellite drops
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04518 reducing costs
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0452 reducing demand in current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04528 aiming at warming up the head
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04541 Specific driving circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04543 Block driving
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04553 detecting ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04563 detecting head temperature; Ink temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04565 detecting heater resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0457 Power supply level being detected or varied
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04571 detecting viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04585 controlling heads based on thermal bent actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04588 using a specific waveform
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0459 Height of the driving signal being adjusted
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04591 Width of the driving signal being adjusted
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04593 Dot-size modulation by changing the size of the drop
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04596 Non-ejecting pulses
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04598 Pre-pulse
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/155 : for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1601 : Production of bubble jet print heads B41J2/1606, B41J2/162 take precedence
• 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 2/1637 : molding
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14419 : Manifold
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14491 : Electrical connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 25/005 : for serial printing movements superimposed to character- or line-spacing movements

Abstract

A method of fabricating an inkjet nozzle on a wafer substrate is provided. The nozzle comprises a nozzle chamber, an actuator and control circuitry for controlling the actuator. The method comprises the steps of: (a) providing a wafer substrate having control circuitry formed thereon; (b) depositing first sacrificial material on the wafer; (c) forming the actuator on the first sacrificial layer such that the actuator electrically connects with the control circuitry; (d) depositing second sacrificial material over the actuator; (e) defining openings in the second sacrificial material, the openings defining the positions of chamber sidewalls; (f) depositing roof material over the second sacrificial material and into the openings; (g) defining an aperture in the roof material; and (h) removing the first and second sacrificial materials.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating an inkjet nozzle on a wafer substrate, the nozzle comprising:

a nozzle chamber, the nozzle chamber including a roof having an aperture defined therein, and sidewalls extending from the roof to the substrate

an actuator positioned in the nozzle chamber for ejecting ink through the aperture; and

control circuitry for controlling the actuator, the method comprising the steps of;

(a) providing a wafer substrate having control circuitry formed thereon;

(b) depositing first sacrificial material on the wafer;

(c) forming the actuator on the first sacrificial layer such that the actuator electrically connects with the control circuitry;

(d) depositing second sacrificial material over the actuator;

(e) defining openings in the second sacrificial material, the openings defining the positions of chamber sidewalls;

(f) depositing roof material over the second sacrificial material and into the openings;

(g) defining an aperture in the roof material; and

(h) removing the first and second sacrificial materials.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is formed by a CMOS process.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a thermal actuator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the roof material is deposited by PECVD.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein an ink supply channel is back-etched to the nozzle prior to removing the sacrificial material.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of nozzles are formed on the wafer substrate.

7. The method of claim 1, which forms part of a printhead fabrication process.