Method of manufacturing an inkjet nozzle assembly for volumetric ink ejection

• US 7,374,695 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2006
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, McAvoy, Gregory John
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Shamim
• Application Number:
  US11/525,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20070011876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 216/27, 216/41, 216/83, 216/58, 438/21, 347 54- 65
• US Class Current: 216/27
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1433 Structure of nozzle plates
• 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 2/1629 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 2/1648 Production of print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 Ink pumps, ink valves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/041 Electromagnetic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14346 Ejection by pressure produced by thermal deformation of ink chamber, e.g. buckling
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14435 Moving nozzle made of thermal bend detached actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14475 characterised by nozzle shapes or number of orifices per chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/15 Moving nozzle or nozzle plate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49401 Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet

Abstract

A method is provided for manufacturing a printer nozzle. The method includes the step of depositing a metal layer upon a semi-conductor wafer. The metal layer defines a pair of protruding portions which each form a respective electrical contact. The method further includes the step of etching the metal layer through to the wafer to form a nozzle region and to electrically isolate the electrical contacts. In one embodiment, the nozzle region is defined by a circular wall.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a printer nozzle assembly, the method comprising the steps of:

depositing a metal layer upon a semi-conductor wafer, the metal layer defining a pair of protruding portions which each form a respective electrical contact; and

etching the metal layer through to the wafer to form a nozzle region and to electrically isolate the electrical contacts.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of etching the metal layer is carried out so that the nozzle region is defined by a circular wall.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

depositing a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) layer on the metal layer and the exposed wafer in the nozzle region; and

etching the PTFE layer so as to define a pair of apertures each in register with a respective electrical contact.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

depositing another metal layer on the PTFE layer; and

etching the other metal layer through to the PTFE layer to define a heater element superposed with respect to the nozzle region and having a pair of ends which are each coupled to a respective electrical contact through a corresponding aperture.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said other metal layer is etched so that the heater element defines a plurality of serially interconnected serpentine portions.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

depositing another PTFE layer on the other metal layer and the PTFE layer; and

etching the other PTFE layer to define;

a plurality of radially extending bridging portions which terminate in a common rim, and

a plurality of actuators which each extend between a respective pair of adjacent bridging portions and each terminate in a free end proximal to the rim.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising the step of:

etching the wafer to define a nozzle chamber with respect to which the rim, bridging portions and actuators are superposed.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising the step of:

etching through the wafer to define an ink supply channel at an apex of the nozzle chamber.