Method for manufacturing an inkjet nozzle that incorporates heater actuator arms

• US 7,381,342 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2006
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• 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:
  US11/635,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20070080135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 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 2/14 Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
• 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 2/16 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 2/1635 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 29/49128 : Assembling formed circuit to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 : Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 : Manufacturing circuit on or in base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49156 : with selective destruction of conductive paths
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49401 : Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet

Abstract

A method is provided for manufacturing an inkjet nozzle. The method includes the step of depositing a plastics material layer on a substrate incorporating heater actuator circuitry. The plastics material layer is etched to form a nozzle rim defining an ink port through which ink can be ejected and a plurality of elongate actuator arms extending radially with respect to the nozzle rim. A tapered ink chamber may be etched in the nozzle body so that the ink port and ink chamber are in fluid communication with each other.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an inkjet nozzle, the method comprising the steps of:

depositing a plastics material layer on a substrate incorporating heater actuator circuitry; and

etching the plastics material layer to form a nozzle rim defining an ink ejection port through which ink can be ejected and a plurality of elongate actuator arms extending radially with respect to the nozzle rim, such that each actuator arm incorporates heater actuator circuitry.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, which includes the step of etching a tapered ink chamber in the substrate so that the ink port and ink chamber are in fluid communication with each other.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, which includes the step of etching an ink supply inlet in the substrate at an apex of the tapered ink chamber, the ink supply inlet being in fluid communication with the ink chamber.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein, prior to the step of depositing the plastics material, the method further includes the steps of depositing a metal layer on the substrate and etching the metal layer to define the heater actuator circuitry.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the metal layer is deposited in a recess etched in the substrate.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a semiconductor wafer and one or more metal layers are formed on the substrate.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plastic material layer includes polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).