Overhanging nozzles

• US 7,735,965 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Inventors: Goin, Richard L., Mulay, Shirish P., Powers, James H., Maher, Colin G., Patil, Girish S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meier; Stephen D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Witkowski; Alexander C
• Application Number:
  US11/095,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20060218789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,902 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 347/47
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1404 Geometrical characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1603 of the front shooter type
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1628 dry etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1631 photolithography
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1634 laser machining
• 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: Y10T 29/49401 Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet

Abstract

A fluid ejector, such as a printhead for an inkjet printer, comprising a substrate that includes a primary via formed therein, and a nozzle member overlying the substrate and including vertical nozzle chambers at least partially overlying the primary via and a corresponding fluid actuator (e.g., a heater) associated with the substrate.

Claims

1. A fluid ejector comprising:

a substrate that includes a primary via formed therein; and

a nozzle member overlying the substrate, the nozzle member adjoining the substrate, and including vertical nozzle chambers at least partially overlying the primary via and a corresponding fluid actuator associated with the substrate.

2. The fluid ejector of claim 1, wherein the nozzle member and substrate cooperate to form a constriction that is adapted to meter the flow of fluid between the primary via and at least one vertical nozzle chamber.

3. The fluid ejector of claim 1, wherein at least one of the nozzle member and substrate that cooperate to form the constriction are chamfered.

4. The fluid ejector of claim 1, wherein at least one of the fluid actuators is mounted to the substrate.

5. The fluid ejector of claim 1, wherein fluid from the primary via is adapted to vertically refill each of the vertical nozzle chambers.

6. The fluid ejector of claim 1, wherein at least one of the vertical nozzle chambers includes a tapered wall.

7. The fluid ejector of claim 6, wherein:

the at least one vertical nozzle chamber includes at least two tapered walls;

the first tapered wall is angled greater than the second tapered wall; and

the first tapered wall at least partially overlies the primary via.

8. The fluid ejector of claim 6, wherein the tapered wall at least partially defines a frustoconical region.

9. The fluid ejector of claim 1, wherein at least one of the vertical nozzle chambers includes a nozzle orifice at least partially overlying the primary via.

10. The fluid ejector of claim 1, wherein:

the primary via is horizontally staggered;

the fluid actuators are horizontally staggered; and

the vertical nozzle chambers are correspondingly horizontally staggered to match the orientation of the fluid actuators and primary via.

11. The fluid ejector of claim 1, wherein the nozzle member is photolithographically developed to define the vertical nozzle chambers.

12. The fluid ejector of claim 1, wherein:

the nozzle member comprises a metallic material; and

the vertical nozzle chambers are formed through the nozzle member utilizing at least one of laser ablation and electroplating.

13. The fluid ejector of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a conduit formed between the primary via and at least one of the vertical nozzle chambers to regulate the refill of fluid into the at least one vertical nozzle chamber.

14. The fluid ejector of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a plurality of conduits formed between the primary via and at least one of the vertical nozzle chambers to regulate the refill of fluid into the at least one vertical nozzle chamber.

15. A method of fabricating a printhead for an inkjet printing apparatus comprising:

forming an ink via within a substrate;

overlying the substrate with a nozzle plate, the nozzle plate adjoining the substrate; and

forming a plurality of orifices through the nozzle plate, where the plurality of orifices are adapted to overlie at least a portion of the ink via and a corresponding heater mounted to the substrate to provide a plurality of overhanging nozzles.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the nozzle plate comprises a photosensitive material; and

the photosensitive material is exposed to light and developed in order to form the plurality of overhanging nozzles.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the act of forming a plurality of orifices through the photosensitive material includes utilizing a photolithographic gray scale mask.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the act of forming the plurality of orifices through the nozzle plate includes utilization of at least one of laser ablation and electroplating.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the act of forming the ink via within the substrate occurs prior to overlying the substrate with the nozzle plate.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the act of overlying the substrate with the nozzle plate occurs prior to the act of forming the plurality of orifices through a second material.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the act of forming the ink via within the substrate occurs subsequent to overlying the substrate with the nozzle plate;

the act of forming the ink via within the substrate includes utilization of at least one of reactive ion etching and chemical etching; and

the nozzle plate is operative as an etch stop.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the act of overlying the substrate with the nozzle plate includes at least one of;

laminating a nozzle plate film onto the substrate; and

applying a spin-on liquid composition and subsequently developing the spin-on liquid composition to form a nozzle plate film overlying the substrate.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the act of overlying the substrate with the nozzle plate occurs subsequent to the act of forming the plurality of orifices through the nozzle plate.