Droplet discharging head and method of manufacturing the same, and droplet discharging device and method of manufacturing the same

• US 8,011,762 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Komatsu, Hiroshi, Sakashita, Tomoki
• Primary Examiner(s): ROJAS, OMAR R
• Application Number:
  US11/865,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20080180489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 347/70
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/161 of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm
• 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 2/1642 thin film formation by CVD [chemical vapor deposition]
• 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 droplet discharging head comprises: a cavity substrate including a discharge chamber having a bottom wall serving as a vibration plate; and an electrode substrate including an individual electrode that faces the vibration plate with a gap and drives the vibration plate, and a driver integrated circuit (IC) that couples with the individual electrode and applies a voltage to the individual electrode. The cavity substrate includes a first opening that penetrates the cavity substrate and serves to house the driver IC, and an insulation film formed on a wall face of the first opening.

Claims

1. A droplet discharging head, comprising:

a cavity substrate including a discharge chamber having a bottom wall serving as a vibration plate; and

an electrode substrate including;

an individual electrode that faces the vibration plate with a gap and drives the vibration plate; and

a driver integrated circuit (IC) that couples with the individual electrode and applies a voltage to the individual electrode,

wherein the cavity substrate includes;

a first opening that penetrates the cavity substrate so as to expose a surface of the electrode substrate and which serves to house the driver IC; and

an insulation film formed at least on a rim of the first opening and without extending into the first opening.

2. The droplet discharging head according to claim 1, wherein the electrode substrate includes a flexible printed circuit (FPC) mount area on which a flexible printed board to supply a signal for driving the individual electrode, and the cavity substrate includes a second opening corresponding to the FPC mount area, and the insulation film formed on a wall face of the second opening.

3. The droplet discharging head according to claim 1, wherein the cavity substrate includes a sealing hole sealed with a sealant to form a sealing part for shielding the gap from ambient air and the insulation film formed on a wall face of the sealing hole.

4. The droplet discharging head according to claim 1, wherein the insulation film is a silicon oxide film.

5. A droplet discharging device, comprising the droplet discharging head according to claim 1.

6. A method for manufacturing a droplet discharging head, comprising:

forming a first recess and a second recess on a surface of a silicon substrate;

forming an insulation film on the surface;

anodic bonding the silicon substrate to an electrode substrate; and

forming a liquid flow path to the silicon substrate,

wherein the silicon substrate includes a discharge chamber having a bottom wall serving as a vibration plate and the liquid flow path communicating with the discharge chamber, and the electrode substrate includes an individual electrode that faces the vibration plate with a gap and drives the vibration plate, and the first recess that houses a driver integrated circuit (IC) that is mounted on the electrode substrate and couples to the individual electrode and supplies a voltage to the individual electrode, and the second recess corresponds to a flexible printed circuit (FPC) mount area that is formed on the electrode substrate and on which a flexible printed board is mounted to supply a signal for driving the individual electrode,

wherein the insulation film is formed at least on a rim of the first recess and not extending into an opening defined by the first recess.

7. The method for manufacturing a droplet discharging head according to claim 6, further comprising, after anodic bonding the silicon substrate and the electrode substrate, forming a sealing hole for being sealed with a sealant to form a sealing part shielding the gap from ambient air.

8. The method for manufacturing a droplet discharging head according to claim 7, further comprising sealing the sealing hole, and thereafter polishing the silicon substrate to a predetermined thickness to form the first and second recesses as through holes.

9. The method for manufacturing a droplet discharging head according to claim 8, further comprising, after forming the first and second recesses as through holes and before forming the liquid flow path, forming an insulation film on a surface of the silicon substrate.

10. A method for manufacturing a droplet discharging device, comprising the method for manufacturing a droplet discharging head according to claim 6.