1
METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF A
THERMALLY ACTUATED INK JET
PRINTER HAVING A SERIES OF THERMAL
ACTUATOR UNITS
CROSS REFERENCES TO REIATED
APPLICATIONS
The following co-pending US patent applications, identified by their U.S. patent application Serial Numbers (U.S.S.N.), were filed simultaneously to the present application on Jul. 10, 1998, and are hereby incorporated by cross-reference.
09/113,060; 09/113,070; 09/113,073; 09/112,748; 09/112, 747; 09/112,776; 09/112,750; 09/112,746; 09/112,743; 09/112,742; 09/112,741; 09/112,740; 09/112,739; 09/113, 053; 09/112,738; 09/113,067; 09/113,063; 09/113,069; 09/112,744; 09/113,058; 09/112,777; 09/113,224; 09/112, 804; 09/112,805; 09/113,072; 09/112,785; 09/112,797; 09/112,796; 09/113,071; 09/112,824; 09/113,090; 09/112, 823; 09/113,222; 09/112,786; 09/113,051; 09/112,782; 09/113,056; 09/113,059; 09/113,091; 09/112,753; 09/113, 055; 09/113,057; 09/113,054; 09/112,752; 09/112,759; 09/112,757; 09/112,758; 09/113,107; 09/112,829; 09/112, 792; 09/112,791; 09/112,790; 09/112,789; 09/112,788; 09/112,795; 09/112,749; 09/112,784; 09/112,783; 09/112, 763; 09/112,762; 09/112,737; 09/112,761; 09/113,223; 09/112,781; 09/113,052; 09/112,834; 09/113,103; 09/113, 101; 09/112,751; 09/112,787; 09/112,802; 09/112,803; 09/113,097; 09/113,099; 09/113,084; 09/113,066; 09/112, 778; 09/112,779; 09/113,077; 09/113,061; 09/112,818; 09/112,816; 09/112,772; 09/112,819; 09/112,815; 09/113, 096; 09/113,068; 09/113,095; 09/112,808; 09/112,809; 09/112,780; 09/113,083; 09/113,121; 09/113,122; 09/112, 793; 09/112,794; 09/113,128; 09/113,127; 09/112,756; 09/112,755; 09/112,754; 09/112,811; 09/112,812; 09/112, 813; 09/112,814; 09/112,764; 09/112,765; 09/112,767; 09/112,768; 09/112,807; 09/112,806; 09/112,820; 09/112, 821; 09/112,822; 09/112,825; 09/112,826; 09/112,827; 09/112,828; 09/113,111; 09/113,108; 09/113,109; 09/113, 123; 09/113,114; 09/113,115; 09/113,129; 09/113,124; 09/113,125; 09/113,126; 09/113,119; 09/113,120; 09/113, 221; 09/113,116; 09/113,118; 09/113,117; 09/113,113; 09/113,130; 09/113,110; 09/113,112; 09/113,087; 09/113, 074; 09/113,089; 09/113,088; 09/112,771; 09/112,769; 09/112,770; 09/112,817; 09/113,076; 09/112,798; 09/112, 801; 09/112,800; 09/112,799; 09/113,098; 09/112,833; 09/112,832; 09/112,831; 09/112,830; 09/112,836; 09/112, 835; 09/113,102; 09/113,106; 09/113,105; 09/113,104; 09/112,810; 091112,766; 09/113,085; 09/113,086; 09/113, 094; 09/112,760; 09/112,773; 09/112,774; 09/112,775; 09/112,745; 09/113,092; 09/113,100; 09/113,093; 09/113, 062; 09/113,064; 09/113,082; 09/113,081; 09/113,080; 09/113,079; 09/113,065; 09/113,078; 09/113,075;
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY
SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of inkjet printers and discloses an inkjet printing system which includes a bend actuator interconnected into a paddle for the ejection of ink through an ink ejection nozzle. In particular, the present invention discloses a method of Manufacture of a thermally actuated ink jet printer having a series of thermal actuator units.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many ink jet printing mechanisms are known. Unfortunately, in mass production techniques, the production of ink jet heads is quite difficult For example, often, the orifice or nozzle plate is constructed separately from the ink supply and ink ejection mechanism and bonded to the mechanism at a later stage (Hewlett-Packard Journal, Vol. 36 no 5, pp33-37 (1985)). These separate material processing steps required in handling such precision devices often add a substantial expense in manufacturing.
Additionally, side shooting inkjet technologies (U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,181) are often used but again, this limits the amount of mass production throughput given any particular 15 capital investment.
Additionally, more esoteric techniques are also often utilised. These can include electroforming of nickel stage (Hewlett-Packard Journal, Vol. 36 no 5, pp33-37 (1985)), electro-discharge machining, laser ablation (U.S. Pat. No. 20 5,208,604), micro-punching, etc.
The utilisation of the above techniques is likely to add substantial expense to the mass production of ink jet print heads and therefore add substantially to their final cost. It would therefore be desirable if an efficient system for 25 the mass production of ink jet print heads could be developed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide for a method of manufacture of an ink ejection nozzle arrangement suitable for incorporation into an inkjet printhead arrangement for the ejection of ink on demand from a nozzle chamber in an efficient manner. In particular the ink jet printer can comprise a thermally actuated ink jet printer having a series of thermal actuator units.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacture of a thermally actuated ink jet printer having a series of thermal actuator 4Q units wherein an array of nozzles are formed on a substrate utilising planar monolithic deposition, lithographic and etching processes.
Multiple ink jet heads are preferably formed simultaneously on a single planar substrate. The substrate can be a 45 silicon wafer. The print heads are preferably formed utilising standard vlsi/ulsi processing. Integrated drive electronics are preferably formed on the same substrate. The integrated drive electronics can be formed utilising a CMOS fabrication process.
50 Ink can be ejected from the substrate substantially normal to the substrate.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacture of an ink jet print head arrangement including a series of nozzle
55 chambers, the method comprising the steps of: (a) utilizing an initial semiconductor wafer having an electrical circuitry layer formed thereon; (b) etching the electrical circuitry layer so as to define a nozzle chamber area; (c) depositing and etching a first sacrificial layer, the etching defining a
60 series of nozzle chamber walls and an actuator anchor point; (d) depositing a first heater material layer; (e) depositing an intermediate material layer; (f) etching the first heater material layer and the intermediate material layer to define portions of an actuator, ejection paddle and nozzle chamber
65 walls; (g) depositing and etching a second sacrificial layer, the etching including etching a cavity defining a portion of the nozzle chamber walls; (h) depositing and etching a
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