# US 11,440,319 B2 · Liquid discharge head, liquid discharge apparatus, and method of manufacturing liquid discharge head > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,319 B2 - Document ID: US11440319B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/941,064 - Filed: 2020-07-28 - Published: 2021-02-04 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-07-31 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Masashi Fujioka; Osamu Tonomura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440319B2 ## CPC - B41J 2/14233: {of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm} - B41J 2/161: {of film type, deformed by bending and disposed on a diaphragm} - B41J 2/1628: {dry etching} - B41J 2/1629: {wet etching} - B41J 2/1631: {photolithography} - B41J 2/1632: {machining} - B41J 2/1646: {thin film formation by sputtering} - H10N 30/2047: {Membrane type} - H10N 30/87: Electrodes or interconnections, e.g. leads or terminals - B41J 2002/14241: {having a cover around the piezoelectric thin film element} - B41J 2202/11: characterised by specific geometrical characteristics - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A liquid discharge head includes a first substrate in which a nozzle is formed, a second substrate disposed above the first substrate, an energy generation element that generates energy for discharging a liquid by a drive signal being applied, and a vibration plate that vibrates by the energy generated by the energy generation element and that is stacked on the second substrate, in which the vibration plate has a first area and a second area positioned at a position different from the first area and having a lower elastic modulus than an elastic modulus of the first area. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A liquid discharge head, comprising: a first substrate in which a nozzle is formed; a second substrate disposed above the first substrate; an energy generation element that generates energy for discharging a liquid by a drive signal being applied; and a vibration plate that vibrates by the energy generated by the energy generation element and that is stacked on the second substrate, wherein the vibration plate has a first area and a second area positioned at a position different from the first area and having a lower elastic modulus than an elastic modulus of the first area, the first area includes a first layer formed by a first material and a second layer formed by a second material, the second area includes a first layer formed by the first material and a third layer formed by a third material, the first material, the second material, and the third material are different materials, the first layer of the first area and the first layer of the second area have different thicknesses, and the first area and the second area have a substantially same thickness. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein in a space positioned between the first substrate and the vibration plate and formed by a wall surface of the second substrate, the second area is closer to the wall surface than the first area. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The liquid discharge head according to claim 2, wherein the second area overlaps the wall surface in plan view viewed from a thickness direction of the vibration plate, and the first area does not overlap the wall surface in the plan view. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein in a space positioned between the first substrate and the vibration plate and formed by a wall surface of the second substrate, the second area is closer to an end of the energy generation element than the first area. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The liquid discharge head according to claim 4, wherein the second area overlaps the end of the energy generation element in plan view viewed from a thickness direction of the vibration plate, and the first area does not overlap the end of the energy generation element in the plan view. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the first area includes silicon oxide. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the second area includes any of gold, silver, copper, platinum, iron, nickel, chromium, iridium, and tantalum. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A liquid discharge apparatus comprising: the liquid discharge head according to claim 1; and a control portion controlling operation of the liquid discharge head. ### Claim 9 A method of manufacturing a liquid discharge head, comprising: a first step of forming a first layer containing silicon oxide containing silicon; a second step of stacking a zirconium-containing layer containing zirconium on the first layer; a third step of stacking a resist film provided with an opening on the zirconium-containing layer; a fourth step of removing a portion of the first layer and a portion of the zirconium-containing layer by etching using the resist film; a fifth step of removing the resist film; a sixth step of forming a second layer containing zirconium oxide by thermally oxidizing the zirconium-containing layer; and a seventh step of forming a third layer having a lower elastic modulus than an elastic modulus of zirconium oxide on the first layer, wherein: an area formed by the first layer and the second layer is a first area, an area formed by the first layer and the third layer is a second area, the first layer of the first area and the first layer of the second area have different thicknesses, and the first area and the second area have a substantially same thickness. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of manufacturing a liquid discharge head according to claim 9, wherein the third layer is stacked on the first layer and the second layer in the seventh step, and surfaces of the second layer and the third layer are planarized.