Passivation of ink jet print heads
AssigneeXaar Technology Limited
InventorsJames Ashe, Christopher David Phillips, Stuart Speakman, Andrew Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for the selective passivation of the channel walls of a channelled ink-jet printhead component by the chemical vapor deposition of a passivant coating, the process comprising mounting the component in a support in registration with a datum location therein, the support having masking means for masking selected areas of the component, and depositing the passivant coating on unmasked portions of the channel walls.
Claims28
A process for the selective passivation of the channel walls of a channelled inkjet printhead component by the chemical vapour deposition of a passivant coating, the process comprising mounting said component in a support in registration with a datum location therein, the support having masking means for masking selected areas of the component, and depositing the passivant coating on unmasked portions of the channel walls.
Process according to any previous claim, wherein the component has at least one datum surface for registration with the datum location on the support, the channels of said component being formed in registration with the at least one datum surface.
Process according to any previous claim wherein a first, channelled surface of the component is held in abutment with the support.
Process according to any previous claim wherein a surface of the component which opposes a first, channelled surface of the component undergoes heat transfer with a fluid.
Process according to any previous claim wherein a masking edge of said masking means is chamfered on that side of the masking means facing away from a first, channelled surface of the component.
Process according to any previous claim wherein a masking edge of said masking means substantially contacts a first, channelled surface of the component.
Process according to any previous claim wherein the masking means has a plurality of apertures.
Process according to any previous claim wherein said support is placed in a vacuum chamber prior to deposition of the passivant coating.
Process according to any previous claim, wherein the channels of said channelled inkjet printhead component have a width in the range 60-90 μm.
A method of vacuum processing a first surface of a component in a vacuum chamber housing a component support, wherein a membrane separates a second surface of the component which opposes said first surface from a heat transfer fluid, heat transfer taking place between the component and the fluid across the membrane, the method comprising the steps of placing the component in the support such that the first surface of the component abuts the support, attaching the membrane to the support so as to retain the component in the support, and vacuum processing the first surface of the component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.