Liquid discharge head and method for manufacturing liquid discharge head

A method for manufacturing a liquid discharge head, the liquid discharge head comprising:

• a plurality of piezoelectric members each including a pressure chamber for applying a pressure for discharging liquid to the liquid, a first electrode provided on an inner surface side of the pressure chamber, and a second electrode provided outside the pressure chamber, the piezoelectric members generating the pressure by being deformed using the first electrode and the second electrode;
• and a base member adjacent to the piezoelectric members,
• the piezoelectric members each including:
• a first surface having an inlet for introducing the liquid into the pressure chamber;
• and a second surface positioned on an opposite side of the first surface and having an outlet for discharging the liquid from the pressure chamber, a first surface of the base member being adjacent to the first surface of each of the piezoelectric members, a second surface of the base member on an opposite side of the first surface having an opening communicating with each of the pressure chambers,
• the plurality of piezoelectric members being arranged in a first direction intersecting with a liquid flow direction and in a second direction intersecting with each of the liquid flow direction and the first direction so that the flow directions of the liquid flowing through the pressure chambers of the piezoelectric members are arranged along one another, the liquid discharge head including:
• a plurality of first common wiring lines commonly connected to the plurality of first electrodes arranged in the first direction;
• and a plurality of second common wiring lines commonly connected to the plurality of second electrodes arranged in the second direction, the plurality of first common wiring lines being formed on the second surface of the base member, the plurality of second common wiring lines being formed on the first surface of the base member,
• the method comprising the steps of:
• forming an electrode film on an entire surface of each of the piezoelectric members and the base member;
• removing the electrode film formed on the second surface of each of the piezoelectric members to separate the first electrodes from the second electrodes;
• removing the electrode film formed on a side surface of the base member between the first surface of the base member and the second surface of the base member to separate the first common wiring lines from the second common wiring lines;
• forming the first common wiring lines by removing along the first direction the electrode film formed between openings adjacent to each other in the second direction on the second surface of the base member;
• and
• forming the second common wiring lines by removing along the second direction the electrode film formed between the piezoelectric members adjacent to each other in the first direction on the first surface of the base member.

The method for manufacturing a liquid discharge head according to 5, wherein

• the liquid discharge head comprises:
• a fluid control plate joined with the second surface of the base member and having a flow rate adjustment hole communicating with the pressure chamber;
• a liquid supply box joined to a surface of the fluid control plate on an opposite side of the surface joined with the base member, for supplying fluid to the pressure chamber through the fluid control plate;
• and
• a nozzle plate joined with the second surface of the piezoelectric member and having nozzles for discharging the liquid, and
• the method comprises the steps of:
• after the step of forming the second common wiring lines,
• joining the liquid supply plate to the second surface of the base member;
• joining the liquid supply box to a surface of the fluid control plate on an opposite side of the surface joined with the base member;
• and
• joining the nozzle plate to the second surface of each of the piezoelectric members.

A method for manufacturing a liquid discharge head, the liquid discharge head comprising:

• a plurality of piezoelectric members each including a pressure chamber for applying a pressure for discharging liquid to the liquid, a first electrode provided on an inner surface side of the pressure chamber, and a second electrode provided outside the pressure chamber, the piezoelectric members generating the pressure by being deformed using the first electrode and the second electrode;
• and a base member adjacent to the piezoelectric members,
• the piezoelectric members each including:
• a first surface having an inlet for introducing the liquid into the pressure chamber;
• and a second surface positioned on an opposite side of the first surface and having an outlet for discharging the liquid from the pressure chamber, a first surface of the base member being adjacent to the first surface of each of the piezoelectric members, a second surface of the base member on an opposite side of the first surface having an opening communicating with each of the pressure chambers,
• the plurality of piezoelectric members being arranged in a first direction intersecting with a liquid flow direction and in a second direction intersecting with each of the liquid flow direction and the first direction so that the flow directions of the liquid flowing through the pressure chambers of the piezoelectric members are arranged along one another,
• the liquid discharge head including:
• a first common wiring line provided on a second surface of one base member of two of the base member and commonly connected to the plurality of first electrodes arranged in the first direction, each of the pressure chambers being formed of two of the piezoelectric members by joining the two base members with each other so that the second surfaces of the base members face each other, the first electrodes of the two piezoelectric members being electrically connected to each other, the second electrodes of the two piezoelectric members being electrically isolated from each other;
• a second common wiring line provided on the first surface of the base member of one of the two base members, the second common wiring line being commonly connected to the plurality of second electrodes of the piezoelectric members adjacent to the one base member and being arranged in the second direction;
• and
• a second common wiring line provided on the first surface of the base member of the other of the two base members, the second common wiring line being commonly connected to the plurality of second electrodes of the piezoelectric members adjacent to the other base member and being arranged in the second direction,
• the method comprising the steps of:
• preparing a first piezoelectric member plate having through-holes each serving as the pressure chamber, and an electrode row extending in a strip shape so as to connect openings of the through-holes arranged in the first direction on one surface;
• preparing a second piezoelectric member plate having through-holes each serving as the pressure chamber, and having a width in the first direction which is smaller than a width in the first direction of the first piezoelectric member plate;
• joining the first piezoelectric member plate and the second piezoelectric member plate with the one surface being sandwiched therebetween so that the through-holes coincide with each other;
• forming the piezoelectric members and the base member by forming a circumference groove which passes between the through-holes adjacent to each other in the first direction and the second direction of the first piezoelectric member plate and the second piezoelectric member plate and which does not penetrate through each of the piezoelectric member plates;
• forming an electrode film on an entire surface of each of the piezoelectric members and the base member;
• removing the electrode film formed on the second surface of each of the piezoelectric members to separate the first electrodes from the second electrodes;
• removing the electrode film formed on a side surface of the base member between the first surface of the base member and the second surface of the base member to separate the first common wiring line from the second common wiring lines;
• and
• forming the second common wiring lines by removing along the second direction the electrode film formed on the first surface of the base member between the piezoelectric members adjacent to each other in the first direction.