# US 2013/0278679 A1 · Liquid droplet discharge head, method of manufacturing liquid droplet discharge head, and liquid droplet discharge device

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- Number: US 2013/0278679 A1
- Document ID: US20130278679A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/864,706
- Filed: 2013-04-17
- Published: 2013-10-24
- Earliest claimed: 2012-04-18
- Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Inventors: Junichi TAKEUCHI; Kiyoshi MIYAZAWA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130278679A1

## CPC

- B41J 2/1433: {Structure of nozzle plates}
- B41J 2/055: Devices for absorbing or preventing back-pressure
- 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 2/1623: {bonding and adhesion}
- B41J 2/1628: {dry etching}
- B41J 2/1629: {wet etching}
- B41J 2/1631: {photolithography}
- B41J 2/1632: {machining}
- B41J 2/1642: {thin film formation by CVD [chemical vapor deposition]}
- B41J 2/1646: {thin film formation by sputtering}
- B41J 2002/14241: {having a cover around the piezoelectric thin film element}
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

In a liquid droplet discharge head, a first groove-shaped cavity is formed on a cavity plate, a second groove-shaped cavity is formed on a nozzle plate in addition to nozzle holes, when bonding the cavity plate and the nozzle plate to each other, the first groove-shaped cavity and the second groove-shaped cavity overlap to form a pressure chamber.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of manufacturing a liquid droplet discharge head that includes a nozzle plate having nozzle holes, a cavity plate joined to the nozzle plate, and a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle holes, the method comprising:
forming a first groove-shaped cavity on a substrate for the cavity plate to obtain the cavity plate;
forming the nozzle holes on a substrate for the nozzle plate and forming a second groove-shaped cavity communicating with the nozzle holes on a main surface of the substrate for the nozzle plate to obtain the nozzle plate; and
stacking the first groove-shaped cavity and the second groove-shaped cavity and bonding the nozzle plate and the cavity plate to each other to form the pressure chamber.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of manufacturing a liquid droplet discharge head according to claim 1,
wherein the first groove-shaped cavity is formed by wet etching in the forming of the cavity plate, and
the nozzle holes are formed by dry etching in the forming of the nozzle plate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of manufacturing a liquid droplet discharge head according to claim 1,
wherein, in the forming of the nozzle plate,
forming a concave portion on the main surface of the substrate for the nozzle plate by etching,
forming the second groove-shaped cavity on the main surface by etching, and
thinning by cutting the substrate for the nozzle plate from a back surface the substrate with respect to the main surface, and causing the concave portion to pass through as the nozzle holes are performed.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of manufacturing a liquid droplet discharge head according to claim 1,
wherein, in the forming of the nozzle plate,
forming a concave portion on the back surface with respect to the main surface of the substrate for the nozzle plate by etching,
thinning by cutting the substrate for the nozzle plate from the main surface, and
forming the second groove-shaped cavity on the main surface of the substrate for the nozzle cavity by etching are performed.

### Claim 5

A liquid droplet discharge head comprising:
a cavity plate having a first cavity as a through hole; and
a nozzle plate having nozzle holes formed on a first surface and a second cavity formed on a second surface of an opposite side to the first surface, the nozzle holes communicating with the second cavity,
wherein the nozzle plate and the cavity plate are bonded to each other on the second surface of the nozzle plate, and
the nozzle hole, the first cavity and the second cavity communicate with one another.

### Claim 6

A method of manufacturing a liquid droplet discharge head, comprising:
forming a first cavity as a through hole on a first substrate to obtain a cavity plate;
forming nozzle holes on a first surface of a second substrate, and forming a second cavity on a second surface of an opposite side to the first surface of the second substrate to obtain a nozzle plate, the nozzle holes communicating with the second cavity; and
bonding the second surface of the nozzle plate and the cavity plate to each other.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of manufacturing a liquid droplet discharge head according to claim 6,
wherein the first cavity is formed by wet etching, and
the nozzle holes are formed by dry etching.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of manufacturing a liquid droplet discharge head according to claim 6,
wherein the forming of the nozzle plate includes
forming a concave portion on the first surface of the second substrate by etching,
forming the second cavity on the first surface by etching, and
forming the nozzle holes by cutting the second substrate from the second surface and perforating the concave portion.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method of manufacturing a liquid droplet discharge head according to claim 6,
wherein the forming the nozzle plate includes
forming the concave portion on the first surface of the second substrate by etching,
grinding the second substrate from the second surface, and
forming the second cavity on the second surface of the second substrate by etching.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

A liquid droplet discharge device including the liquid droplet discharge head according to claim 5.