Manufacture of ink jet print heads by diffusion bonding and brazing

A method of bonding a first surface of a first metal component of an ink jet print head having at least a first preformed aperture to a second surface of a second metal component of the ink jet print head having at least a second preformed aperture, the first and second components being of materials having the same or similar coefficients of thermal expansion, the first and second surfaces being bonded together with the first aperture in alignment with the second aperture, the method comprising:

• placing a layer of a filler material on at least one of the surfaces, the filler material having a melting point which is below the melting points of the first and second components;
• aligning the first and second apertures with the first and second surfaces abutting one another;
• applying pressure and heat to the first and second components to diffusion bond the first and second surfaces together at a temperature below the melting point of the filler material;
• and
• melting the filler material in the substantial absence of pressure without melting the first and second components to braze the first and second components together with the first aperture in alignment with the second aperture.

A method of bonding a first surface of a first metal component of an ink jet print head having at least a first preformed aperture to a second surface of a second metal component of the ink jet print head having at least a second preformed aperture, the first and second components being of stainless steel, the first and second surfaces being bonded together with the first aperture in alignment with the second aperture, the method comprising:

• (a) cleaning the first and second surfaces, removing the oxide and then plating such surfaces with a strike material;
• (b) plating a layer of a filler material on at least one of the strike coated first and second surfaces, the filler material being selected from a group comprising gold, copper, silver, nickel and any binary and ternary combination of such materials with themselves and with other materials, the total thickness of the filler material on the first and second surfaces together being no greater than approximately two microns;
• (c) aligning the first and second apertures with the first and second surfaces abutting one another;
• (d) applying pressure and heat to the first and second components to diffusion bond the first and second surfaces together without melting the filler material;
• and
• (e) melting the filler material without melting the first and second components to braze the first and second components together with the first aperture in alignment with the second aperture.

A method of bonding a first surface of a first metal component of an ink jet print head having at least a first preformed aperture to a second surface of a second metal component of the ink jet print head having at least a second preformed aperture, the first and second components being of materials having the same or similar coefficients of thermal expansion, the first and second surfaces being bonded together with the first aperture in alignment with the second aperture, the method comprising:

• placing a layer of a filler material on at least one of the surfaces, the filler material having a melting point which is below the melting points of the first and second components;
• aligning the first and second aperture with the first and second surfaces abutting one another;
• applying pressure and heat to the first and second components to diffusion bond the first and second surfaces together without melting the filler material;
• melting the filler material without melting the first and second components to braze the first and second components together with the first aperture in alignment with the second aperture;
• and
• the applying pressure and heat step comprising the step of diffusion bonding the filler material into the first and second surfaces until approximately no more than about one micron of filler material remains between the first and second surfaces prior to the melting step.