Directionality of thermal ink jet transducers by front face metalization

A thermal ink jet printhead comprising:

• a dielectric channel plate having a first front face;
• an actuator plate coupled to said channel plate and having a second front face, said first front face and said second front face being co-extensive defining a printhead front face and having nozzles therein;
• an adhesion layer deposited on said printhead front face;
• an intermediate layer over said adhesion layer;
• and
• a noble metal coating on said printhead front face adjacent said nozzles over said intermediate layer.

A process for ensuring directionality of ink droplets ejected from an ink jet printhead, comprising the steps of:

• forming the ink jet printhead by coupling a first substrate having channels therein and a first front face to a second substrate having a second front face, the first front face and the second front face being coextensive and defining a printhead front face having nozzles therein, said first substrate being dielectric;
• depositing an adhesion layer on the printhead font face;
• depositing an intermediate layer over said adhesion layer;
• and
• coating a metallic, ink repellant layer on the printhead front face around said nozzles.

A thermal ink jet printhead, comprising:

• a first substrate defining a channel plate having a first front face;
• a second substrate defining an actuator plate having a second front face, said first front face and said second front face defining a printhead front face, said first substrate and said second substrate disposed in a facing relationship defining ink channels therebetween and nozzles in said printhead front face;
• an outer, metallic, ink repellant layer coated on said printhead front face adjacent said nozzles;
• and
• an adhesion layer on said printhead front face beneath said outer layer, wherein said adhesion layer comprises an element selected from the group consisting of chromium, nickel, titanium, tantalum, aluminum, and tungsten.

A process for ensuring directionality of ink droplets ejected from an ink jet printhead, comprising the steps of:

• forming the ink jet printhead by coupling a first substrate having channels therein and a first front face to a second substrate having a second front face, the first front face and the second front face being coextensive and defining a printhead front face having nozzles therein;
• depositing a conductive layer on the printhead front face;
• and
• electroplating a metal selected from the group of noble metals on the printhead front face around said nozzles.

A process for ensuring directionality of ink droplets ejected from an ink jet printhead, comprising the steps of:

• coating a metallic, ink repellant layer on a front face of a first substrate having channels therein;
• coating a metallic, ink repellant layer on a second front face of a second substrate;
• and
• forming the ink jet printhead by coupling the first substrate to the second substrate, the first substrate and the second substrate being coextensive and defining nozzles therein.