Liquid spray head and its production method

A liquid spray head comprising a plurality of liquid spray elements arranged in an array on a first substrate and a second substrate, each elements comprising:

• a liquid chamber formed on the first substrate for holding a liquid to be sprayed, said liquid chamber extending in a first direction from top surface of said first substrate to a bottom surface thereof;
• a groove formed in a top surface of the second substrate and extending in a second direction, perpendicular to said first direction, to lateral edge of said second substrate, said top surface of said second substrate abutting said bottom surface of said first substrate such that said liquid chamber communicates with said groove, an end of said groove at said lateral edge defining a nozzle;
• a diaphragm arranged on said top surface of said first substrate and covering said liquid chamber;
• a piezoelectric element comprising a lower electrode arranged on said diaphragm opposite said first substrate, a piezoelectric film comprising a lead zirconate titanate film arranged on said lower electrode and an upper electrode arranged on said piezoelectric film;
• and
• means for applying energy to said piezoelectric element so as to bend said diaphragm for deforming a volume of said liquid chamber to spray the liquid, wherein the first substrate comprises planar oriented (110) monocrystalline silicon and a depth direction of each said liquid chamber is direction <112>
• or <112>.

A liquid spray recording device comprising a liquid spray recording head said liquid spray recording head comprising:

• a plurality of liquid spray elements arranged in an array on a substrate, each element comprising:
• a liquid chamber arranged on the substrate for holding a liquid to be sprayed;
• a nozzle;
• a liquid path for communication with said nozzle and said liquid chamber;
• a diaphragm arranged on said liquid chamber;
• a piezoelectric element comprising a lower electrode arranged on said diaphragm, a piezoelectric film comprising a lead zirconate titanate film arranged on said lower electrode and an upper electrode arranged on said piezoelectric film;
• and
• means for applying energy to said piezoelectric element so as to bend said diaphragm for deforming a volume of said liquid chamber to spray the liquid,
• wherein each said liquid chamber of said array of liquid spray elements have a pitch equal to the pitch of each said nozzle, and wherein
• 1) 10.ltoreq.W/L.ltoreq.150
• 2) tp.gtoreq.tv
• 3) 0.012.ltoreq.(tp+tv)/L<0.08
• where L is a length of said liquid chamber, in an array direction, W is a length of each of said liquid chamber in a depth direction, tp is a thickness of said lead zirconate titanate film and tv is a thickness of said diaphragm.

A liquid spray recording device comprising a liquid spray recording head said liquid spray recording head comprising:

• a plurality of liquid spray elements arranged in an array on a first substrate and a second substrate, each element comprising:
• a liquid chamber formed on the first substrate for holding a liquid to be sprayed, said liquid chamber extending in a first direction from a top surface of said first substrate to a bottom surface thereof;
• a groove formed in a top surface of the second substrate and extending in a second direction, perpendicular to said first direction, to a lateral edge of said second substrate, said top surface of said second substrate abutting said bottom surface of said first substrate such that said liquid chamber communicates with said groove, an end of said groove at said lateral edge defining a nozzle;
• a diaphragm arranged on said top surface of said first substrate and covering said liquid chamber;
• a piezoelectric element comprising a lower electrode arranged on said diaphragm, a piezoelectric film comprising a lead zirconate titanate film arranged on said lower electrode and an upper electrode arranged on said piezoelectric film;
• and
• means for applying energy to said piezoelectric element so as to bend said diaphragm for deforming a volume of said liquid chamber to spray the liquid from said nozzle, wherein the first substrate comprises planar oriented (110) monocrystalline silicon and a depth direction of each said liquid chamber is direction <112>
• or <112>.

A liquid spray head comprising:

• a first substrate having a plurality of grooves formed in a top surface thereof and extending in a lateral direction to a side of wall of said first substrate, said grooves constituting liquid paths having nozzles at a distal end thereof in said side wall;
• a second substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, said bottom surface overlying and being secured to said top surface of said first substrate so as to enclose said grooves and further define said liquid paths, said second substrate having a plurality of apertures extending from said bottom surface to said top surface of said second substrate which respectively communicate with said liquid paths of said first substrate;
• a diaphragm disposed on said top surface of said second substrate and covering said plurality of apertures so as to define a corresponding plurality of ink receiving chambers in said second substrate;
• a plurality of piezoelectric elements secured to a top surface of diaphragm and each including a lower electrode provided on said top surface of said diaphragm, a piezoelectric film disposed on said lower electrode and an upper electrode arranged on said piezoelectric film;
• and
• means for applying energy to said piezoelectric elements to deflect said diaphragm and eject ink from each of said ink receiving chambers through said nozzles.