Surface modified nozzle plate

A method for modifying surface wettability of a polymeric nozzle plate for an ink jet printer which comprises applying polydialkylsiloxane having at least one reactive end group and having a number average molecular weight ranging from about 500 to about 40,000 to at least a portion of an exposed surface of a polyimide nozzle plate, and heating the nozzle plate and polydialkylsiloxane for a period of time under conditions sufficient to provide an exposed surface-energy modifying layer having a thickness ranging from about 500 .ANG.ngstroms to less than about 0.1 micron, wherein the polydialkylsiloxane is covalently bound by means of the reactive end group to the polyimide nozzle plate.

A nozzle plate for an ink jet printhead consisting essentially of a polyimide substrate and a patterned monolayer comprising a derivative of polydialkylsiloxane having at least one reactive end group for forming a covalent bond with the polyimide substrate and having a molecular weight ranging from about 500 to about 40,000 number average molecular weight, the polydialkylsiloxane being covalently bound by means of the reactive end group to the polyimide substrate.

A method for making a printhead for a multi-color ink jet printer which comprises laser ablating a polymeric material to form nozzle holes therein, applying polydialkylsiloxane to less than an entire exposed surface of the polymeric material, the polydialkylsiloxane having at least one reactive end group for forming a covalent bond with the polymeric material, attaching the thus treated polymeric material to a silicon substrate with an adhesive and curing the adhesive at a temperature sufficient to form the covalent bond between the polydialkalsiloxane and the polymeric material.

A polymeric nozzle plate having a first surface attached to a semiconductor substrate containing energizing elements, a second surface opposite the first surface and nozzles holes therethrough from the first surface to the second surface for ejection of ink through the nozzle holes to a print media, the nozzle plate comprising a polyimide material which includes one or more areas adjacent the nozzle holes on the second surface thereof containing an ink repellent amount of a polydialkylsiloxane derived from a polydialkylsiloxane having at lease one reactive end group and having a number average molecular weight ranging from about 500 to about 40,000, wherein the polydialkylsiloxane is bound to the second surface of the polymeric nozzle plate by means of the reactive end group.