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US 6,273,557 B1Granted
Micromachined ink feed channels for an inkjet printhead
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorsDonald J. Milligan, Chien-Hua Chen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An inkjet print cartridge comprising a printhead that is formed using a sequence of etch process steps is described. The first etch of the two etch step process is comprised of a wet chemical etch. A dry etch process follows. Both etch steps are consecutively initiated from the back of the wafer. The fabrication process described offers several advantages including precise dimensional control of the ink feed channel, greater packing density of ink ejectors disposed in the printhead and greater printing speed. Additionally, the time required to manufacture the printhead, in contrast to a conventional printhead, is reduced.
Claims25
A substrate for an inkjet printhead comprising:
- at least one crystallographic orientation;
- at least two opposed planar surfaces having a first surface and a second surface;
- a first section having a first material, and a second section having a second material different than the first material;
- an etchstop being disposed between two opposed planar surfaces of the at least two opposed planar surfaces, wherein the etchstop is the second section;
- and
- an inkfeed channel having a first portion formed in said second surface of said at least two opposed planar surfaces and having a conclusion between said first surface and said second surface of said at least two opposed planar surfaces at said etch stop, and a second portion formed commencing from said conclusion of said first portion and terminating at said first surface thereby forming a channel completely through said substrate.
3 more elements
A substrate for an inkjet printhead comprising:
- at least two opposed planar surfaces with a first surface and a second surface;
- and
- an inkfeed channel having a first portion formed in said second surface of said at least two opposed planar surfaces and having a conclusion between said first surface and said second surface of said at least two opposed planar surfaces, and a second portion formed commencing from said conclusion of said first portion and terminating at said first surface thereby forming a channel completely through said substrate, wherein said first portion of said inkfeed channel has at least two opposing concave walls.
An inkjet printhead comprising:
- a substrate having at least one crystallographic orientation and at least two opposed planar surfaces;
- an etchstop being disposed between two planar surfaces of said at least two opposed planar surfaces;
- a first section of the substrate having a first material, and a second section of the substrate having a second material different than the first material, wherein the etchstop is the second section;
- a dielectric film being formed on a first surface of said at least two opposed planar surfaces;
- an inkfeed channel having a first portion formed in a second surface of said at least two opposed planar surfaces and having a conclusion at said etchstop, and a remaining portion formed commencing from said conclusion of said first portion thereby forming a channel completely through said substrate;
- and
- an opening in said dielectric film positioned adjacent said inkfeed channel such that ink flows through said inkfeed channel.
4 more elements
A print cartridge comprising:
- an ink reservoir;
- and
- a printhead, said printhead having:
- a substrate having at least one crystallographic orientation and at least two opposed planar surfaces;
- a dielectric film being first surface of said at least two opposed planar surfaces;
- an etchstop being disposed between two planar surfaces of said at least two opposed planar surfaces;
- a first section of the substrate having a first material, and a second section of the substrate having a second material different than the first material, wherein the etchstop is the second section;
- an inkfeed channel having a first portion formed in a second surface of said at least two opposed planar surfaces and having a conclusion between said first surface and said second surface of said at least two opposed planar surfaces and a second portion formed commencing from said conclusion of said first portion and terminating at said dielectric film thereby forming a channel completely through said substrate;
- and
- an opening in said dielectric film positioned adjacent said inkfeed channel whereby ink flows through said channel from said ink reservoir.
7 more elements
A substrate for an inkjet printhead comprising:
- at least two opposed planar surfaces having a first surface and a second surface;
- and
- an inkfeed channel having a first portion formed in said second surface of said at least two opposed planar surfaces and having a conclusion between said first surface and said second surface of said at least two opposed planar surfaces, and a second portion formed commencing from said conclusion of said first portion and terminating at said first surface thereby forming a channel completely through said substrate,
- wherein said first portion of said inkfeed channel forms sidewalls that converge to a point in between the first and second surfaces.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.