Printhead chip
AssigneeSilverbrook Research Pty Ltd
InventorKia Silverbrook
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of fabricating a printhead chip for an ink jet printhead includes forming a drive circuitry layer on a wafer substrate. A first sacrificial layer is deposited on the drive circuitry layer. The first sacrificial layer is etched to form a deposit area for an actuator layer. Actuator material is deposited on the first sacrificial layer to form the actuator layer. The actuator layer is etched to define an actuator and a first part of nozzle chamber walls of each of a plurality of nozzle assemblies. The first sacrificial layer is etched to release each actuator and each first part of the nozzle chamber walls. At least one of the wafer substrate and the first sacrificial layer is etched to define a plurality of ink inlets, so that each ink inlet is in fluid communication with a respective nozzle chamber.
Claims8
A method of fabricating a printhead chip for an ink jet printhead the printhead chip including a plurality of nozzle assemblies positioned on a wafer substrate that incorporates a drive circuitry layer, each nozzle assembly having nozzle chamber walls and a roof that define a nozzle chamber and an ink ejection port and an actuator, connected to the drive circuitry layer, that is operatively positioned with respect to the nozzle chamber to act on ink within the nozzle chamber to eject the ink from the nozzle chamber, the method comprising the steps of:
- depositing a first sacrificial layer on the wafer substrate;
- etching the first sacrificial layer to form a deposit area for an actuator layer;
- depositing actuator material on the first sacrificial layer to form the actuator layer;
- etching the actuator layer to define the actuator and a first part of the nozzle chamber walls of each nozzle assembly;
- etching the first sacrificial layer to release each actuator and each first part of the nozzle chamber walls;
- and
- etching at least one of the wafer substrate and the first sacrificial layer to define a plurality of ink inlets, so that each ink inlet is in fluid communication with a respective nozzle chamber.
A printhead chip for an inkjet printhead, the printhead chip comprising
- a wafer substrate;
- a drive circuitry layer positioned in the wafer substrate;
- a plurality of nozzle assemblies positioned on the wafer substrate, each nozzle assembly comprising
- nozzle chamber walls and roof walls that defame a plurality of nozzle chambers and ink ejection ports, each ink ejection port being in fluid communication with a respective nozzle chamber;
- and
- a plurality of actuators connected to the drive circuitry layer, each actuator being operatively positioned with respect to a corresponding nozzle chamber so that each actuator can act on ink within a respective nozzle chamber to eject the ink from that nozzle chamber, the actuator and a first part of the nozzle chamber walls both constituting actuator material;
- and
- one of the wafer and nozzle chamber walls defaming an ink inlet in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.