Method of manufacture of an ink jet printer having a thermal actuator comprising an external coil spring
OwnerKia Silverbrookinventor
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Abstract
A method of manufacturing an ink jet printer having a thermal actuator comprising an external coil spring is disclosed wherein an array of nozzles are formed on a substrate utilising planar monolithic deposition, lithographic and etching processes. Multiple ink jet heads are preferably formed simultaneously on a single planar substrate. The substrate can be a silicon wafer. The print heads are preferably formed utilising standard vlsi/ulsi processing. Integrated drive electronics are preferably formed on the same substrate. The integrated drive electronics can comprise a CMOS process. Ink can be ejected from the substrate substantially normal to the substrate.
Claims8
A method of manufacture of a thermally actuated ink jet printer comprising a series of nozzle chambers from each of which ink is ejected via the utilization of a thermal actuator device, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) initially providing a silicon wafer having a circuitry wafer layer including electrical circuitry necessary for the operation of the thermal actuators on demand;
- (b) etching an ink inlet aperture in said circuitry wafer layer;
- (c) depositing and etching a first sacrificial layer on top of the silicon and circuitry wafer layer and etching said first sacrificial layer in an area defining a first portion of a nozzle chamber wall, a thermal actuator anchor and a thermal actuator end point;
- (d) depositing and etching a first inert material layer defining an actuator path starting at said thermal actuator anchor;
- (e) depositing and etching a first conductive material layer adjacent said actuator path and attached to said first inert material layer;
- (f) depositing and etching a non-conductive layer over said first conductive material layer, said etching including etching predetermined vias for interconnection of said first conductive material layer with a second conductive material layer;
- (g) depositing and etching a second inert material layer on top of said first inert material layer;
- (h) depositing and etching said second conductive material layer on top of said non-conductive layer, the second conductive material layer having a conductive interconnect to said first conductive material layer;
- (i) depositing and etching a series of inert material layers and sacrificial layers to form a nozzle chamber including an ink ejection hole and a nozzle chamber paddle attached at said thermal actuator end point;
- (j) etching an ink supply channel through said wafer to said nozzle chamber;
- and
- (k) etching away said sacrificial layers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.