Non-wetting coating on a fluid ejector
AssigneeFUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc.
InventorsYoshimasa Okamura, Jeffrey Birkmeyer, John A. Higginson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fluid ejector having a first surface, a second surface, and an orifice that allows fluid in contact with the second surface to be ejected. The fluid ejector has a non-wetting layer exposed on at least a first surface of the fluid ejector, and a overcoat layer exposed on a second surface, the overcoat layer being more wetting than the non-wetting layer. Fabrication of this apparatus can include depositing a non-wetting layer on the first and second surfaces, masking the first surface, optionally removing the non-wetting layer from the second surface, and depositing an overcoat layer on the second surface.
Claims31
A fluid ejector comprising:
- a nozzle layer having a nozzle, the nozzle layer including a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being an exterior surface of the nozzle layer and the second surface being an interior surface of the nozzle, the nozzle comprising an orifice formed in the first surface that allows fluid in contact with the second surface to be ejected;
- a seed layer covering the first surface and the second surface of the nozzle layer;
- a non-wetting layer covering portions of the seed layer on at least the first surface;
- and
- an overcoat layer covering a portion of the seed layer on the second surface but not a substantial portion of the seed layer on the first surface, the overcoat layer being more wetting than the non-wetting layer.
A method for forming a non-wetting layer on a fluid ejector including a nozzle layer, the method comprising:
- depositing a non-wetting layer on a first surface and a second surface of the nozzle layer, the first surface being an exterior surface of the nozzle layer, the second surface being an interior surface of a nozzle in the nozzle layer, and the nozzle comprises an orifice formed in the first surface that allows fluid in contact with the second surface to be ejected;
- removing at least a portion of the non-wetting layer from the second surface;
- and
- depositing an overcoat layer on the second surface including any remaining portions of the non-wetting layer on the second surface, the overcoat layer being more wetting than the non-wetting layer.
A fluid ejector comprising:
- a nozzle layer having a nozzle, the nozzle layer including a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being an exterior surface of the nozzle layer and the second surface being an interior surface of the nozzle, and the nozzle comprising an orifice formed in the first surface that allows fluid in contact with the second surface to be ejected;
- a non-wetting layer covering at least a portion of the first surface and at least a portion of the second surface;
- and
- an overcoat layer covering the second surface including the non-wetting layer on at least a portion of the second surface but not a substantial portion of the first surface, the overcoat layer being more wetting than the non-wetting layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.