Method of making wear-resistant printed wiring member

A method for assembling an inkjet printhead, the method comprising:

• providing a blank printed wiring member comprising a copper foil laminated to a dielectric substrate;
• masking the blank printed wiring member to protect regions of the copper foil;
• removing copper in unprotected regions of the blank printed wiring member to form a patterned printed wiring member including contact pads and connector pads;
• depositing a nickel coating on the patterned printed wiring member;
• electrolytically depositing a hard gold layer on the nickel coating;
• electrolessly plating palladium on a surface of the hard gold layer to provide a printed wiring member including wire-bondable contact pads and wear-resistant connector pads;
• providing a printhead body including a wall;
• providing a mounting surface on the printhead body;
• providing at least one printhead die including an array of nozzles and a set of bond pads;
• attaching the at least one printhead die to the mounting surface;
• attaching a first portion of the printed wiring member adjacent to the at least one printhead die, the first portion including the contact pads;
• wire bonding to provide electrical interconnection between the set of bond pads of the at least one printhead die and corresponding contact pads of the printed wiring member;
• and
• attaching a second portion of the printed wiring member to the wall of the printhead body, the second portion including the connector pads.

A method for assembling an inkjet printer, the method comprising:

• providing a blank printed wiring member comprising a copper foil laminated to a dielectric substrate;
• masking the blank printed wiring member to protect regions of the copper foil;
• removing copper in unprotected regions of the blank printed wiring member to form a patterned printed wiring member including contact pads and connector pads;
• depositing a nickel coating on the patterned printed wiring member;
• electrolytically depositing a hard gold layer on the nickel coating;
• electrolessly plating palladium on a surface of the hard gold layer to provide a printed wiring member including wire-bondable contact pads and wear-resistant connector pads;
• providing a printhead body including a wall;
• providing a mounting surface on the printhead body;
• providing at least one printhead die including an array of nozzles and a set of bond pads;
• attaching the at least one printhead die to the mounting surface;
• attaching a first portion of the printed wiring member adjacent to the at least one printhead die, the first portion including the contact pads;
• wire bonding to provide electrical interconnection between the set of bond pads of the at least one printhead die and corresponding contact pads of the printed wiring member;
• and
• attaching a second portion of the printed wiring member to the wall of the printhead body, the second portion including the connector pads;
• providing a printer chassis;
• assembling a carriage onto the printer chassis, the carriage including a connector and a holding receptacle;
• and
• inserting the printhead body into the holding receptacle of the carriage, such that the connector pads of the printed wiring member are in contact with the connector of the carriage.