Patent ID: 7347952
Filing Date: 2008-03-25
Classification: B41J,B42D,B82Y,G03B,G06F,G06K,G06T,G07F,G09G,G11C,H01L,H04N,H05K,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of fabricating an ink jet printhead chip having a wafer substrate with ink supply channels defined therethrough, a CMOS drive circuitry layer positioned on the wafer substrate and a plurality of nozzle arrangements positioned on the wafer substrate and the CMOS drive circuitry layer so as to be associated with respective ones of the ink supply channels, each nozzle arrangement having nozzle chamber walls and a roof wall that define a nozzle chamber and an ink ejection port in the roof wall and a micro-electromechanical, cantilevered actuator connected to the CMOS drive circuitry layer and spaced from the respective ink supply channel in the wafer substrate, the cantilevered actuator having at least one movable member at its free end, the cantilevered actuator being configured to move said movable member so as to eject the ink from the ink ejection port upon being heated on receipt of a signal from the drive circuitry layer, the method comprising, for each nozzle arrangement, the steps of: depositing between 2 microns and 15 microns of a first sacrificial material on the CMOS drive circuitry layer to define a deposition area; forming said cantilevered actuator on said deposition area; forming the nozzle chamber walls and roof wall by at least one of a deposition and an etching process to define said nozzle chamber; and back etching the wafer substrate to form said ink supply channel in fluid communication with said nozzle chamber and spaced from said cantilevered actuator, wherein the step of forming said cantilevered actuator comprises: said heater element being in electrical contact with said drive circuitry;