Patent ID: 6629756
Filing Date: 2003-10-07
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A method for making piezoelectric printheads for ink jet printers comprising applying a passivation layer to a first surface of a silicon wafer having a thickness ranging from about 200 to about 800 microns, applying a first conducting layer to the passivation layer on the first surface, applying a piezoelectric layer to the first conducting layer, patterning the piezoelectric layer to provide piezoelectric elements adjacent the first surface of the silicon wafer, applying a second conducting layer to the piezoelectric layer, patterning the second conducting layer to provide conductors for applying an electric field across each of the piezoelectric elements, applying a photoresist layer to a second surface of the silicon wafer, imaging and developing the photoresist layer to provide pressurizing chamber locations, dry etching the silicon wafer through the thickness of the wafer up to the insulating layer on the first surface of the wafer and adhesively bonding a nozzle plate containing nozzle holes corresponding to the pressurizing chambers to the second surface of the silicon wafer, wherein the passivation layer is applied with a thickness ratio of passivation layer to silicon wafer ranging from about 1:10 to about 1:800 based on the thickness of the silicon wafer.