Patent ID: 6471832
Filing Date: 2002-10-29
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A method of producing a protected thermal head for use in sliding contact printing applications, comprising the steps of:preparing a thermal head comprising a substrate, a heat generating layer on the substrate and a pair of electrodes on said heat generating layer; and depositing, by sputtering, a wear-resistant protective film comprising Si, O and N on said thermal head in a sputtering gas, wherein said wear-resistant protective film is formed by sputtering at least one first layer under no bias or a first bias and at least one second layer under a larger bias than said no or first bias used to form said first layer, wherein a voltage of said larger bias is in a range between âˆ’5 V and âˆ’200 V and a voltage of said no or said first bias is in a range of from 0 to &frac23; of said voltage of said larger bias.