Patent ID: 6231772
Filing Date: 2001-05-15
Classification: B41J,G06K,G11C,H04N

Abstract:
A method of manufacture of an ink jet printhead including a series of nozzle chambers, the method comprising the steps of;(a) providing an initial semiconductor wafer having an electrical circuitry layer formed thereon;(b) depositing a first sacrificial material layer over the electrical circuitry layer and etching the first sacrificial material layer to define holes for nozzle chamber posts and actuator anchor points in the first sacrificial material layer;(c) depositing a first expansion material layer of a material having a suitable coefficient of thermal expansion, and etching predetermined vias in the first expansion material layer so that the holes for the nozzle chamber posts and the actuator anchor points are located around the vias;(d) depositing a conductive material layer on the first expansion material layer, the conductive material layer being conductively interconnected to the electrical circuitry layer via the vias and etching the conductive layer to form a heater;(e) depositing a second expansion material layer of a material having a suitable coefficient of thermal expansion, and etching the second expansion material layer to form a thermal actuator from a combination of the first and second expansion material layers and the conductive layer;(f) depositing a second sacrificial material layer, and etching the second sacrificial material layer to form a mould for a series of nozzle chamber posts and a series of vane elements;(g) depositing a first inert material layer to fill said mould and etching the first inert material layer;(h) depositing a third sacrificial material layer over the second sacrificial material layer and the inert material layer, and etching the third sacrificial material layer to form a mould for nozzle chamber walls interconnected with the nozzle chamber posts;(i) depositing a second inert material layer and etching the second inert material layer to form the nozzle chamber and an ink ejection port in the second inert material layer;(j) etching an ink supply channel through the wafer to be in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber; and(k) etching away the sacrificial layers.