Abstract:
The disclosure describes a method for the solderless laser welding of two materials by using a laser light beam attached to a fiber optic system which directs the light to a region where the laser beam can shine through one of the materials to create a seam weld. By using a fiber optic system the laser beam is optimally converted into thermal energy and weld flaws due to underheating or destruction of the materials due to overheating does not occur. The method and apparatus provide rapid, reproducible laser welding even for the smallest of contact geometries. For example, the method results in solderless gold-to-gold compression laser welding of a silicon substrate to the material contained in a polymer flex circuit tape, such as a polyimide, without damaging the tape. A strong solderless gold-to-gold bond can be formed between a gold bond line, or complex weld seam pattern, on the flex circuit tape and a mating gold bond line or weld seam pattern on a semiconductor chip. Such a bond is formed without any damage to the tape and prevents delamination and nozzle skewing during the adhesive curing process of other methods. The reduced nozzle skewing provides less dot placement error for print cartridges, and therefore better print quality. Disclosed is an improved printhead configuration for facilitating the attachment of a nozzle member to the substrate which increases nozzle area stiffness and nozzle camber angle and directionality as well as, the substrate/tape interface bond strength, and reduces deformation of the nozzle member. The configuration thereby provides higher consistent ink chamber refill speeds, and reduces ink trajectory errors and delamination. In addition, in particular embodiments increased tolerance to aggressive solvents in inks and more consistent chamber geometry result in better control over drop volume. The method improves the quality, repeatability and reliability of the pen and results in fewer process steps, thereby improving processing time, cost and reduced in-process handling. The above in turn results in ease of assembly, higher yields, improved reliability, ease of nozzle serviceability, and overall material and manufacturing cost reduction.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 08/705,928 filed on Aug. 30, 1996, and which is now U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,355. 
     This application relates to the subject matter disclosed in the following U.S. Patents and co-pending U.S. Applications: 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/558,567, filed Oct. 31, 1995, entitled “Solderless Connection of Electrical Contacts Utilizing Combination Laser and Fiber Optic Push Connect System”, now abandoned; 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/550,328, filed Oct. 30, 1995, entitled “Inkjet Printhead with Trench and Backward Peninsulas”, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,074; 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/550,427, filed Oct. 30, 1995, entitled “Inkjet Printhead with Channels Connecting Trench and Firing Chambers”, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,032; 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/131,816, filed Oct. 5, 1993, entitled “Inkjet Printhead Formed to Eliminate Ink Trajectory Errors” now U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,115, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,113, entitled “Adhesive Seal for an Inkjet Printhead.” 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,384, entitled “Integrated Nozzle Member and TAB Circuit for Inkjet Printhead;” and 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,584, entitled “Ink Delivery System for an Inkjet Printhead.” 
     The above patent and co-pending applications are assigned to the present assignee and are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to the adhesiveless laser welding of two nonmetallic materials, preferably but not necessarily and, more particularly, to the laser welding of two materials using an optical fiber that holds the materials in contact while directing a laser emission to the pattern area to be welded. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Thermal inkjet print cartridges operate by rapidly heating a small volume of ink to cause the ink to vaporize and be ejected through one of a plurality of orifices so as to print a dot of ink on a recording medium, such as a sheet of paper. Alternatively, a piezoelectric element may be used to eject a droplet of ink through an associated orifice onto the paper. The properly sequenced ejection of ink from each orifice causes characters or other images to be printed upon the paper as the printhead is moved relative to the paper. 
     An inkjet printhead generally includes: (1) ink channels to supply ink from an ink reservoir to each ejection chamber proximate to an orifice; (2) a metal orifice plate or nozzle member in which the orifices are formed in the required pattern; and (3) a silicon substrate containing a series of ink ejection elements, one ejection element per ink ejection chamber. 
     To print a single dot of ink, an electrical current from an external power supply is passed through a selected thin film resistor. The resistor is then heated, in turn superheating a thin layer of the adjacent ink within a vaporization chamber, causing explosive vaporization, and, consequently, causing a droplet of ink to be ejected through an associated orifice onto the paper. Alternatively, a piezoelectric element may be used to eject a droplet of ink through an associated orifice onto the paper. 
     In U.S. application Ser. No. 07/862,668, filed Apr. 2, 1992, entitled “Integrated Nozzle Member and TAB Circuit for Inkjet Printhead,” a novel nozzle member for an inkjet print cartridge and method of forming the nozzle member are disclosed. This integrated nozzle and tab circuit design is superior to the orifice plates for inkjet printheads formed of nickel and fabricated by lithographic electroforming processes. A barrier layer formed on the substrate includes ejection chambers, surrounding each orifice, and ink flow channels which provide fluid communication between a ink reservoir and the ejection chambers. A flexible tape having conductive traces formed thereon has formed in it nozzles or orifices by Excimer laser ablation. By providing the orifices in the flexible circuit itself, the shortcomings of conventional electroformed orifice plates are overcome. The resulting nozzle member having orifices and conductive traces may then have mounted on it the substrate and barrier layer containing ink ejection elements associated with each of the orifices. Additionally, the orifices may be formed aligned with the conductive traces on the nozzle member so that alignment of electrodes on a substrate with respect to ends of the conductive traces also aligns the ejection elements with the orifices. The leads at the end of the conductive traces formed on the back surface of the nozzle member are then connected to the electrodes on the substrate and provide energization signals for the ejection elements. The above procedure is known as Tape Automated Bonding (“TAB”) of an inkjet printhead assembly, or TAB Head Assembly, (hereinafter referred to as a “THA”) 
     An existing solution for attaching a nozzle member having orifices to a substrate, containing ink ejection chambers and ink ejection elements, is to adhesively affix the top surface of the substrate&#39;s barrier layer to the back surface of the flexible circuit using a thin adhesive layer, such as an uncured layer of poly-isoprene photoresist, applied to the top surface of the barrier layer. A separate adhesive layer may not be necessary if the top of the barrier layer can be otherwise be made adhesive. The resulting substrate structure is then positioned with respect to the back surface of the flexible circuit so as to align the ink ejection chambers with the orifices formed in the flexible circuit. After the above-described preliminary adhesively-affixing step and the previously mentioned electrical-lead TAB bonding step, the aligned and bonded substrate and flexible circuit structure is then heated while applying pressure to cure the adhesive layer and firmly affix the substrate structure to the back surface of the flexible circuit. 
     The heat and pressure step utilizes an aluminum plate having a relatively malleable rubber shoe secured to the bottom surface of the aluminum plate. The heat and pressure step provides a downward force on the aluminum plate while applying heat to the substrate in order to affix the flexible tape to the top surface of the barrier layer. The rubber shoe extends over the edges of the substrate, and the downward force causes the tape to bend where not supported by the barrier layer or substrate. Due to the bending of the tape, the resulting TAB head assembly has nozzles which are skewed with respect to the substrate causing ink trajectory errors. Thus, when the TAB head assembly is scanned across a recording medium, the TAB head assembly trajectory errors will affect the location of printed dots and thus affect the quality of printing. 
     Nozzle skewing is caused by lamination pressure and the semifluid properties of the polymeric barrier material at temperatures higher than its glass transition temperature when heated. Delamination of the nozzle member from the barrier layer is caused by the post-bonding stress in the barrier layer. During the lamination process, the barrier material between the adjacent vaporization chambers is under pressure and is compressed erratically, which causes sloping of the nozzle member surface. A subsequent baking process releases stress in the barrier created by the bonding process, increasing nozzle skewing, and causes delamination. In a combined effect, skewing may also be caused by the evaporation of some volatile components in the barrier material and hence the barrier material and hence the barrier shrinkage at the exposed boundaries in the prolonged baking process. Delamination both at THA level and pen level are caused by the weak adhesive interface between the substrate and the flexible tape. 
     In addition, the barrier material and adhesion degrades with the aggressive solvents in newer ink formulations. Moreover, all workable solutions developed for THA to print cartridge body detachment problems caused by the stresses involved in the THA to print cartridge body attachment process, resulted in increased delamination at the adhesive substrate/tape interface. 
     Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have an improved printhead design for facilitating the attachment of a nozzle member to the substrate which increases the substrate/tape interface bond strength and reduces deformation of the barrier material, ink trajectory errors, detachment and delamination. 
     This in turn would result in ease of assembly, higher yields, improved reliability, ease of surface serviceability, and overall material and manufacturing cost reductions. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a method of laser welding of two materials by a laser beam having a specified wavelength, comprising the steps of providing a first material with a seed metal pattern on a surface thereof and a second material with a corresponding mating seed metal pattern on a surface thereof, said seed metal having a suitable absorption at the wavelength of the laser beam; aligning the seed metal pattern on the surface of the first material and the corresponding mating seed metal pattern on the surface of a second material; holding the mating seed metal patterns in contact at a bond surface with an optical fiber; and laser welding the seed metal patterns by directing the laser beam through the optical fiber. 
     The present invention provides a method for the solderless laser welding of two materials by using a laser light beam attached to a fiber optic system which directs the light to a to create a seam weld. The phrases “through bulk material” and “through bulk substance”, appearing in certain of the appended claims with regard to the path of the laser beam, are used to make plain that in the invention recited in those particular claims the beam is propagating through the material itself (of, e.g., a TAB tape or other component), not through a window therein. By using a fiber optic system the laser beam is optimally converted into thermal energy and weld flaws due to underheating or destruction of the materials due to overheating does not occur. The method and apparatus provide rapid, reproducible laser welding even for the smallest of contact geometries. For example, the method of the invention results in solderless gold-to-gold compression laser welding of a silicon substrate to the material contained in a polymer flex circuit tape, such as a polyimide, without damaging the tape. A strong solderless gold-to-gold bond can be formed between a gold bond line, or complex weld seam pattern on the flex circuit tape and a mating gold bond line or weld seam pattern on a semiconductor chip without any damage to the tape and prevents delamination and nozzle skewing associated with the adhesive curing process of other methods. The reduced nozzle skewing provides less dot placement error for print cartridges, and therefore better print quality. 
     The present invention provides an improved printhead design for facilitating the attachment of a nozzle member to the substrate, which increases nozzle area stiffness and nozzle camber angle and directionality, the substrate/tape interface bond strength and reduces deformation of the nozzle member, which provides higher consistent ink chamber refill speeds, and reduces ink trajectory errors and delamination. In addition, in particular embodiments the invention provides increased tolerance to aggressive solvents in inks and more consistent chamber geometry resulting in better control over drop volume. The invention improves the quality, repeatability and reliability of the pen and results in less process steps, thereby improving processing time, cost and reduced in-process handling. 
     The above in turn results ease of assembly, higher yields, improved reliability, ease of nozzle serviceability, and overall material and manufacturing cost reduction: 
     While the present invention will be described, for purposes of illustration only, in conjunction with the laser welding of a TAB circuit to the silicon substrate of an inkjet printhead, the present method and apparatus for the solderless laser welding of two contact materials by using a laser light beam attached to a fiber optic system is applicable to laser welding other materials to each other. 
     Other advantages will become apparent after reading the disclosure. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention can be further understood by reference to the following description and attached drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment. 
     Other features and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inkjet print cartridge according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a Facial (unfolded flat) view of the front surface of the Tape Automated Bonding (TAB) printhead assembly (“THA”) removed from the print cartridge of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a simplified, schematic form of the inkjet print cartridge of FIG.  1 . for illustrative purposes. 
     FIG. 4 is a Facial (unfolded flat) view of the front surface of the Tape Automated Bonding (TAB) printhead assembly (hereinafter “TAB head assembly”) removed from the print cartridge of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the back surface of the TAB head assembly of FIG. 4 with a silicon substrate mounted thereon and the conductive leads attached to the substrate. 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevational view in cross-section taken along line A—A in FIG. 5 illustrating one system (compare the above-mentioned application Ser. No. 08/558,567 for a more highly preferred system) for attachment of conductive leads to electrodes on the silicon substrate. 
     FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of a substrate structure containing heater resistors, ink channels, and vaporization chambers, which is mounted on the back of the TAB head assembly of FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 8 illustrates one process which may be used to form the preferred TAB head assembly. 
     FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for a fiber push connect laser system as used in the present invention. 
     FIG. 10 shows in detail the flex circuit, a spot weld point, the TAB lead and die pad. 
     FIG. 11 shows the temperature profile of the flex circuit, weld beam and spot weld location during the laser welding process with the FPC laser. 
     FIG. 12 shows the absorption property versus wavelength for various metals. 
     FIG. 13 illustrates the optical transmission results for five samples of Kapton® tape sputtered with 2, 5, 10, 15, and 25 nm of chromium. 
     FIG. 14 illustrates the temperature rise in flex circuits with Ti/W seed layers. 
     FIG. 15 illustrates the temperature rise in flex circuits with a chromium seed layer. 
     FIG. 16 illustrates temperature increase versus time in a 3-layer tape with different thickness chromium seed layers. 
     FIG. 17 illustrates a first embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 18 illustrates a variation of the FIG. 17 embodiment. 
     FIG. 19 illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 20 illustrates a third embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 21 illustrates a variation of the FIG. 20 embodiment. 
     FIG. 22 illustrates a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     While the present invention will be described, for purposes of illustration only, in conjunction with the laser welding of a TAB circuit to the silicon substrate of an inkjet printhead, the present method and apparatus for the solderless laser welding of two materials by using a laser light beam attached to a fiber optic system is applicable to laser welding of other types of electrical members to each other. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, reference numeral  10  generally indicates an inkjet print cartridge incorporating a printhead according to one embodiment of the present invention simplified for illustrative purposes. The inkjet print cartridge  10  includes an ink reservoir  12  and a printhead  14 , where the printhead  14  is formed using Tape Automated Bonding (TAB). The printhead  14  (hereinafter “TAB head assembly  14 ”) includes a nozzle member  16  comprising two parallel columns of offset holes or orifices  17  formed in a flexible polymer flexible circuit  18  by, for example, laser ablation. 
     A back surface of the flexible circuit  18  includes conductive traces  36  formed thereon using a conventional photolithographic etching and/or plating process. These conductive traces  36  are terminated by large contact pads  20  designed to interconnect with a printer. The print cartridge  10  is designed to be installed in a printer so that the contact pads  20 , on the front surface of the flexible circuit  18 , contact printer electrodes providing externally generated energization signals to the printhead. Bonding areas  22  and  24  in the flexible circuit  18  are where the bonding of the conductive traces  36  to electrodes on a silicon substrate containing heater resistors occurs. 
     In the print cartridge  10  of FIG. 1, the flexible circuit  18  is bent over the back edge of the print cartridge “snout” and extends approximately one half the length of the back wall  25  of the snout. This flap portion of the flexible circuit  18  is needed for the routing of conductive traces  36  which are connected to the substrate electrodes, most particularly those which are connected through the far end window  22 . The contact pads  20  are located on the flexible circuit  18  which is secured to this wall and the conductive traces  36  are routed over the bend and are connected to the substrate electrodes through the windows  22 ,  24  in the flexible circuit  18 . 
     FIG. 2 shows a face view of the TAB head assembly  14  of FIG. 1 while still Flat-and before attachment to the print cartridge  10  and prior to windows  22  and  24  in the TAB head assembly  14  being filled with an encapsulant. (In the most highly preferred configuration, these windows  22 ,  24  are omitted as set forth in the above-mentioned application Ser. No. 08/558,567.) TAB head assembly  14  has affixed to the back of the flexible circuit  18  a silicon substrate  28  (not shown) containing a plurality of individually energizable thin film resistors. Each resistor is located generally behind a single orifice  17  and acts as an ohmic heater when selectively energized by one or more pulses applied sequentially or simultaneously to one or more of the contact pads  20 . 
     The orifices  17  and conductive traces  36  may be of any size, test, and pattern, and the various figures are designed to simply and clearly show the features of the invention. The relative dimensions of the various features have been greatly adjusted for the sake of clarity. 
     The orifice  17  pattern on the flexible circuit  18  shown in FIG. 2 may be formed by a masking process in combination with a laser or other etching means in a step-and-repeat process, which would be readily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art after reading this disclosure. FIG. 14, to be described in detail later, provides additional details of this process. Further details regarding TAB head assembly  14  and flexible circuit  18  are provided below. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a schematic form of the inkjet print cartridge of FIG. 1, simplified for illustrative purposes. FIG. 4 is a view of the front surface of the Tape Automated Bonding (TAB) printhead assembly (hereinafter “TAB head assembly”)shown Flat and before attachment to the simpli print cartridge of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 shows the back surface of the TAB head assembly  14  of FIG. 4 showing the silicon die or substrate  28  mounted to the back of the flexible circuit  18  and also showing one edge of the barrier layer  30  formed on the substrate  28  containing ink channels and vaporization chambers. FIG. 7 shows greater detail of this barrier layer  30  and will be discussed later. Shown along the edge of the barrier layer  30  are the entrances to the ink channels  32  which receive ink from the ink reservoir  12 . The conductive traces  36  formed on the back of the flexible circuit  18  terminate in contact pads  20  ( shown in FIG. 4) on the opposite side of the flexible circuit  18  at location  38 . The bonding areas  22  and  24  locate where the conductive traces  36  and the substrate electrodes  40  (shown in FIG. 6) are bonded by using a laser light beam attached to a fiber optic system which directs the light to the location to be bonded in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 shows a side view cross-section taken along line A—A in FIG. 5 illustrating the connection of the ends of the conductive traces  36  to the electrodes  40  formed on the substrate  28 . As seen in FIG. 6, a portion  42  of the barrier layer  30  is used to insulate the ends of the conductive traces  36  from the substrate  28 . Also shown in FIG. 6 is a side view of the flexible circuit  18 , the barrier layer  30 , the bonding areas  22  and  24 , and the entrances of the various ink channels  32 . Droplets of ink  46  are shown being ejected from orifice holes associated with each of the ink channels  32 . 
     FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the silicon substrate  28  which is affixed to the back of the flexible circuit  18  in FIG. 5 to form the TAB head assembly  14 . Silicon substrate  28  has formed on it, using conventional photolithographic techniques, two rows or columns of thin film resistors  70 , shown in FIG. 7 exposed through the vaporization chambers  72  formed in the barrier layer  30 . 
     In one embodiment, the substrate  28  is approximately one-half inch long and contains  300  heater resistors  70 , thus enabling a resolution of 600 dots per inch. Heater resistors  70  may instead be any other type of ink ejection element, such as a piezoelectric pump-type element or any other conventional element. Thus, element  70  in all the various figures may be considered to be piezoelectric elements in an alternative embodiment without invalidating the herein-relevant general principles of hydrodynamic operation of the printhead. Also formed on the substrate  28  are electrodes  74  for connection to the conductive traces  36  (shown by dashed lines) formed on the back of the flexible circuit  18 . 
     A demultiplexer  78 , shown by a dashed outline in FIG. 7, is also formed on the substrate  28  for demultiplexing the incoming multiplexed signals applied to the electrodes  74  and distributing the signals to the various thin film resistors  70 . The demultiplexer  78  enables the use of many fewer electrodes  74  than thin film resistors  70 . Having fewer electrodes allows all connections to the substrate to be made from the short end portions of the substrate, so that these connections will not interfere with the ink flow around the long sides of the substrate. The demultiplexer  78  may be any decoder for decoding encoded signals applied to the electrodes  74 . The demultiplexer has input leads (not shown for simplicity) connected to the electrodes  74  and has output leads (not shown) connected to the various resistors  70 . The demultiplexer  78  circuitry is discussed in further detail below. 
     Also formed on the surface of the substrate  28  using conventional photolithographic techniques is the barrier layer  30 , which may be a layer of photoresist or some other polymer, in which is formed the vaporization chambers  72  and ink channels  80 . A portion  42  of the barrier layer  30  insulates the conductive traces  36  from the underlying substrate  28 , as previously discussed with respect to FIG.  4 . 
     In order to affix the top surface of the barrier layer  30  to the back surface of the flexible circuit  18  shown in FIG. 5, the substrate structure is positioned with respect to the back surface of the flexible circuit  18  so as to align the resistors  70  with the orifices formed in the flexible circuit  18 . This alignment step also inherently aligns the electrodes  74  with the ends of the conductive traces  36 . The top surface of the barrier layer  30  is then bonded to the back surface of the flexible circuit  18 . The traces  36  are then bonded to the electrodes  74 . These alignment and bonding processes are described in more detail with respect to FIG.  8 . 
     FIG. 8 illustrates one method for forming the TAB head assembly  14 . The starting material is a Kapton® or Upilex® type polymer tape  104 , although the tape  104  can be any suitable polymer film which is acceptable for use in the below-described procedure. Some such films may comprise teflon, polyamide or polyinide, polymethylmethacrylate, polycarbonate, polyester, polyamide polyethylene-terephthalate or mixtures thereof. 
     The tape  104  is typically provided in long strips on a reel  105 . Sprocket holes  106  along the sides of the tape  104  are used to accurately and securely transport the tape  104 . Alternately, the sprocket holes  106  may be omitted and the tape may be transported with other types of fixtures. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the tape  104  is already provided with conductive copper traces  36 , such as shown in FIGS. 2,  4  and  5 , formed thereon using conventional metal deposition and photolithographic processes. The particular pattern of conductive traces depends on the manner in which it is desired to distribute electrical signals to the electrodes formed on silicon dies, which are subsequently mounted on the tape  104 . 
     In the preferred process, the tape  104  is transported to a laser processing chamber and laser-ablated in a pattern defined by one or more masks  108  using laser radiation  110 , such as that generated by an Excimer laser  112 . The masked laser radiation is designated by arrows  114 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, such masks  108  define all of the ablated features for an extended area of the tape  104 , for example encompassing multiple orifices in the case of an orifice pattern mask  108 , and multiple vaporization chambers in the case of a vaporization chamber pattern mask  108 . 
     The laser system for this process generally includes beam delivery optics, alignment optics, a high precision and high speed mask shuttle system, and a processing chamber including a mechanism for handling and positioning the tape  104 . In the preferred embodiment, the laser system uses a projection mask configuration wherein a precision lens  115  interposed between the mask  108  and the tape  104  projects the Excimer laser light onto the tape  104  in the image of the pattern defined on the mask  108 . The masked laser radiation exiting from lens  115  is represented by arrows  116 . Such a projection mask configuration is advantageous for high precision orifice dimensions, because the mask can be physically remote from the nozzle member. After the step of laser-ablation, the polymer tape  104  is stepped, and the process is repeated. 
     A next step in the process is a cleaning step wherein the laser ablated portion of the tape  104  is positioned under a cleaning station  117 . At the cleaning station  117 , debris from the laser ablation is removed according to standard industry practice. 
     The tape  104  is then stepped to the next station, which is an optical alignment station  118  incorporated in a conventional automatic TAB bonder, such as an inner lead bonder commercially available from Shinkawa Corporation, Model No. ILT-75. The bonder is preprogrammed to recognize an alignment (target) pattern on the nozzle member, create in the same manner and/or step as used to created the orifices, and a target pattern on the substrate, created in the same manner and/or step used to create the resistors. In the preferred embodiment, the nozzle member material is semi-transparent so that the target pattern on the substrate may be viewed through the nozzle member. The bonder then automatically positions the silicon dies  120  with respect to the nozzle members so as to align the two target patterns. Such an alignment feature exists in the Shinkawa TAB bonder. This automatic alignment of the nozzle member target pattern with the substrate target pattern not only precisely aligns the orifices with the resistors but also inherently aligns the electrodes on the dies  120  with the ends of the conductive traces formed in the tape  104 , since the traces and the orifices are aligned in the tape  104 , and the substrate electrodes and the heating resistors are aligned on the substrate. Therefore, all patterns on the tape  104  and on the silicon dies  120  will be aligned with respect to one another once the two target patterns are aligned. 
     Thus, the alignment of the silicon dies  120  with respect to the tape  104  is performed automatically using only commercially available equipment. By integrating the conductive traces with the nozzle member, such an alignment feature is possible. Such integration not only reduces the assembly cost of the printhead but reduces the printhead material cost as well. 
     The automatic TAB bonder then uses a gang bonding method to bond the conductive traces down onto the associated substrate electrodes as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/558,567, filed Oct. 31, 1995, entitled “Solderless Connection of Electrical Contacts Utilizing Combination Laser and Fiber Optic Push Connect System;” which is herein incorporated by reference. 
     The tape  104  is then stepped to station  122  to affix the top surface of the barrier layer  30  to the back surface of the flexible circuit  18 . During this step higher bond temperatures are generally preferred to decrease the bond time, but higher bond temperatures will soften the flex circuit and cause more deformation of the Kapton tape. Thus, it is preferred to have higher temperature at the contact point and lower temperature at the Kapton tape layer. This optimum contact temperature profile may be achieved by utilizing a Fiber Push Connect (FPC) single point laser welding process. FPC in conjunction with a TAB circuit provides an ideal solution for a TAB head assembly for an inkjet printer printhead. 
     A schematic for a FPC laser system  200  is illustrated in FIG.  9 . This system consists of an Nd YAG or Diode laser  202 , equipped with a glass (SiO 2 ) optical fiber  204 . The system guides the laser beam to the contact or attachment point  206  via the optical glass fiber  204 . An optimum thermal coupling is achieved by pressing two parts together by means of the fiber  204  which creates a zero contact gap between the TAB gold bond line  208  and die gold bond line  210  and thus improved thermal efficiency. FIG. 10 shows in greater detail the flex circuit  18 , the contact point  206 , the TAB gold bond line  208  and die gold bond line  210 . 
     Referring to FIG. 9, a feedback temperature loop is achieved by means of an infrared detector  212  through the glass fiber. The temperature or absorption behavior response of the IR-radiation reflected by the gold bond lines  208 ,  210  at the contact point  206  is gathered. The outgoing laser beam  220  from the laser source  202  goes through a half-transmission mirror or beam splitter  214  and through a focussing lens  216  into the glass fiber optic  204 . The reflected light  218  from the fiber optic shown with dashed lines is reflected by the half mirror  21  and arrives via focussing lens  222  at an IR detector  212  that is connected to a PC Controller  224 . The graph shown on the monitor  226  of PC controller  224  is meant to show that the PC Controller  224  can store definite expected plots for the temperature variation of the laser welding process with which the actual temperature variation can be compared. The PC Controller  224  is connected with the laser source  202  so that the laser parameters can be controlled if necessary. 
     The reproducibility of a FPC laser bond depends both on a high degree of thermal coupling between the gold bond lines  208 ,  210  and high absorption of the laser energy by gold bond lines  208 ,  210 . To optimize the laser welding process, minimum absorption is desired in the Kapton tape and maximum absorption is desired in the gold bond lines  208 ,  210 . Metals with higher absorption rate will transform a higher share of the laser energy into heat. This will result in a shorter attachment process which in turn will result in a higher quality bond. 
     The laser utilized is a YAG laser with a wavelength of 1064 nm. FIG. 12 illustrates the absorption property versus wavelength for several metals. As can be observed from FIG. 12, chromium and molybdenum have the highest absorption characteristics at this wavelength. Chromium was selected as the base metal due to the fact that most flex circuit manufacturers are using chromium as the seed layer. The penetration depth of the laser into chromium is about 10 nm with a spot size of 5 nm; this requires a minimum chromium thickness of 15 nm. The laser beam creates a localized heated zone causing the metals (or solder material), to melt and create a bond between two joining surfaces without increasing the temperature of the Kapton tape. However, any gap between two mating metal parts will cause overheating of the metal surface exposed to the laser beam. This will cause deformation of the flexible circuit  18  with no bond between metal surfaces. Also, an increased temperature in the flex circuit  18  will cause damage to the flex circuit. 
     FIG. 11 illustrates a typical temperature profile of the flex circuit  18  during laser welding process with the FPC laser. As it can be observed from FIG. 11, the temperature at the attachment area  206  is considerably higher than the Kapton tape  18  temperature. This is achieved due to the high degree of the transparency of the Kapton tape at different wavelengths. 
     The Kapton polyimide tape is transparent to the YAG laser beam and the laser beam passes through the 2 mil thick layer of polyimide with minimal absorption. Chromium is a conventional seed layer that is used extensively to provide an adhesion layer between the copper trace and Kapton polyimide in a two-layer flex circuit manufacturing process. A chromium layer with a minimum thickness of 10 nm (or 20 nm nominal) is required to provide a medium which absorbs the laser energy. The thickness of the chromium layer varies depending upon the flex circuit manufacturer, with reported thicknesses between 2 and 30 nm. A typical flex circuit manufacturing process utilizes a thin layer (20 nm) of sputtered chromium as a seed (adhesion) layer between the copper traces and Kapton polyimide. 
     Five samples of the Kapton tape were sputtered with 2, 5, 10 15, and 25 nm of chromium, and optical transmission was measured for these samples. FIG. 13 illustrates the optical transmission results for these samples. It can be seen that optical transmission initially drops rapidly with increased chromium thickness (from 65% for 2 nm of chromium, to 12% for 15 nm of chromium), but optical transmission changes very slowly when chromium thickness increases from 15 to 25 nm. 
     Laser welding process requires a fast temperature rise in the conductive trace to minimize the temperature rise in the Kapton and therefore minimize damage to the Kapton tape. FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate temperature rise in several flex circuits with different constructions. FIG. 14 illustrates temperature rise in flex circuits with thicker seed layers. It is important to notice that flex circuits with 10 nm or less of Ti/W did not reach the temperature that is required for gold/gold laser welding, but the flex circuit with 20 nm of Ti/W did reach the laser welding temperature. Also, it should be noted that the rise time in the flex circuit with thicker Ti/W is faster, minimizing the potential of damage due to high localized temperatures in the Kapton tape. 
     The temperature (IR-Signal) fluctuation in the flex circuit with 20 nm of Ti/W is indicative of the fact that this flex circuit reached the maximum preset temperature required for gold/gold laser welding and then the laser feed-back loop temporarily dropped the laser energy so that increase in the TAB bond temperature did not damage the Kapton tape. As soon as the temperature of the Kapton tape dropped (by a preset amount), the laser energy automatically increased to full power to increase the TAB gold bond line temperature, and created a reliable gold/gold bond. 
     FIG. 15 illustrates similar results for different flex circuits with a chromium seed layer as opposed to Ti/W seed layer. It can be observed that flex circuit with 10 nm of chromium did reach the preset temperature required for gold/gold welding. Therefore, chromium seed layer has higher absorption characteristics compared to Ti/W seed layer for a YAG laser. 
     FIG. 16 illustrates temperature increase versus time in a 3-layer tape with a 20 nm chromium layer, a tape with a 5 nm chromium layer, and a tape with no chromium layer. As can be seen in FIG. 16, only the flex circuit with a 20 nm chromium layer indicated a rapid temperature rise. 
     Since it was established that chromium thickness is essential to the integrity of the gold/gold laser bond, when a YAG laser is used, an optimum chromium thickness was selected as a base line. Referring to FIG. 13, a chromium thickness over 15 nm does not decrease transmission importantly. Based on FIG. 15, a chromium thickness of 10 nanometers is the absolute minimum required thickness to provide a successful laser bond. FIG. 15 also illustrates that a flex circuit with 15 nm of chromium exhibit a much faster temperature rise in the copper trace, resulting in less or no damage to the Kapton tape. Therefore, 15 nm of chromium is optimum to provide a reliable and repeatable laser bond. 
     Some chromium diffusion into the copper is expected during the sputtering of chromium as a seed layer and plating processes during manufacture of the flex circuits. Diffusion of the chromium into the copper is a time and temperature dependent process, and it is difficult to determine the amount of chromium that will be diffused into the copper during these processes. Normally, it is estimated that a maximum amount of diffused chromium is under 5 nm. Based on these factors, a minimum chromium thickness after the sputtering process was established as 20 nm. This thickness should guarantee a minimum chromium thickness of 15 nm after the completed manufacture of the flex circuit. 
     FIGS. 17 to  22  show various embodiments of the present invention. In each of FIGS. 17-22, (A) shows the barrier structure, including ink vaporization chambers  72  and chamber walls  71 ,  73 , and resistors  70 ; (B) shows a cross-section taken along line B—B of (A); and (C) shows the weld seam pattern for the embodiment. 
     In a first embodiment shown in FIG. 17, the walls  71 ,  73  of the vaporization chamber  72  are laid down in gold on substrate or die  28 . The material of the barrier layer  30  is completely replaced with gold to construct the ink ejection chamber  72 . Thus, the gold thickness is of the order of 15 μm with the exact value depending on the printhead architecture. The side walls  71  and rear wall  73  of the vaporization chamber  72  form a gold weld line pattern  210  on the barrier layer  30 . A corresponding mating gold weld line pattern  208  is laid on the flex circuit  18  to match the outline or area of the vaporization chamber  72 . This weld seam  208  is made of copper laid on a chromium seed layer and coated with gold to prevent corrosion. The substrate  30  and flex circuit  18  are precisely aligned and welded using the FPC laser welding system and technique as described above. The position of the FPC probe is moved along the weld seam, to create a weld line, by using overlapping patterns of spot welds. The advantages of this embodiment are resistance to corrosion and delamination resulting in better reliability, and better stiffness, resulting in better dot placement and refill performances, thereby resulting in better print quality. 
     A modified form of this embodiment is shown in FIG.  18 . In this variation the top 1 to 2 μm of the barrier structure  30  is replaced with 1 to 2 μm of gold. A weld seam pattern  208  is laid on the flex circuit  18  to match the outline of the vaporization chamber  72 . This weld seam  208  is made of copper laid on a chromium seed layer and coated with gold to prevent corrosion. The substrate  28  and the flex  18  are precisely aligned and welded using the FPC welding system. The position of the FPC probe is moved along the weld seam, to create a weld line, by using overlapping patterns of spot welds. The main advantage of this embodiment is better stiffness, resulting in better dot placement and refill performances, thereby resulting in better print quality. 
     In a second embodiment shown in FIG. 19, the walls  71 ,  73  of the vaporization chamber  72  are again laid in gold on substrate or die  28 . However, in this case the height of the vaporization chamber  72  on the substrate is in the order of 1 to 2 μm. This embodiment is advantageous if plating up to the wall  71  height thicknesses of approximately 15 microns are difficult for the manufacturing process to handle. Again the pattern of the vaporization chamber walls  71 ,  73  laid out in gold on the surface of the barrier layer  30  forms a gold weld line pattern  210 . The remainder of the vaporization chamber  72  is formed by ablating a recess on the flex  18  to match the ink chamber layout of the gold barrier. A corresponding mating gold weld seam pattern  208  is laid on the flex circuit  18 . This weld seam is made of copper laid on a chromium seed layer and coated with gold to prevent corrosion. The substrate  30  and the flex  18  are precisely aligned and welded using the FPC welding system. The position of the FPC probe is moved along the weld seam, to create a weld line, by using overlapping patterns of spot welds. The advantages of this embodiment are resistance to corrosion and delamination resulting in better reliability, better stiffness, resulting in better dot placement and refill performances, thereby resulting in better print quality. 
     In a third embodiment shown in FIG. 20, the side walls  71  of the vaporization chambers  72  are made of the barrier material  30  and the critical back wall  73  is fabricated completely out of gold. A corresponding mating gold weld seam pattern  208  is laid on the flex circuit  18  to match the outline of the vaporization chamber back wall  73 . This weld seam is made of copper laid on a chromium seed layer and coated with gold to prevent corrosion. The substrate  30  and flex circuit  18  are precisely aligned and welded using the FPC laser welding system. The position of the FPC probe is moved along the seam, to create a weld line, by using overlapping patterns of spot welds. The advantages of this embodiment are resistance to corrosion and delamination resulting in better reliability, and better stiffness, resulting in better dot placement and refill performances, thereby resulting in better print quality. 
     A variation of this embodiment, shown in FIG. 21, is to build only the top 1 to 2 μm of the back wall  73  barrier structure with gold. A weld seam pattern  208  is laid on the flex circuit  18  to match the outline of the vaporization chamber back wall  73 . This weld seam is made of copper laid on a chromium seed layer and coated with gold to prevent corrosion. The substrate and the flex are precisely aligned and welded using the FPC welding system. The position of the FPC probe is moved along the weld seam, to create a weld line, by using overlapping patterns of spot welds. The main advantage of this embodiment is better stiffness, resulting in better dot placement and refill performances, thereby resulting in better print quality. 
     In a fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 22, the entire vaporization chamber  72  is built out of barrier material, but a straight gold baffle bar  77  is formed behind the back walls  73  of the vaporization chambers  72  to form gold weld line pattern  210 . This baffle structure  77  is built slightly behind the back wall  73 . This baffle structure  77  can be fabricated either by placing a thin 1-2 μm gold weld seam pattern  210  on the substrate  30  and a thick (same thickness as the vaporization chamber  72 ) weld trace on the flex  18  or by laying a thick gold structure (same thickness as the vaporization chamber  72 ) on the substrate  30  and a 1-2 μm weld seam line  208  on the flex  18 . The thickness in traces can also be shared between the substrate  30  and the flex  18  to meet specific design rules for the product and process. The main advantage of this embodiment is better stiffness, resulting in better dot placement and refill performances, thereby resulting in better print quality. 
     In each of the above embodiments, the FPC laser is used to form a full weld along the gold weld lines or weld patterns  208 ,  210 . Experimental results show that average peel strengths using FPC laser welding are 18.3 lbs. versus 3.6 lbs. for conventional adhesive bonding. 
     Thereafter the tape  104  steps forward and is optionally taken up on the take-up reel  124 . The tape  104  may then later be cut to separate the individual TAB head assemblies from one another. 
     The resulting TAB head assembly is then positioned on the print cartridge  10 , and the previously described adhesive seal  90  is formed to firmly secure the nozzle member to the print cartridge, provide an ink-proof seal around the substrate between the nozzle member and the ink reservoir, and encapsulate the traces in the vicinity of the headland so as to isolate the traces from the ink. 
     Peripheral points on the flexible TAB head assembly are then secured to the plastic print cartridge  10  by a conventional melt-through type bonding process to cause the polymer flexible circuit  18  to remain relatively flush with the surface of the print cartridge  10 , as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     The foregoing has described the principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the present invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed. As an example, while the present invention was described in conjunction with the laser welding of a TAB circuit to the silicon substrate of an inkjet printhead, the present method and apparatus for the solderless laser welding of two materials by using a laser light beam attached to a fiber optic system is applicable to laser welding of other types of materials to each other. Likewise, while the present invention was described in conjunction with solderless gold to gold laser welding of two materials to each other, the present method could be used for the solderless laser welding using other conductive metals. Thus, the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive, and it should be appreciated that variations may be made in those embodiments by workers skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.