Patent ID: 7290336

Claim:
A method of fabricating an array of multi-electroded piezoelectric transducers for use by a printhead having in-situ poling capabilities, comprising: carrying a piezoelectric configuration on a substrate used for high temperature annealing, the piezoelectric configuration, including (i) a plurality of piezoelectric islands formed in a two-dimensional array, each island including a first side and a second side, each of the first sides in contact with the substrate, and (ii) piezoelectric island interconnects which extend down lengths of each column of the piezoelectric islands; polishing the second side of the piezoelectric islands substantially flat; forming a bottom metal layer onto at least portions of the second sides of the piezoelectric islands and interconnects, the bottom metal layer having first areas corresponding to the piezoelectric islands and second areas corresponding to the piezoelectric interconnects; positioning a printhead metal actuation layer to receive the second sides of the piezoelectric islands and interconnects; bonding the metalized second side of the piezoelectric islands and interconnects to the printhead metal actuation layer; removing the substrate from the first side of the piezoelectric islands and interconnects; polishing the first side of the piezoelectric islands and interconnects; forming an upper metal layer onto at least portions of the first side of the piezoelectric islands and interconnects, wherein the upper metal layer includes first areas corresponding to the piezoelectric islands and second areas which are corresponding to the piezoelectric interconnects; and positioning the second areas of upper and bottom metal layers for connection to printhead electronics by printhead connectors.