Patent ID: 7980666

Claim:
A method of forming a thermal bend actuator in an inkjet nozzle assembly, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a substrate having a layer of drive circuitry, said drive circuitry including first and second electrodes for connection to the thermal bend actuator; (b) depositing sidewalls and a roof layer to define a nozzle chamber, wherein a first sidewall is deposited over said first and second electrodes; (c) defining first and second vias in said first sidewall, said vias revealing said first and second electrodes; (d) filling said first and second vias with a conductive material using electroless plating to provide first and second connector posts, said first and second connector posts being adjacent each other; (e) depositing an active beam material onto said roof layer such that said active beam material extends from said first and second connector posts in a plane perpendicular to said posts; (f) etching said active beam material to define a planar active beam member comprising a bent or serpentine beam element, said beam element having a first end positioned over said first connector post and a second end positioned over said second connector post; and (g) etching said roof layer to define the thermal bend actuator, said thermal bend actuator being moveable towards said substrate upon actuation.