Patent ID: 7540589

Claim:
A method for integrally fabricating an orifice array plate and a charge plate for a continuous ink jet printer print head, said method comprising the steps of: a. producing an orifice plate by: providing an electrically non-conductive orifice plate substrate, forming a recessed-surface trench of predetermined depth into one of two opposed sides of the orifice plate substrate, and forming an array of orifices through the orifice plate substrate from the recessed surface of the trench to the other of the two opposed sides wherein said orifices are spaced apart by a predetermined distance; b. producing a charge plate by: providing an electrically non-conductive charge plate substrate of predetermined thickness, and forming a plurality of charging leads on one of two opposed sides of the charge plate substrate, said charge leads being spaced apart by said predetermined distance; and c. bonding the other of the two opposed sides of the charge plate substrate to said one side of the orifice plate substrate such that the charging leads align respectively with the orifices of the array and are spaced there from by the depth of the trench and the thickness of the orifice plate substrate.