Abstract: A method of manufacturing a thermal head, comprising: forming a concave portion opened in one surface of a support substrate and an upper substrate to be disposed on the support substrate in a stacked state, the support substrate and the upper substrate each being of a plate shape; a step of measuring a width dimension of the concave portion formed in the concave portion forming step; bonding the support substrate and the upper substrate to each other in the stacked state so as to close an opening of the concave portion; thinning the upper substrate bonded onto the support substrate in the bonding, to a thickness set based on the width dimension of the concave portion measured in the measuring; and forming a heating resistor on a surface of the thinned upper substrate in a region opposed to the concave portion.

Abstract: Provided is a heating resistor element (1), including: an insulating substrate (9); a heat accumulating layer (10) bonded to a surface of the insulating substrate (9); and a heating resistor (11) provided on the heat accumulating layer (10), in which: on at least one of bonded surfaces (9a) between the insulating substrate (9) and the heat accumulating layer (10), at least one of the insulating substrate (9) and the heat accumulating layer (10) is provided with a concave portion (16) in a region opposed to the heating resistor (11) to form a hollow portion (17); and the hollow portion (17) includes an inner surface on a side of the insulating substrate (9), the inner surface being processed to have surface roughness (Ra) of 0.2 ?m or more. Accordingly, heat accumulation in a gas of the hollow portion (17) can be suppressed to improve printing quality.

Abstract: In order to secure printing quality, provided is a head unit (10) including: a thermal head (9), including a heating body (15) formed on one surface of a glass substrate made of a transparent glass material, the heating body being configured to generate heat when supplied with external power; and a support body (11) which is laminated onto the glass substrate in a stacked state, in which the glass substrate and the support body (11) include a plurality of lamination reference marks (21) and a plurality of head positioning reference marks (23), respectively, which are disposed so as to be mutually aligned in a direction along the one surface of the glass substrate.

Abstract: A thermal head includes a substrate main body having a flat plate-shaped support substrate and a flat plate-shaped upper substrate which are bonded to each other in a stacked state. A heating resistor is formed on a surface of the upper substrate, and a pair of electrodes connected to both ends of the heating resistor, respectively, for supplying power to the heating resistor. The substrate main body includes a cavity portion in a region opposed to the heating resistor at a bonding portion between the support substrate and the upper substrate, and at least one of the electrodes includes a thin portion in a region opposed to the cavity portion, the thin portion being thinner than other regions of the electrodes.

Abstract: In order to provide a manufacturing method for a heating resistor element component, with which an insulating film (undercoat) can be easily handled, damage caused in the insulating film can be reduced, and a high yield can be ensured, the manufacturing method comprises the steps of: processing, on a surface of a supporting substrate (2), a plurality of concave portions (8) each forming a hollow portion (7) at intervals; processing, on the surface of the supporting substrate (2), a concave part (10) for each region straddling the plurality of concave portions (8) in an arrangement direction of the concave portions (8); placing an insulating film (3) made of sheet glass in each concave part (10); and bonding the insulating film (3) to the supporting substrate (2).

Abstract: To achieve improvements in heating efficiency and strength against external load, provided is a thermal head (1), comprising: a supporting substrate (3) having a surface in which a concave portion (2) is formed; a heat storage layer (5) bonded onto the surface of the supporting substrate (3); a heating resistor provided in a region, which is opposed to the concave portion (2) of the supporting substrate (3), on the heat storage layer (5); and a protruding portion (2A), which is provided inside a hollow portion formed between the supporting substrate (3) and the heat storage layer (5) by the concave portion (2), and comes into contact with the heat storage layer (5) and limits deflection of the heat storage layer (5) when the heating resistor is pressurized by predetermined load or more.

Abstract: Provided is a thermal head that is high in durability and reliability with increased printing efficiency as well as increased manufacturing yields. The thermal head (1) includes: a support substrate (12) including a concave portion (23) having an opening portion (23a) formed in a surface of the support substrate (12); an upper substrate (14) having an external dimension which is smaller than an external dimension of the support substrate (12) and is slightly larger than an external dimension of the opening portion (23a), for closing the opening portion (23a) when bonded to the surface of the support substrate (12) in a stacked state; and a heating resistor (15) formed on a surface of the upper substrate (14) in a position opposed to the concave portion (23) of the support substrate (12).

Abstract: Provided is a thermal head capable of enhancing heat-insulating performance while maintaining mechanical strength of an upper substrate. A thermal head (1) includes: a substrate main body (13) including a flat plate-shaped support substrate and a flat plate-shaped upper substrate which are bonded to each other in a stacked state; and a rectangular heating resistor (15) formed on a surface of the flat plate-shaped upper substrate, in which: a bonding surface of the flat plate-shaped support substrate includes a concave portion (23) that forms a cavity portion (27) in a region opposed to the rectangular heating resistor (15); and the concave portion (23) includes a groove (25) formed in an inner wall thereof and recessed along a depth direction of the concave portion (23) within a range of a width of the rectangular heating resistor (15).

Abstract: Provided is a thermal head including an intermediate layer between a support substrate and an upper substrate, which is capable of suppressing heat dissipation toward the support substrate while maintaining printing quality. Employed is a thermal head (1) including: an upper substrate (5); a support substrate (3) bonded in a stacked state on one surface side of the upper substrate (5); a heating resistor (7) provided on another surface side of the upper substrate (5); and an intermediate layer (6) including a concave portion that forms a cavity portion (4) in a region corresponding to the heating resistor (7), the intermediate layer (6) being provided between the upper substrate (5) and the support substrate (3), in which the intermediate layer (6) is formed of a plate-shaped glass material having a lower melting point than melting points of the upper substrate (5) and the support substrate (3).

Abstract: Provided is a thermal head capable of making good contact to a thermal recording medium or the like to increase heat transfer efficiency while maintaining the number of manufacturing steps and manufacturing cost. Provided is a thermal head (1) including: a flat plate-shaped substrate main body (13); a heating resistor (15) of a substantially rectangular shape formed on a surface of the flat plate-shaped substrate main body (13); and a pair of electrodes (17A, 17B) connected to both ends of the heating resistor (15), for supplying power to the heating resistor (15), in which the pair of electrodes (17A, 17B) respectively include connecting portions (27A, 27B) having a width dimension smaller than a width dimension of the heating resistor (15), and the connecting portions (27A, 27B) are connected to the heating resistor (15) at positions shifted from each other in a width direction of the heating resistor (15).

Abstract: A heating resistor element component has supporting substrate with a concave portion formed in a surface of the supporting substrate. A glass substrate is disposed on the surface of the supporting substrate. At least a region of the glass substrate opposite to the concave portion of the support substrate has a heterogeneous phase structure with physical properties different from those of the material of the glass substrate such that an overall mechanical strength of the glass substrate is increased. The heterogeneous phase structure is formed by laser processing using a phemtosecond laser having a power intensity of 1×106 W to 1×108 W. Heating resistors are arranged at intervals on the glass substrate and have heating portions disposed opposite to the concave portion of the supporting substrate. A common wire is connected to one end of each of the heating resistors. Individual wires are each connected to another end of each of the heating resistors.

Abstract: Provided is a thermal head with enhanced strength and improved thermal efficiency including a cavity portion formed therein at a position corresponding to a heating resistor. Employed is a thermal head (1) including: a support substrate (3) including a concave portion (2) formed in its front surface; an upper substrate (5) bonded in a stacked state to the front surface of the support substrate (3); a heating resistor (7) provided on the front surface of the upper substrate (5) at a position corresponding to the concave portion (2); a pair of electrode portions (8) provided on both sides of the heating resistor (7); and a concave portion (20) formed in the front surface of the upper substrate (5) on a side of the pair of electrode portions (8), the concave portion being provided between the pair of electrode portions (8).

Abstract: To achieve improvements in heat generation efficiency and strength against external load, provided is a thermal head (1), comprising: a supporting substrate (3); a heat accumulating (5) bonded onto a surface of the supporting substrate (3); and a heating resistor (7) provided on the heat storage layer (5), wherein: a concave portion (2) is provided in a region, which is opposed to the heating resistor (7), of at least one of the surface of the supporting substrate (3) and a surface on a side of the supporting substrate (3) of the heat accumulating portion (5); and a center line of a hollow heat insulating layer (4) formed, by the concave portion (2), between the supporting substrate (3) and the heat storage layer (5) is shifted with respect to a center line (X) of the heating resistor (7).

Abstract: To achieve improvements in heating efficiency and strength against external load, provided is a thermal head (1), comprising: a supporting substrate (3) having a surface in which a concave portion (2) is formed; a heat storage layer (5) bonded onto the surface of the supporting substrate (3); a heating resistor provided in a region, which is opposed to the concave portion (2) of the supporting substrate (3), on the heat storage layer (5); and a protruding portion (2A), which is provided inside a hollow portion formed between the supporting substrate (3) and the heat storage layer (5) by the concave portion (2), and comes into contact with the heat storage layer (5) and limits deflection of the heat storage layer (5) when the heating resistor is pressurized by predetermined load or more.

Abstract: Provided are a thermal head that has a cavity portion at a position corresponding to heating resistors and is capable of improving thermal efficiency while ensuring strength of the cavity portion, and a printer including the thermal head. The thermal head (1) includes: a supporting substrate (3) including a concave portion (2) in a surface thereof; an upper substrate (5) bonded in a stacked state to the surface of the supporting substrate (3); and a heating resistor (7) provided at a position, which corresponds to the concave portion (2), of a surface of the upper substrate (5), in which a centerline average roughness of at least a region of a back surface of the upper substrate (5) is set to be less than 5 nm, the region being opposed to the concave portion (2).

Abstract: Provided is a manufacturing method for a thermal head, including: bonding a flat upper substrate in a stacked state onto a flat supporting substrate including a heat-insulating concave portion open to one surface thereof so that the heat-insulating concave portion is closed (bonding step (SA2)); thinning the upper substrate bonded onto the supporting substrate by the bonding step (SA2) (plate thinning step (SA3)); measuring a thickness of the upper substrate thinned by the plate thinning step (SA3) (measurement step (SA4)); deciding a target resistance value of heating resistors based on the thickness of the upper substrate, which is measured by the measurement step (SA4) (decision step (SA5)); and forming, at positions of a surface of the upper substrate thinned by the plate thinning step (SA3), the heating resistors having the target resistance value determined by the decision step (SA5), the positions being opposed to the heat-insulating concave portion (resistor forming step (SA6)).

Abstract: Provided is a thermal head (1) including: a substrate body (12) constituted through bonding a flat supporting substrate (13) and a flat upper substrate (11), which are made of a glass material onto each other in a stacked state; a heating resistor (14) formed on a surface of the upper substrate (11); and a protective film (18) that partially covers the surface of the upper substrate (11) including the heating resistor (14) and protects the heating resistor (14), in which a heat-insulating concave portion (32) and thickness-measuring concave portions (34), which are open to a bonding surface between the supporting substrate and the upper substrate (11) and form cavities are provided in the supporting substrate (13), the heat-insulating concave portion (32) is formed at a position opposed to the heating resistor (14), and the thickness-measuring concave portions (34) is formed in a region that is prevented from being covered with the protective film (18).

Abstract: There are provided a method of manufacturing a thermal head having a hollow portion at a position opposing a heating resistor, the manufacturing method assuring a sufficient strength to an upper plate substrate of the thermal head. The manufacturing method includes: processing a top surface of the upper plate substrate bonded to a support substrate to thin the upper plate substrate to a thickness T; wherein the processing comprises processing the top surface of the upper plate substrate so that a roughness Ra of the top surface of the upper plate substrate satisfies the following expression:: Ra?loge(T2)/(3×106)+6.5×10?6.

Abstract: Provided is a heating resistance element component, including: a supporting substrate; an insulating film laminated on the supporting substrate; a plurality of heating resistors formed on the insulating film, the plurality of heating resistors being arranged in a zigzag shape along a main scanning direction and having a substantially square shape; a common wire connected to one end of each of the plurality of heating resistors; individual wires each connected to another end of the each of the plurality of heating resistors; and concave portions formed in regions which are opposed to the plurality of heating resistors and are located on a surface of the supporting substrate, in which an arrangement pitch of the plurality of heating resistors in a sub-scanning direction is larger than an arrangement pitch of the plurality of heating resistors in a main scanning direction.

Abstract: Provided is a heating resistor element including: an insulating substrate including a glass material; a heat accumulating layer bonded to the insulating substrate through heating to temperature ranging from an annealing point to a softening point in a state of being adhered to a surface of the insulating substrate, and including the same material as the glass material of the insulating substrate; and a heating resistor provided on the heat accumulating layer, in which, on at least one of bonded surfaces between the insulating substrate and the heat accumulating layer, at least one of the insulating substrate and the heat accumulating layer is provided with a concave portion in a region opposed to the heating resistor to form a hollow portion. Accordingly, deformation caused by a difference in coefficient of thermal expansion is suppressed to improve printing quality.