MICRO-ELECTROMECHANICAL NOZZLE ARRANGEMENT HAVING CANTILEVERED ACTUATOR
A micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangement for an inkjet printhead includes a substrate defining an inverted pyramidal ink chamber with a vertex thereof terminating at an ink supply channel defined by the substrate, said substrate having a layer of CMOS drive circuitry; a roof structure connected to the drive circuitry layer and covering the ink chamber, the roof structure defining a fluid ejection nozzle rim above said chamber; a plurality of actuators fast with and displaceable with respect to the roof structure, the actuators radially spaced about the nozzle rim between the guide rails, each actuator having a serpentine heater element configured to expand thermally upon receiving current from the drive circuitry thereby moving said actuators into the chamber and increasing a fluid pressure inside the chamber to eject a drop of ink via the ejection nozzle, wherein each actuator is cantilevered to a heater element in a bendable manner; and a central arm which having metal and PTFE portions to provide structural support for the actuators.
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This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/205,911 filed Sep. 7, 2008, which is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 11/965,722 filed on Dec. 27, 2007, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,438,391, which is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 11/442,126 filed on May 30, 2006, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,326,357, which is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 10/728,924 filed on Dec. 8, 2003, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,179,395, which is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 10/303,291 filed on Nov. 23, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,708, which is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 09/855,093 filed on May 14, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,912 which is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 09/112,806 filed 10 Jul. 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,790. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,708, U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,912 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,790 is specifically incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to the field of inkjet printing and, in particular, discloses an inverted radial back-curling thermoelastic ink jet printing mechanism.
BACKGROUNDMany different types of printing mechanisms have been invented, a large number of which are presently in use. The known forms of printers have a variety of methods for marking the print media with a relevant marking media. Commonly used forms of printing include offset printing, laser printing and copying devices, dot matrix type impact printers, thermal paper printers, film recorders, thermal wax printers, dye sublimation printers and ink jet printers both of the drop on demand and continuous flow type. Each type of printer has its own advantages and problems when considering cost, speed, quality, reliability, simplicity of construction and operation etc.
In recent years the field of ink jet printing, wherein each individual pixel of ink is derived from one or more ink nozzles, has become increasingly popular primarily due to its inexpensive and versatile nature.
Many different techniques of ink jet printing have been invented. For a survey of the field, reference is made to an article by J Moore, “Non-Impact Printing: Introduction and Historical Perspective”, Output Hard Copy Devices, Editors R Dubeck and S Sherr, pages 207-220 (1988).
Ink Jet printers themselves come in many different forms. The utilization of a continuous stream of ink in ink jet printing appears to date back to at least 1929 wherein U.S. Pat. No. 1,941,001 by Hansell discloses a simple form of continuous stream electro-static ink jet printing.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,275 by Sweet also discloses a process of a continuous ink jet printing including a step wherein the ink jet stream is modulated by a high frequency electro-static field so as to cause drop separation. This technique is still utilized by several manufacturers including Elmjet and Scitex (see also U.S. Pat. No. 3,373,437 by Sweet et al).
Piezoelectric ink jet printers are also one form of commonly utilized ink jet printing device. Piezoelectric systems are disclosed by Kyser et. al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,398 (1970) which utilizes a diaphragm mode of operation, by Zolten in U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,212 (1970) which discloses a squeeze mode form of operation of a piezoelectric crystal, Stemme in U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,120 (1972) which discloses a bend mode of piezoelectric operation, Howkins in U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,601 which discloses a piezoelectric push mode actuation of the ink jet stream and Fischbeck in U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,590 which discloses a shear mode type of piezoelectric transducer element.
Recently, thermal ink jet printing has become an extremely popular form of ink jet printing. The ink jet printing techniques include those disclosed by Endo et al in GB 2007162 (1979) and Vaught et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,728. Both the aforementioned references disclose ink jet printing techniques which rely on the activation of an electrothermal actuator which results in the creation of a bubble in a constricted space, such as a nozzle, which thereby causes the ejection of ink from an aperture connected to the confined space onto a relevant print media. Printing devices utilizing the electro-thermal actuator are manufactured by manufacturers such as Canon and Hewlett Packard.
As can be seen from the foregoing, many different types of printing technologies are available. Ideally, a printing technology should have a number of desirable attributes. These include inexpensive construction and operation, high speed operation, safe and continuous long term operation etc. Each technology may have its own advantages and disadvantages in the areas of cost, speed, quality, reliability, power usage, simplicity of construction and operation, durability and consumables.
SUMMARYAccording to an aspect of the present disclosure, a micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangement for an inkjet printhead includes a substrate defining an inverted pyramidal ink chamber with a vertex thereof terminating at an ink supply channel defined by the substrate, said substrate having a layer of CMOS drive circuitry; a roof structure connected to the drive circuitry layer and covering the ink chamber, the roof structure defining a fluid ejection nozzle rim above said chamber; a plurality of actuators fast with and displaceable with respect to the roof structure, the actuators radially spaced about the nozzle rim between the guide rails, each actuator having a serpentine heater element configured to expand thermally upon receiving current from the drive circuitry thereby moving said actuators into the chamber and increasing a fluid pressure inside the chamber to eject a drop of ink via the ejection nozzle, wherein each actuator is cantilevered to a heater element in a bendable manner; and a central arm which having metal and PTFE portions to provide structural support for the actuators.
Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the scope of the present invention, preferred forms of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
In the preferred embodiment, ink is ejected out of a nozzle chamber via an ink ejection port using a series of radially positioned thermal actuator devices that are arranged about the ink ejection port and are activated to pressurize the ink within the nozzle chamber thereby causing the ejection of ink through the ejection port.
Turning now to
A top of the nozzle arrangement 1 includes a series of radially positioned actuators 8, 9. These actuators comprise a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) layer and an internal serpentine copper core 17. Upon heating of the copper core 17, the surrounding PTFE expands rapidly resulting in a generally downward movement of the actuators 8, 9. Hence, when it is desired to eject ink from the ink ejection port 4, a current is passed through the actuators 8, 9 which results in them bending generally downwards as illustrated in
The actuators 8, 9 are activated only briefly and subsequently deactivated. Consequently, the situation is as illustrated in
In
Turning now to
As shown initially in
The first step, as illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
In
In this manner, large pagewidth printheads can be fabricated so as to provide for a drop-on-demand ink ejection mechanism.
One form of detailed manufacturing process which can be used to fabricate monolithic ink jet printheads operating in accordance with the principles taught by the present embodiment can proceed utilizing the following steps:
-
- 1. Using a double-sided polished wafer 60, complete a 0.5 micron, one poly, 2 metal CMOS process 61. This step is shown in
FIG. 16 . For clarity, these diagrams may not be to scale, and may not represent a cross section though any single plane of the nozzle.FIG. 15 is a key to representations of various materials in these manufacturing diagrams, and those of other cross referenced ink jet configurations. - 2. Etch the CMOS oxide layers down to silicon or second level metal using Mask 1. This mask defines the nozzle cavity and the edge of the chips. This step is shown in
FIG. 16 . - 3. Deposit a thin layer (not shown) of a hydrophilic polymer, and treat the surface of this polymer for PTFE adherence.
- 4. Deposit 1.5 microns of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) 62.
- 5. Etch the PTFE and CMOS oxide layers to second level metal using Mask 2. This mask defines the contact vias for the heater electrodes. This step is shown in
FIG. 17 . - 6. Deposit and pattern 0.5 microns of gold 63 using a lift-off process using Mask 3. This mask defines the heater pattern. This step is shown in
FIG. 18 . - 7. Deposit 1.5 microns of PTFE 64.
- 8. Etch 1 micron of PTFE using Mask 4. This mask defines the nozzle rim 65 and the rim at the edge 66 of the nozzle chamber. This step is shown in
FIG. 19 . - 9. Etch both layers of PTFE and the thin hydrophilic layer down to silicon using Mask 5. This mask defines a gap 67 at inner edges of the actuators, and the edge of the chips. It also forms the mask for a subsequent crystallographic etch. This step is shown in
FIG. 20 . - 10. Crystallographically etch the exposed silicon using KOH. This etch stops on <111> crystallographic planes 68, forming an inverted square pyramid with sidewall angles of 54.74 degrees. This step is shown in
FIG. 21 . - 11. Back-etch through the silicon wafer (with, for example, an ASE Advanced Silicon Etcher from Surface Technology Systems) using Mask 6. This mask defines the ink inlets 69 which are etched through the wafer. The wafer is also diced by this etch. This step is shown in
FIG. 22 . - 12. Mount the printheads in their packaging, which may be a molded plastic former incorporating ink channels which supply the appropriate color ink to the ink inlets 69 at the back of the wafer.
- 13. Connect the printheads to their interconnect systems. For a low profile connection with minimum disruption of airflow, TAB may be used. Wire bonding may also be used if the printer is to be operated with sufficient clearance to the paper.
- 14. Fill the completed print heads with ink 70 and test them. A filled nozzle is shown in
FIG. 23 .
- 1. Using a double-sided polished wafer 60, complete a 0.5 micron, one poly, 2 metal CMOS process 61. This step is shown in
The presently disclosed ink jet printing technology is potentially suited to a wide range of printing systems including: color and monochrome office printers, short run digital printers, high speed digital printers, offset press supplemental printers, low cost scanning printers high speed pagewidth printers, notebook computers with inbuilt pagewidth printers, portable color and monochrome printers, color and monochrome copiers, color and monochrome facsimile machines, combined printer, facsimile and copying machines, label printers, large format plotters, photograph copiers, printers for digital photographic “minilabs”, video printers, PHOTO CD (PHOTO CD is a registered trade mark of the Eastman Kodak Company) printers, portable printers for PDAs, wallpaper printers, indoor sign printers, billboard printers, fabric printers, camera printers and fault tolerant commercial printer arrays.
It would be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the present invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive.
Claims
1. A micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangement for an inkjet printhead, said arrangement comprising:
- a substrate defining an inverted pyramidal ink chamber with a vertex thereof terminating at an ink supply channel defined by the substrate, said substrate having a layer of CMOS drive circuitry;
- a roof structure connected to the drive circuitry layer and covering the ink chamber, the roof structure defining a fluid ejection nozzle rim above said chamber;
- a plurality of actuators fast with and displaceable with respect to the roof structure, the actuators radially spaced about the nozzle rim between the guide rails, each actuator having a serpentine heater element configured to expand thermally upon receiving current from the drive circuitry thereby moving said actuators into the chamber and increasing a fluid pressure inside the chamber to eject a drop of ink via the ejection nozzle, wherein each actuator is cantilevered to a heater element in a bendable manner; and
- a central arm which having metal and PTFE portions to provide structural support for the actuators.
2. The nozzle arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a series of struts interspersed between the actuators to support the nozzle rim.
3. The nozzle arrangement of claim 1, wherein the serpentine heater element is made from gold.
4. The nozzle arrangement of claim 1, wherein the roof structure includes ink flow guide rails to minimize wicking along the nozzle rim according to surface tension effects of ink in the chamber.
5. The nozzle arrangement of claim 1, wherein the actuators include a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) layer.
6. The nozzle arrangement of claim 1, wherein the ink supply channel is created by means of a deep silicon back etch of the substrate utilizing a plasma etcher.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 13, 2010
Publication Date: Nov 4, 2010
Applicant:
Inventors: Kia Silverbrook (Balmain), Gregory John McAvoy (Balmain)
Application Number: 12/834,898