Process for manufacturing thermal ink jet printheads having metal substrates and printheads manufactured thereby
US5194877A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 24, 1991 |
| Grant date | Mar 16, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 24, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/49401
- WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A method of manufacturing a thermal ink jet printhead wherein a reusable mandrel consisting of either a metal pattern on an insulating or semiconductive substrate or an insulating pattern on a metal substrate or metal layer is used in the process of electroforming a plurality of metal substrates used for starting a batch fabrication process. Next, thin film layers of insulating, resistive, and conductive materials are formed on the surfaces of the metal substrates to thereby define heater resistors and lead-in conductors for the plurality of thermal ink jet printheads being formed. Then, a barrier layer such as Vacrel is photodefined on the surface of the thin film insulating, resistive, and conductive layers to thereby define a plurality of ink drop ejection chambers surrounding each of the previously formed heater resistors. Next, a plurality of orifice plates are secured, respectively, to the barrier layers in each of the printheads being formed. Finally, the plurality of metal substrates may be removed from the mandrel, such as by stripping away, without the requirement for substrate dicing, and an appropriate mask on the mandrel may be used to create an ink feed hole in each o…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.