Formation of photopatterned ink jet nozzle plates by transfer methods

1. A process for forming an ink jet printhead which comprises:

(a) providing a lower substrate in which one surface thereof has an array of drop generating elements and addressing electrodes having terminal ends formed thereon;

(b) depositing onto the release surface of an intermediate film support by spin-coating, to form a coating having a peripheral bead, a photopatternable layer comprising a precursor polymer of a phenolic novolac resin capable of being soft baked to a dry semi-solid, adhesive condition;

(c) prebaking the photopatternable layer to said dry, semi-solid, adhesive condition;

(d) laminating the dry, semi-solid adhesive layer to said one surface of the lower substrate where the surface of the lower substrate has a surface area diameter less than that of the peripheral bead so as to laminate and transfer a planar portion of the spin-coated layer to the lower substrate under heat and pressure and separating it from the release surface of the intermediate film support;

(e) exposing the photopatternable layer to actinic radiation in an imagewise pattern corresponding to ink nozzles and developing to form a nozzle plate section, and (f) removing the precursor polymer from the unexposed areas, thereby forming ink nozzle recesses which are aligned to communicate with the drop generating elements and terminal ends of the electrodes of the lower substrate laminated thereto, step (e) being carried out either before or after step (d).

2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the precursor polymer of step b) is a phenolic novolac resin having glycidyl ether functional groups on the monomer repeat units thereof.

3. A process according to claim 1 wherein step (b) is carried out by coating onto the release surface of the intermediate support a composition comprising the precursor polymer and a solvent selected from γbutyrolactone, propylene glycol methyl ether acetate, tetrahydrofuran, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, or mixtures thereof.

4. A process according to claim 1 which comprises exposing the photopatternable layer in step (e) while it is still present on the release surface of the intermediate film, support.

5. A process according to claim 1 in which the film support is transparent and exposure is conducted through the film support.

6. A process according to claim 1 in which the formed ink nozzles are contoured to provide constricted nozzle dimensions.

7. A process according to claim 1 in which the lower substrate is a MEMS wafer having peripheral topography and the lamination step (d) spaces the photopatternable layer above the MEMS surface to produce an ink reservoir therebetween.

8. A process according to claim 1 in which the process steps are repeated in order to form multiple layers of photopatterned semisolid polymer that form fluidic passageways.

9. A process according to claim 8 in which the photopatterned semisolid polymer layers vary in thickness and fluidic passageway volume, such that large cavities are formed in thick layers, and small cavities are toned in thin layers.