Process for manufacturing a micro-fluid ejection device

1. A method of making a multi-fluid cartridge for holding multiple fluids in segregated containment localities, the cartridge body containing fluid supply paths in fluid flow communication with the containment localities, comprising the steps of:

attaching a nozzle plate to a device side of each of a plurality of defined ejection head substrates on a semiconductor wafer, each of the ejection head substrates having a fluid supply side and two or more fluid flow paths therein for supplying fluid from the supply side to the device side thereof, wherein the fluid flow paths in the ejection head substrate have a flow path density of greater than about 1.0 flow paths per millimeter;

dicing the wafer to provide a plurality of micro-fluid ejection device structures;

attaching a circuit device to the device side of each of the substrates; and

stencil printing an adhesive with a bond line density of at least about 1.2 mm −1 on the fluid supply side of the micro-fluid ejection device structures or on the cartridge body; and

adhesively bonding at least one of the micro-fluid ejection device structures and the attached circuit device to the cartridge body for flow of fluid from the containment localities to the device side thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying a photoresist layer to the wafer adjacent the fluid supply side of the substrates; and

photodefining fluid flow channels in the photoresist layer to provide fluid channels therein in fluid flow communication with the fluid flow paths in the substrates prior to attaching the nozzle plate to the substrates.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of attaching the photoresist layer to the wafer comprises spin coating the photoresist layer on the wafer.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of attaching a photoresist layer to the wafer comprises spray coating a photoresist layer on the wafer.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the photoresist layer comprises a photoresist layer web laminated to the wafer.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the photoresist layer comprises two or more photoresist layers laminated to the semiconductor wafer, each of the photoresist layers having photodefined fluid channels formed therein.

7. A method of making a multi-fluid cartridge for holding multiple fluids in segregated containment localities, the cartridge body containing fluid supply paths in fluid flow communication with the containment localities, comprising the steps of:

attaching a nozzle plate to a device side of each of a plurality of defined ejection head substrates on a semiconductor wafer, each of the ejection head substrates having a fluid supply side and two or more fluid flow paths therein for supplying fluid from the supply side to the device side thereof, wherein the fluid flow paths in the ejection head substrate have a flow path density of greater than about 1.0 flow paths per millimeter;

dicing the wafer to provide a plurality of micro-fluid ejection device structures;

attaching a circuit device to the device side of each of the substrates; and

screen printing an adhesive with a bond line density of at least about 1.2 mm −1 on the fluid supply side of the micro-fluid ejection device structures or on the cartridge body; and

adhesively bonding at least one of the micro-fluid ejection device structures and the attached circuit device to the cartridge body for flow of fluid from the containment localities to the device side thereof.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising applying a photoresist layer to the semiconductor wafer adjacent the fluid supply side of the substrates; and

photodefining fluid flow channels in the photoresist layer to provide fluid channels therein in fluid flow communication with the fluid flow paths in the substrates prior to attaching the nozzle plate to the substrates.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of attaching the photoresist layer to the wafer comprises spin coating a photoresist layer on the wafer.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of attaching the photoresist layer to the wafer comprises spray coating a photoresist layer on the wafer.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the photoresist layer comprises a photoresist layer web laminated to the wafer.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the photoresist layer comprises two or more photoresist layers laminated to the wafer, each of the layers having photodefined fluid channels formed therein.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the adhesive is screen printed on the fluid supply side of the substrates to provide a bond line width ranging from about ten to less than about five hundred microns.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the adhesive is screen printed on the fluid supply side of the substrates to provide a bond line height ranging of less than or equal to ten microns.

15. The method of claim 7 wherein the adhesive is screen printed on the fluid supply side of the substrates to provide a bond line width ranging from about ten to less than about five hundred microns.

16. The method of claim 7 wherein the adhesive is screen printed on the fluid supply side of the substrates to provide a bond line height ranging of less than or equal to ten microns.