Method Of Producing An Inkjet Printhead
A method of producing a pagewidth inkjet printhead. The method includes forming a substrate having defined therein a nozzle chamber operable to receive and store a fluid, the chamber fed at one side by an inlet passage; forming a nozzle plate in-situ on the substrate to define a nozzle opening on an opposite side of the nozzle chamber to the inlet passage; and forming a heater element between the nozzle opening and the inlet passage, the heater element having two planar opposite sides, the heater element arranged to be in direct contact with the fluid in the nozzle chamber at the two planar opposite sides. The step of forming the nozzle plate includes a first stage of forming a recess in the nozzle plate in a region outside of an area in which the nozzle opening will later be formed, and a second stage of etching within the area to form the nozzle opening.
1 . A method of producing a pagewidth inkjet printhead, the method comprising:
forming a substrate having defined therein a nozzle chamber operable to receive and store a fluid, the chamber fed at one side by an inlet passage;
forming a nozzle plate in-situ on the substrate to define a nozzle opening on an opposite side of the nozzle chamber to the inlet passage; and
forming a heater element between the nozzle opening and the inlet passage, the heater element having two planar opposite sides, the heater element arranged to be in direct contact with the fluid in the nozzle chamber at the two planar opposite sides, wherein
the step of forming the nozzle plate further includes a first stage of forming a recess in the nozzle plate in a region outside of an area in which the nozzle opening will later be formed, and a second stage of etching within the area to form the nozzle opening.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle plate is formed having a thickness of 2.5 microns or less, whereby fluid drag caused by the nozzle opening is minimized.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle plate is configured to support the fluid adjacent each nozzle opening.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle plate is formed by chemical vapor deposition.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the chemical vapor deposition is of silicon nitride.
6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the chemical vapor deposition is of silicon dioxide.
7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the chemical vapor deposition is of oxi-nitride.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the heater element is formed as a suspended beam cantilever suspended within the fluid of the nozzle chamber at one end by the nozzle chamber.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of nozzle chambers each corresponding to a respective nozzle opening, and a plurality of said heater elements are disposed within each nozzle chamber on different layers.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of covering the heater element with a conformal protective coating, the coating being applied substantially to all sides of the heater element simultaneously so as to be seamless.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle chamber and nozzle opening are formed such that one nozzle chamber corresponds with one nozzle opening.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the heater element is formed with one planar side facing the nozzle opening.