JPH0825636A - Manufacture of recording head - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To form securely electrodes and electrical wirings from the electrodes in a shear mode type recording head. CONSTITUTION:Resists 22 are formed on a piezoelectric base plates 2, and a plurality of ink passages 23 are formed, and conductive films 24 are formed on the surfaces of the piezoelectric base plates 21 and resists 22, and the resists 22 are exposed by scratching the conductive films 24, and the conductive films on the surfaces of the resists 22 are removed by the lift-up of the resists 22 to form patterns on the conductive films 24 and form electrodes 25.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a recording head of a shear mode type ink jet printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-2470.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 51-51, a plurality of ink channels separated by partition walls made of a piezoelectric material such as PZT, ink ejection openings provided corresponding to the respective ink channels, and the partition walls are formed. A recording head of a shear mode in which the partition walls are deformed by applying a desired driving voltage to the electrodes to eject ink from the ink ejection ports.

As shown in FIG. 6, the flow path substrate in such a recording head has a bonding pad 63 formed on the bottom surface of a shallow groove 62 having the same width as the ink flow path 61.

In recent years, there is a strong demand for higher speed and higher quality of printers. For this reason, as the number of ink ejection ports increases and the density increases, the electric wiring from the electrodes and the wiring connection with the driving circuit are connected. Was getting difficult. That is, as the width of the bonding pad 63 becomes narrower due to the high density of the ink ejection ports, the bonding becomes difficult, and as the bonding pitch A becomes narrower, the bumps protruding from the bonding pad 63 at the time of bonding are adjacent to each other. Occasionally, the bumps on the bonding pads came into contact with each other to cause a short circuit.

In order to solve such a problem, there has been a method of forming electrodes and bonding pads by photolithography. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the step between the bonding pad 71 and the surface of the substrate 72 can be eliminated, the width of the bonding pad 71 is formed wider than the width of the ink flow path 73, and they are arranged in a staggered pattern. The wiring connection could be facilitated.

In the process of manufacturing electrodes and bonding pads by this photolithography, first, ink flow paths are formed in a substrate by cutting, then a conductive film is formed on the upper surface of the substrate by a vacuum deposition method or the like, and this conductive film is used as a resist. And the resist is removed leaving only the portions where the electrodes and bonding pads are to be formed. Next, the conductive film is etched and patterned, and then the resist is removed to complete the electrodes and the bonding pads.

[0007]

However, in the above photolithographic method, the resist is coated on the uneven substrate on which the fine grooves to be the ink flow passages are formed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. It was difficult to uniformly apply the resist 82 to the surface of the substrate 81. For example, as shown in FIG. 8B, an extremely thin portion of the resist 82 is formed on the side surface of the ink flow path 83, or as shown in FIG. The bubbles enter and burst when the resist 82 is heat-treated, and the side surfaces of the ink flow path 83 are exposed. Therefore, it is difficult to pattern the resist into a desired shape. If the portions where the electrodes and the bonding pads are formed are not covered with the resist, the conductive film is removed during etching, and the electrodes and the bonding pads are not formed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a recording head in which the electrodes in a shear mode type recording head and electrical wiring from the electrodes can be easily and surely formed.

[0009]

According to the present invention, a plurality of ink flow paths separated by partition walls made of a piezoelectric material, ink ejection ports provided corresponding to the respective ink flow paths, and the partition walls are formed. In the method of manufacturing a recording head in which the partition wall is deformed by applying a desired driving voltage to the electrode to eject ink from the ink ejection port, a resist is formed on a piezoelectric substrate made of a piezoelectric material. A first step of forming a pattern, a second step of forming a plurality of grooves serving as ink flow paths on the piezoelectric substrate while leaving a resist between the grooves, a wall surface of the groove and the resist surface. A third step of forming a conductive film on the substrate, a fourth step of exposing at least a part of the resist, an electrode for removing the resist and deforming the pressure partition between the grooves, and this electrode By providing a fifth step of forming an electrical wiring al, it is to solve the above problems.

In the first step, a resist pattern is formed on a portion of the piezoelectric substrate where the pressure barrier is formed and a portion other than a portion where the electrical wiring is formed. The second step is to cut the piezoelectric substrate to form the groove, or the first step is to form a resist pattern on a portion other than a portion on the piezoelectric substrate where the electrical wiring is formed. Preferably, the groove is formed by cutting the resist formed in the first step and the piezoelectric substrate in the second step.

In the fourth step, it is preferable that a part of the resist is exposed by polishing or scratching the conductive film formed on the surface of the resist with a brush scrub or the like.

The fifth step is a step of removing the conductive film formed on the resist surface when removing the resist, and a step of shaping the conductive film formed on the piezoelectric substrate by brush scrubbing or the like. It is preferable that

[0013]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The recording head in this example is a shear mode type ink jet head. As shown in FIG. 1, the shear mode type inkjet head includes a flow path substrate 12 provided with a plurality of ink flow paths (not shown) and bonding pads 11 corresponding to the respective ink flow paths, and a flow path substrate 12. A drive circuit board 14 having a drive circuit 13 for applying a drive voltage to the bonding pad 11, a head cover board 16 having an ink supply pipe 15 for supplying ink to the ink flow paths, and an ink flow path for the ink flow paths. It is configured by combining with a nozzle plate 18 provided with a corresponding nozzle 17.

Drive circuit board 14 and head cover board 1
6. Since the manufacturing process of the nozzle plate 18 is the same as the conventional process, the description thereof will be omitted in this example, and only the manufacturing process of the flow path substrate 12 will be described.

FIG. 2 shows the manufacturing process of the ink flow path of the flow path substrate, and FIG. 3 shows the manufacturing process of the bonding pad of the flow path substrate.

First, a resist pattern is formed on a piezoelectric substrate made of a piezoelectric material such as PZT. As shown in FIG. 2A, this resist pattern forms the resist 22 on the surface of the piezoelectric substrate 21 other than the portion where the ink flow path is formed, and at the same time, as shown in FIG. A resist 22 is formed on a portion of the surface of the substrate 21 other than the portion where the bonding pad is formed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2B, an ink flow path 23 is formed between the resists 22 by cutting with a dicing saw or the like.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 2 (c) and 3 (b), a conductive film 24 is formed by a vacuum deposition method using a metal material such as Al, Ni and Cr. In this case, since conductive films are also formed on both side surfaces of the ink flow path 23, vapor deposition is performed once from an oblique direction, and then vapor deposition is performed from an oblique direction opposite to the first time.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 2 (d) and 3 (c), the conductive film 24 is scratched or the resist 22 is peeled off from the piezoelectric substrate 21 by polishing or brush scrubbing. 22 is exposed. This damage is to completely remove the resist 22 in a later step, and the vapor deposition from the oblique direction completely covers the resist, and in that state, the resist cannot be dissolved by the stripping solution. Is.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 2 (e) and 3 (d), the resist 22 is removed. At this time, the conductive film 24 formed on the surface of the resist 22 is also removed, and the conductive film 24 is patterned as an electrode and an electrical wiring.

However, since burrs may remain on the edges of the pattern, the surface of the piezoelectric substrate 21 is cleaned by brush scrubbing. As a result, the burrs are removed, and FIG.
The electrodes 25 to 25 for deforming the pressure partition wall between the ink flow paths 23 shown in (f) and the bonding pad 26 shown in FIG. 3E are completed.

The flow path substrate is completed as described above.

Next, another embodiment of the manufacturing process of the flow path substrate 12 will be described.

FIG. 4 shows the manufacturing process of the ink flow path of the flow path substrate, and FIG. 5 shows the manufacturing process of the bonding pad of the flow path substrate.

First, a resist pattern is formed on a piezoelectric substrate made of a piezoelectric material such as PZT. This resist pattern is, as shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 5 (a),
A resist 32 is formed on a portion of the surface of the piezoelectric substrate 31 other than the portion where the bonding pad is formed. Unlike the above embodiment, the portion forming the ink flow path is also covered with the resist.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, the piezoelectric substrate 31 is cut together with the resist 32 using a dicing saw or the like to form the ink flow path 33.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 4 (c) and 5 (b), Al, Ni, C are formed in the same manner as in the previous embodiment.
The conductive film 34 is formed by vacuum deposition using a metal material such as r.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 4 (d) and 5 (c), the conductive film 34 is scratched or the resist 32 is peeled off from the piezoelectric substrate 31 by polishing or brush scrubbing. Expose 32.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 4 (e) and 5 (d), the resist 32 is removed. As a result, the conductive film 34 is patterned as electrodes and electrical wiring, but burrs may remain on the edges of the pattern. Therefore, the surface of the piezoelectric substrate 31 is brush-scrub cleaned to remove the burrs. 4 (f) and 5
As shown in (e), the electrodes 35 to 35 for deforming the pressure partition wall between the ink flow paths 33 and the bonding pad 36 are completed.

The flow path substrate is completed as described above.

[0032]

According to the present invention, the conductive film is patterned by removing the conductive film on the resist surface by lift-off of the resist formed on the surface of the substrate before forming the conductive film to be electrodes and bonding pads. As described above, the electrodes are not etched and the electrodes and the bonding pads can be reliably formed.

In particular, by providing the step of exposing the resist by scratching a part of the conductive film before removing the resist, the resist can be surely removed.
The conductive film can be patterned more reliably.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a recording head according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a process chart showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a process chart showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a process chart showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a process chart showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a main part of a conventional recording head.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a main part of a recording head manufactured by the method of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 21 piezoelectric substrate 22 resist 23 ink flow path 24 conductive film 25 electrode 26 bonding pad

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of ink flow paths separated by partition walls made of a piezoelectric material, ink discharge ports provided corresponding to each ink flow path, and electrodes formed on the partition walls. In a method of manufacturing a recording head in which a partition wall is deformed by applying a desired driving voltage to an electrode to eject ink from the ink ejection port, a first step of forming a resist pattern on a piezoelectric substrate made of a piezoelectric material A second step of forming a plurality of grooves on the piezoelectric substrate to serve as ink flow paths, leaving a resist between the grooves; and a third step of forming a conductive film on the wall surface of the groove and the resist surface. And a fourth step of exposing at least a part of the resist, and removing the resist to form an electrode for deforming the pressure partition wall between the grooves and an electrical wiring from the electrode. The fifth method of manufacturing a recording head of the process, characterized by having that. 2. The method of manufacturing a recording head according to claim 1, wherein the first step is other than a portion on the piezoelectric substrate where the pressure partition wall is formed and a portion where the electrical wiring is formed. And a resist pattern is formed on the above-mentioned portion, and the second step is to cut the piezoelectric substrate to form the groove. 3. The method of manufacturing a recording head according to claim 1, wherein the first step is to form a resist pattern on a portion of the piezoelectric substrate other than a portion where the electrical wiring is formed. The method of manufacturing a recording head, wherein the second step is to cut the resist formed in the first step and the piezoelectric substrate to form the groove. 4. The method of manufacturing a recording head according to claim 1, wherein in the fourth step, the conductive film formed on the surface of the resist is scratched by polishing or brush scrubbing. A method of manufacturing a recording head, wherein a part of the resist is exposed by applying the resist. 5. The method of manufacturing a recording head according to claim 1, wherein the fifth step is a step of removing a conductive film formed on a resist surface when removing the resist. And a step of shaping the conductive film formed on the piezoelectric substrate by brush scrubbing or the like.