CN114516229B - Ink jet head and ink jet printer - Google Patents
Ink jet head and ink jet printer Download PDFInfo
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- CN114516229B CN114516229B CN202110962237.8A CN202110962237A CN114516229B CN 114516229 B CN114516229 B CN 114516229B CN 202110962237 A CN202110962237 A CN 202110962237A CN 114516229 B CN114516229 B CN 114516229B
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- Prior art keywords
- nozzle plate
- primer layer
- primer
- layer
- recording medium
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
- B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
- B41J2/01—Ink jet
- B41J2/135—Nozzles
- B41J2/14—Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
- B41J2/1433—Structure of nozzle plates
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
- B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
- B41J2/01—Ink jet
- B41J2/21—Ink jet for multi-colour printing
- B41J2/2103—Features not dealing with the colouring process per se, e.g. construction of printers or heads, driving circuit adaptations
Landscapes
- Particle Formation And Scattering Control In Inkjet Printers (AREA)
- Ink Jet (AREA)
Abstract
The invention provides an inkjet head and an inkjet printer having excellent lyophobicity. The ink jet head of the embodiment is provided with a nozzle plate provided with a nozzle for ejecting ink to a recording medium. The nozzle plate includes: the ink jet recording apparatus includes a nozzle plate substrate, a primer layer covering a surface of the nozzle plate substrate facing the recording medium, and a lyophobic layer covering the primer layer and containing a fluorine compound. CF of the lyophobic layer determined by an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis method 2 The energy intensity of the radicals is 50% or more relative to the theoretical value.
Description
Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an inkjet head and an inkjet printer.
Background
In an inkjet head that ejects ink droplets from nozzles provided in a nozzle plate by pressurizing ink with, for example, a piezoelectric element, liquid repellency is imparted to the surface of the nozzle plate to prevent ink adhesion. In order to impart liquid repellency to the surface of the nozzle plate, a fluorine compound is formed on the surface of the nozzle plate substrate by a coating method or a vapor deposition method to form a liquid repellent film.
Prior art literature
Patent literature
Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2007-106024
Disclosure of Invention
The present invention aims to provide an inkjet head having excellent liquid repellency and an inkjet printer having the inkjet head.
The ink jet head of the embodiment is provided with a nozzle plate provided with a nozzle for ejecting ink to a recording medium. The nozzle plate includes: a nozzle plate substrate; a primer layer covering a surface of the nozzle plate substrate facing the recording medium; and a lyophobic layer covering the primer layer and including a fluorine compound. CF of the lyophobic layer determined by an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis method 2 The energy intensity of the radicals is 50% or more relative to the theoretical value.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an inkjet head of an embodiment.
Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an actuator substrate, a frame, and a nozzle plate constituting an ink jet head of an embodiment.
Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an inkjet printer of the embodiment.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a main part of the ink jet printer of the embodiment.
Fig. 5 is a sectional view schematically showing the structure of the nozzle plate of the embodiment.
Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a manufacturing process of the nozzle plate of the embodiment.
Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a manufacturing process of the nozzle plate of the embodiment.
Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a manufacturing process of the nozzle plate of the embodiment.
Fig. 9 is a graph showing XPS spectra obtained for primer layers formed in examples and comparative examples.
Symbol description
1 an inkjet head, 10 ink manifolds, 11 ink supply tubes, 12 ink return tubes, 20 actuator substrate, 21 ink supply ports, 22 ink discharge ports, 30 actuator, 31 wiring pattern, 40 frame, 50 nozzle plate, N nozzle, 51 nozzle plate substrate, 52 primer layer, 520 pinhole, 521 first primer layer, 522 second primer layer, 53 lyophobic layer, 60 flexible printed substrate, 61 driving circuit, 100 inkjet printer, 1011 paper cassette, 1012 paper cassette, 102 paper feed roller, 103 paper feed roller, 104 transport roller pair, 105 transport roller pair, 106 registration roller pair, 107 transport belt, 108 drive roller, 109 driven roller, 111 negative pressure chamber, 112, transport roller pair, 113 transport roller pair, 114 transport roller pair, 1151 inkjet head, 1152 inkjet head, 1153 inkjet head, 1154 inkjet head, 1161 ink cartridge, 1162 ink cartridge, 1163 ink cartridge, 1164 ink cartridge, 1171 tube 1172 tube 1173, 1174 tube 117118 paper discharge tray, 119 fan, P recording medium, 110 medium holding mechanism, 120 moving mechanism, 130 moving mechanism, doctor blade mechanism, 140.
Detailed Description
Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.
1. Ink jet head and ink jet printer
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an on-demand type inkjet head 1 used as a head carriage mounted on an inkjet printer according to an embodiment. In the following description, rectangular coordinate systems composed of an X axis, a Y axis, and a Z axis are used. For convenience, the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure is taken as the positive direction. The X-axis direction corresponds to the printing width direction. The Y-axis direction corresponds to a direction in which the recording medium is conveyed. The positive Z-axis direction is a direction facing the recording medium.
Referring to fig. 1, an inkjet head 1 is schematically illustrated as including an ink manifold 10, an actuator substrate 20, a frame 40, and a nozzle plate 50.
The actuator substrate 20 has a rectangular shape with the X-axis direction as the long side direction. As a material of the actuator substrate 20, for example, there may be mentioned: alumina (Al) 2 O 3 ) Silicon nitride (Si) 3 N 4 ) Silicon carbide (SiC), aluminum nitride (AlN), and lead zirconate titanate (PZT: pb (Zr, ti) O 3 ) Etc.
The actuator substrate 20 is superimposed on the ink manifold 10 in such a manner as to block the open end of the ink manifold 10. The ink manifold 10 is connected to the ink cartridge via an ink supply tube 11 and an ink return tube 12.
The actuator base plate 20 has a frame 40 mounted thereon. A nozzle plate 50 is mounted on the frame 40. The nozzle plate 50 is provided with a plurality of nozzles N at predetermined intervals along the X-axis direction so as to form two rows along the Y-axis.
Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the actuator substrate 20, the frame 40, and the nozzle plate 50 constituting the inkjet head 1 according to the embodiment. The inkjet head 1 is of a so-called shear mode shared wall side-emission type.
The actuator substrate 20 is provided with a plurality of ink supply ports 21 at intervals along the X-axis direction so as to form a row at the center in the Y-axis direction. Further, on the actuator substrate 20, a plurality of ink discharge ports 22 are provided at intervals along the X-axis direction so as to form rows in the Y-axis positive direction and the Y-axis negative direction with respect to the rows of the ink supply ports 21, respectively.
A plurality of actuators 30 are provided between the column of the ink supply ports 21 and the column of the ink discharge ports 22 in the center. These actuators 30 form a column extending in the X-axis direction. Further, a plurality of actuators 30 are provided between the column of the ink supply ports 21 in the center and the other column of the ink discharge ports 22. These actuators 30 also form a column extending in the X-axis direction.
The array of the plurality of actuators 30 is composed of a first piezoelectric body and a second piezoelectric body stacked on the actuator substrate 20The piezoelectric body is formed. Examples of the material of the first and second piezoelectric bodies include: lead zirconate titanate (PZT), lithium niobate (LiNbO) 3 ) Lithium tantalate (LiTaO) 3 ) Etc. The first and second piezoelectric bodies are polarized opposite to each other in the thickness direction.
A plurality of grooves are provided in a laminate of first and second piezoelectric bodies, the grooves extending in the Y-axis direction and being aligned in the X-axis direction. The grooves are open on the second piezoelectric body side and have a depth greater than the thickness of the second piezoelectric body. Hereinafter, the portion of the laminate sandwiched between adjacent grooves is referred to as a channel wall. The channel walls extend in the Y-axis direction and are aligned in the X-axis direction. It is noted that the groove between two adjacent channel walls is an ink channel through which ink flows.
The side walls and bottom of the ink channel are formed with electrodes. These electrodes are connected to wiring patterns 31 extending in the Y-axis direction.
A protective film, not shown in the figure, is formed on the surface of the actuator substrate 20 including the electrode and wiring pattern 31, except for a connection portion with a flexible printed board, which will be described later. The protective film includes, for example, a plurality of inorganic insulating films and an organic insulating film.
The frame 40 has an opening. The opening is smaller than the actuator substrate 20 and larger than a region of the actuator substrate 20 where the ink supply port 21, the actuator 30, and the ink discharge port 22 are provided. The frame 40 is composed of, for example, ceramic. The frame 40 is bonded to the actuator substrate 20 by, for example, an adhesive.
The nozzle plate 50 includes a nozzle plate substrate, a primer layer provided on a medium facing surface (a discharge surface from which ink is discharged from the nozzles N), and a lyophobic layer provided on the primer layer. The nozzle plate substrate is made of a resin film such as a polyimide film. The primer layer and the lyophobic layer will be described in detail later.
The nozzle plate 50 is larger than the opening of the frame 40. The nozzle plate 50 is bonded to the frame 40 by, for example, an adhesive.
The nozzle plate 50 is provided with a plurality of nozzles N. These nozzles N are formed in two rows corresponding to the ink channels. The diameter of the nozzle N gradually increases from the recording medium facing direction toward the ink passage. The size of the nozzle N is set to a predetermined value according to the discharge amount of the ink. The nozzle N can be formed by applying laser processing using, for example, an excimer laser.
As shown in fig. 1, the actuator base plate 20, the frame 40, and the nozzle plate 50 are integrally formed, and form a hollow structure. The area enclosed by the actuator base plate 20, the frame 40 and the nozzle plate 50 is an ink circulation chamber. Ink is supplied from the ink manifold 10 to the ink circulation chamber through the ink supply port 21 and passes through the ink channels, and the remaining ink is returned from the ink discharge port 22 to the ink manifold 10, thus being circulated. A portion of the ink is ejected from the nozzles N for printing during flow through the ink channel.
A flexible printed board 60 is connected to the wiring pattern 31 at a position outside the chassis 40 on the actuator substrate 20. The flexible printed board 60 is mounted with a driving circuit 61 for driving the actuator 30.
The operation of the actuator 30 will be described below. Here, the operation of the ink channel located in the center among the adjacent three ink channels will be described with emphasis. Electrodes corresponding to the adjacent three ink channels were set to A, B and C. In the case where the electric field is not applied in the direction orthogonal to the channel wall, the channel wall is in an upright state.
For example, a voltage pulse having a higher potential than that of the electrodes a and C adjacent to each other is applied to the electrode B at the center to generate an electric field in a direction orthogonal to the channel wall. In this way, the channel walls are driven in the shear mode, deforming a pair of channel walls sandwiching the central ink channel to expand the volume of the central ink channel.
Next, a voltage pulse having a higher potential than that of the electrode B in the center is applied to the electrodes a and C adjacent to the left and right to generate an electric field in a direction orthogonal to the channel wall. In this way, the channel walls are driven in the shear mode, deforming a pair of channel walls sandwiching the central ink channel to reduce the volume of the central ink channel. By this operation, pressure is applied to the ink in the central ink channel, and the ink is ejected from the nozzle N corresponding to the ink channel and is dropped onto the recording medium.
For example, all the nozzles are divided into three groups, and the driving operation described above is time-division controlled to perform three cycles, thereby printing on the recording medium.
A schematic diagram of an inkjet printer 100 is shown in fig. 3. The ink jet printer 100 shown in fig. 3 includes a housing provided with a paper discharge tray 118. The housings are provided with paper cassettes 1011 and 1012, paper feed rollers 102 and 103, conveying roller pairs 104 and 105, registration roller pair 106, conveying belt 107, fan 119, negative pressure chamber 111, conveying roller pairs 112, 113 and 114, inkjet heads 1151, 1152, 1153 and 1154, ink cartridges 1161, 1162, 1163 and 1164, and pipe members 1171, 1172, 1173 and 1174.
The cassettes 1011 and 1012 house recording media P of different sizes. The paper feed roller 102 or 103 takes out the recording medium P corresponding to the size of the selected recording medium from the paper cassette 1011 or 1012, and conveys it to the conveying roller pairs 104 and 105 and the registration roller pair 106.
Tension is provided to the conveying belt 107 by a driving roller 108 and two driven rollers 109. The surface of the conveyor belt 107 is provided with small holes at predetermined intervals. The inside of the conveying belt 107 is provided with a negative pressure chamber 111 connected to a fan 119 for adsorbing the recording medium P to the conveying belt 107. A pair of conveying rollers 112, 113, and 114 is provided downstream in the conveying direction of the conveying belt 107. Note that a heater that heats the print layer formed on the recording medium P can be provided on the conveyance path from the conveyance belt 107 to the discharge tray 118.
Four inkjet heads that eject ink to the recording medium P based on image data are arranged above the conveying belt 107. Specifically, an inkjet head 1151 that ejects cyan (C) ink, an inkjet head 1152 that ejects magenta (M) ink, an inkjet head 1153 that ejects yellow (Y) ink, and an inkjet head 1154 that ejects black (Bk) ink are arranged in this order from the upstream side. The inkjet heads 1151, 1152, 1153, and 1154 are the inkjet head 1 described with reference to fig. 1 and 2, respectively.
Above the inkjet heads 1151, 1152, 1153, and 1154 are provided cyan (C) tanks 1161, magenta (M) tanks 1162, yellow (Y) tanks 1163, and black (Bk) tanks 1164, respectively, which house inks corresponding thereto. These cartridges 1161, 1162, 1163, and 1164 are connected to inkjet heads 1151, 1152, 1153, and 1154 through tubes 1171, 1172, 1173, and 1174, respectively.
Next, an image forming operation of the inkjet printer 100 will be described.
First, an image processing unit (not shown) starts image processing for recording, generates an image signal corresponding to image data, and generates control signals for controlling operations of various rollers, the negative pressure chamber 111, and the like.
The paper feed roller 102 or 103 takes out the recording medium P of the selected size one by one from the paper cassette 1011 or 1012 under the control of the image processing unit, and conveys it to the conveying roller pairs 104 and 105 and the registration roller pair 106. The registration roller pair 106 corrects the inclination of the recording medium P, and conveys the recording medium P at a predetermined timing.
The negative pressure chamber 111 draws air through the small holes of the conveyor belt 107. Accordingly, the recording medium P is sequentially conveyed to the positions below the inkjet heads 1151, 1152, 1153, and 1154 in a state of being adsorbed to the conveying belt 107 as the conveying belt 107 moves.
The inkjet heads 1151, 1152, 1153, and 1154 eject ink in synchronization with timing of conveying the recording medium P under the control of the image processing unit. Thereby, a color image is formed at a desired position of the recording medium P.
Then, the conveyance roller pairs 112, 113, and 114 discharge the recording medium P on which the image is formed to the discharge tray 118. In the case where a heater is provided on the conveyance path from the conveyance belt 107 to the paper output tray 118, the printing layer formed on the recording medium P can be heated by the heater. When the recording medium P is heated by the heater, adhesion of the printing layer to the recording medium P can be improved, particularly when the recording medium P is impermeable.
Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of a main portion of the inkjet printer 100. Fig. 4 shows the inkjet head 1, the medium holding mechanism 110, the head moving mechanism 120, the blade moving mechanism 130, and the wiping blade 140 described above.
The medium holding mechanism 110 holds the recording medium P, for example, recording paper, so as to face the inkjet head 1. The medium holding mechanism 110 also has a function as a recording paper moving mechanism that moves the recording medium. The medium holding mechanism 110 includes the conveying belt 107, the driving roller 108, the driven roller 109, the negative pressure chamber 111, and the fan 119 of fig. 3. At the time of printing, the medium holding mechanism 110 moves the recording medium P in a direction parallel to the printing surface of the recording medium P in a state of being opposed to the inkjet head 1. During this time, the inkjet head 1 ejects ink droplets from the nozzles to perform printing on the recording medium P.
At the time of printing, the head moving mechanism 120 moves the inkjet head 1 to the printing position. In addition, at the time of cleaning, the head moving mechanism 120 moves the inkjet head 1 to the cleaning position.
The wiping blade 140 wipes a recording medium facing surface, which is a surface of the nozzle plate of the inkjet head 1 facing the recording medium, to remove the attached matter from the recording medium facing surface. The attached matter is, for example, ink, dust, or the like.
The blade moving mechanism 130 moves the wiping blade 140. Specifically, after the head moving mechanism 120 moves the inkjet head 1 to the cleaning position, the blade moving mechanism 130 moves the wiping blade 140 on the recording medium facing surface of the nozzle plate 50 while pressing it against the recording medium facing surface. This removes the ink or other adhering matter adhering to the recording medium facing surface of the nozzle plate 50.
Note that the wiper blade 140 and the blade moving mechanism 130 may be omitted.
2. Nozzle plate
In the inkjet head 1 described above, liquid repellency is imparted to the medium facing surface of the nozzle plate 50. In order to impart liquid repellency, a primer layer and a liquid repellent layer are provided on the medium facing surface of the nozzle plate substrate. This is explained with reference to fig. 5.
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of the nozzle plate 50 of fig. 1 and 2. As described above, the nozzle plate 50 includes the nozzle plate substrate 51, the primer layer 52, and the lyophobic layer 53.
The primer layer 52 is provided on the surface of the nozzle plate substrate 51 facing the recording medium P. The primer layer 52 is preferably composed of a monomolecular film of primer. The primer layer 52 is more preferably composed of a monomolecular film of a primer agent containing silicon atoms and carbon atoms.
The primer agent includes, for example, first and second reactive functional groups, a carbon skeleton, and an alkoxysilyl group.
The first reactive functional group bonds the primer agent to the nozzle plate substrate 51 by reacting with functional groups present on the surface of the nozzle plate substrate 51. The first reactive functional group is an unsaturated hydrocarbon group such as a hydroxyl group, an epoxy group, an amino group, a methacrylic group, a vinyl group, or a mercapto group. The functional group present on the surface of the nozzle plate substrate 51 is, for example, a hydroxyl group, an ester bond, an amino group, or a thiol group.
The second reactive functional group combines the fluorine compound with the primer agent by reacting with the fluorine compound for forming the lyophobic layer 53. The fluorine compound will be described later. The second reactive functional group is an alkoxy group such as a hydroxyl group or a methoxy group or an ethoxy group.
The carbon skeleton links the first reactive functional group to the second reactive functional group. The carbon skeleton contains 1 or more carbon atoms. The number of carbon atoms of the carbon skeleton is preferably in the range of 4 to 30, more preferably in the range of 4 to 22. The carbon skeleton preferably further contains 1 or more fluorine atoms. If the carbon skeleton has fluorine atoms, the liquid repellency is excellent.
The alkoxysilyl groups are linked to the carbon skeleton. If the alkoxysilyl group is hydrolyzed, a silanol group is produced. The intermolecular bond of the primer agent can be generated by dehydration condensation of silanol groups between molecules of adjacent primer agents on the nozzle plate substrate 51. Thus, the molecules of the primer are preferably bonded to each other. According to one example, molecules of the adjacent primer agent are bonded to each other through siloxane bonds (si—o—si) on the nozzle plate substrate 51. Thus, the primer agent is bonded to the medium facing surface of the nozzle plate substrate 51 substantially in parallel.
It is to be noted that among silanol groups produced by hydrolysis, silanol groups which are not used for intermolecular bonds of the primer can be used for bonding of the primer to the fluorine compound.
As the primer, for example, a compound represented by the following general formula (1) can be used.
In the general formula (1), n is a natural number of 1 to 10. In the general formula (1), R1 and R2 are the above-described first and second reactive functional groups, respectively. The compound represented by the general formula (1) contains first and second reactive functional groups, a carbon skeleton, and an alkoxysilyl group.
Although the alkoxysilyl group in the general formula (1) is a trimethoxysilyl group, the alkoxysilyl group may be a functional group such as a triethoxysilyl group. In addition, although CF is contained in the carbon skeleton in the general formula (1) 2 The number of radicals is 2, but CF 2 The number of the groups may be 1 or 3 or more. The number of carbon atoms contained in the repeating unit in the carbon skeleton is 2, but the number of carbon atoms may be 1 or 3 or more.
The primer layer has a thickness of, for example, 0.7nm to 1 nm.
A lyophobic layer 53 is disposed on the primer layer 52. The lyophobic layer 53 contains a fluorine compound. The lyophobic layer 53 is preferably composed of a monomolecular film of a linear fluorine compound. The linear fluorine compound is a linear molecule having a perfluoroalkyl group as one end group on the surface side and the other end group is bonded to the primer layer 52.
The lyophobic layer 53 can be formed using, for example, a linear fluorine compound having one end group of a perfluoroalkyl group and the other end group of a third reactive functional group.
The perfluoroalkyl group is linear. Perfluoroalkyl (CF) 3 (CF 2 ) n- ) The number of carbon atoms of (C1) can be selected in the range of 4 or less (C4). The perfluoroalkyl group is preferably erected in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the nozzle plate substrate 51. If the number of carbon atoms of the perfluoroalkyl group is increased, the perfluoroalkyl group tends to stand upright, but there is a possibility that the perfluoroalkyl group may have adverse effects on the human body such as carcinogenicity.
The third reactive functional group combines the linear fluorine compound with the primer agent by reacting with the second reactive functional group. The third reactive functional group is an alkoxy group such as a hydroxyl group, or methoxy and ethoxy groups.
It should be noted that the third reactive functional group may be used to bond the linear fluorine compound to the primer agent by reacting with a silanol group which is not used for intermolecular bonds among silanol groups generated by hydrolysis of the alkoxysilyl group.
The linear fluorine compound has, for example, a spacer linking group linking the perfluoroalkyl group and the third reactive functional group. If the spacer linking group is present, it is advantageous to obtain a structure in which the perfluoroalkyl group stands upright in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the nozzle plate substrate 51. The spacer linking group is, for example, a perfluoropolyether group.
As the linear fluorine compound, for example, a compound represented by the following general formula (2) can be used.
In the general formula (2), p is a natural number of 1 to 50, and R3 is a third reactive functional group.
The lyophobic layer 53 has a thickness of, for example, 9nm to 10 nm.
As described below, in this embodiment, a step of filling pinholes generated in the primer layer with the primer agent is performed before the step of forming the lyophobic layer. As the lyophobic layer thus obtained, CF was measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) 2 The energy intensity of the radicals is 50% or more relative to the theoretical value. Here, "theoretical value" refers to CF obtained by XPS measurement of a lyophobic layer without pinholes 2 Energy intensity of the radicals. The "liquid repellent layer free of pinholes" can be produced by filling pinholes, which are usually generated when a primer layer is formed by applying a primer solution, with a primer solution of the same composition to form a primer layer free of pinholes, and disposing a liquid repellent layer on the primer layer. In the present specification, "CF 2 Energy intensity of radical "means CF 2 Peak area of the base.
When the step of filling the pinholes is omitted to form the lyophobic layer, the lyophobic layer cannot be formed at the portion where the primer layer does not exist (i.e., the pinholes). In this case, the lyophobic layer was measured by CF by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy 2 The energy intensity of the radicals is 40% or less of the theoretical value. In this wayIn contrast, if the lyophobic layer is provided after filling the pinholes, the lyophobic layer can be formed on the entire surface of the primer layer without pinholes. In this case, the energy intensity of the lyophobic layer measured by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy method may be 50% or more, preferably 85% or more, and most preferably 100% of the theoretical value.
CF of lyophobic layer determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) 2 The closer the energy intensity of the radicals is to 100% of theory, the more closely to 0 the number of pinholes present on the lyophobic layer. Since the lyophobic layer cannot exhibit lyophobicity at the pinhole portion, the lyophobic layer can exhibit excellent lyophobic performance as the number of pinholes present in the lyophobic layer is smaller.
It is to be noted that the fluorine compound constituting the lyophobic layer can be reacted over the entire surface of the primer layer. That is, if there are no pinholes on the primer layer, a lyophobic layer substantially free of pinholes is obtained. On the other hand, if pinholes are present in the primer layer, pinholes are also formed in the lyophobic layer at the positions of the pinholes. That is, the total area of the pinhole openings on the lyophobic layer is equal to the total area of the pinhole openings on the primer layer.
3. Method for manufacturing nozzle plate
The nozzle plate 50 shown in fig. 5 can be manufactured as follows, for example. That is, the method of manufacturing the nozzle plate 50 may include the steps of:
supplying a first primer agent to one surface of a nozzle plate substrate to form a first primer layer having openings (i.e., pinholes);
introducing a protecting group into the first primer layer;
supplying a second primer agent onto the first primer layer having the protective group introduced thereinto, and forming a second primer layer covering the surface at the position of the opening;
removing the protecting groups from the first primer layer after forming the second primer layer; a kind of electronic device with high-pressure air-conditioning system
After removing the protective groups, a lyophobic layer including a fluorine compound is formed on the first primer layer and the second primer layer.
The respective steps will be described below with reference to fig. 6 to 8. Fig. 6 to 8 are cross-sectional views schematically showing a manufacturing process of the nozzle plate. Fig. 6 shows a state in which the first primer layer 521 is formed on the nozzle plate substrate 51. Fig. 7 shows a state in which the first primer layer 521 and the second primer layer 522 are formed on the nozzle plate substrate 51. Fig. 8 shows a state in which the lyophobic layer 53 is formed on the primer layer composed of the first primer layer 521 and the second primer layer 522.
In the following description, the "nozzle plate substrate 51" is made of polyimide as an example. In the following description, as an example, the "first primer agent" and the "second primer agent" include a first reactive functional group that reacts with a functional group on the surface of the nozzle plate substrate 51, a second reactive functional group that reacts with a fluorine compound contained in the lyophobic layer 53, a carbon skeleton, and an alkoxysilyl group. In the following description, as an example, the "fluoro compound" is a linear molecule containing a perfluoroalkyl group as one end group and a third reactive functional group that reacts with the first primer agent and the second primer agent as the other end group.
(preparation of nozzle plate substrate)
First, a nozzle plate substrate 51 made of polyimide is prepared. The surface of the nozzle plate substrate 51 facing the recording medium P may have almost no functional group (for example, hydroxyl group) required for bonding to the primer. In such a case, the nozzle plate substrate 51 is preferably subjected to the following pretreatment before the primer layer 52 is formed.
For example, ion plasma treatment is performed on the surface of the nozzle plate substrate 51 in an argon-oxygen mixed gas to perform surface modification. The ion plasma treatment is performed, for example, as follows. That is, the nozzle plate substrate 51 is placed in a vacuum chamber, and air in the chamber is evacuated. Then, the atmosphere surrounding the nozzle plate substrate 51 is replaced with an argon-oxygen mixed gas, and then plasma is generated.
By performing ion plasma treatment in an atmosphere containing oxygen, a ring-opening reaction is generated by polyimide on the surface of the nozzle plate substrate 51, and the surface thereof is modified with hydroxyl groups. Further, by performing ion plasma treatment in an atmosphere containing argon, the trash adhering to the nozzle plate substrate 51 is removed.
The ion plasma treatment is preferably performed in an argon-oxygen mixed gas having an oxygen concentration of 50% by volume or less, more preferably in an argon-oxygen mixed gas having an oxygen concentration in the range of 20 to 50% by volume. Note that, in the case where the oxygen concentration is excessively large, the surface of the nozzle plate substrate 51 may be damaged, resulting in surface roughness. In the case where roughness is generated on the surface of the nozzle plate substrate 51, insufficient bonding with the primer agent may be caused.
The ion plasma treatment is preferably performed for 100 seconds or more, more preferably 200 seconds or more. If the plasma irradiation time is too short, the surface modification of the nozzle plate substrate 51 may not be sufficiently performed.
(formation of first primer layer)
Next, a solution containing a first primer agent is applied to the surface of the nozzle plate substrate 51. As the solution containing the first primer agent, for example, a solution obtained by dissolving the first primer agent in an organic solvent can be used. As an example, the first primer agent may be used as the "primer agent" described above, which includes a first reactive functional group that reacts with a functional group on the surface of the nozzle plate substrate 51, a second reactive functional group that reacts with a fluorine compound contained in the lyophobic layer 53, a carbon skeleton, and an alkoxysilyl group. The solution may be applied by a usual method such as a spray method, a spin coating method, or a blade coating method.
Next, the laminate including the coating film containing the first primer agent and the nozzle plate substrate 51 is heated. Thus, the first primer agent is bonded to the polyimide via the first reactive functional group, and the coating film is dried. Heating is carried out, for example, at 200℃for 15 minutes.
Next, the alkoxysilyl group of the first primer is hydrolyzed. If the alkoxysilyl groups of the first primer hydrolyze, silanol groups are formed. Further, dehydration condensation of silanol groups occurs between molecules of the adjacent first primer agent on the nozzle plate substrate 51. Thereby, intermolecular bonds of the first primer agent are formed.
As a result, as shown in fig. 6, the first primer layer 521 is formed on the nozzle plate substrate 51. First primer layer 521 has pinholes 520.
(introduction of protecting group)
After first primer layer 521 is formed, a protective group is introduced into first primer layer 521. Specifically, a protecting group is introduced onto the second reactive functional group of the first primer. The protective group can be introduced by, for example, supplying an alcohol to the first primer layer 521, and replacing the second reactive functional group of the first primer agent with an alkoxy group as a protective group. Examples of the alcohol include: methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, and the like. By introducing the protective group, the second primer agent used in the subsequent step can be prevented from binding to the first primer agent.
(formation of the second primer layer)
The second primer is supplied onto the first primer layer 521 to which the protective group is introduced, and a second primer layer 522 (see fig. 7) covering the surface of the nozzle plate substrate 51 is formed at the positions of the pinholes 520.
As an example, the second primer agent may be used as the "primer agent" described above, which includes a first reactive functional group that reacts with a functional group on the surface of the nozzle plate substrate 51, a second reactive functional group that reacts with a fluorine compound contained in the lyophobic layer 53, a carbon skeleton, and an alkoxysilyl group.
The second primer agent may be the same compound as the first primer agent, or a different compound from the first primer agent may be used. However, when a compound different from the first primer agent is used as the second primer agent, a structural difference (for example, a thickness difference) may occur between the first primer layer 521 and the second primer layer 522, and thus there is a possibility that an adverse effect may be exerted on the formation of the lyophobic layer 53. Therefore, the second primer agent is preferably the same compound as the first primer agent.
The formation of second primer layer 522 can be performed by the same process as when first primer layer 521 is formed. That is, a solution containing the second primer is applied by the same treatment as in the case of forming the first primer layer 521, and then the solution is dried by heating, and then silanol groups are formed and dehydrated and condensed.
The second primer agent cannot react with the first primer layer 521 to which the protective group is introduced, and can react only with the surface of the nozzle plate substrate 51 exposed at the position of the pinhole 520. As a result, as shown in fig. 7, the second primer layer 522 is not formed on the first primer layer 521, and the second primer layer 522 is selectively formed on the surface of the nozzle plate substrate 51 where the pinholes 520 are exposed.
(removal of protecting groups)
After second primer layer 522 is formed, protective groups are removed from first primer layer 521. The protecting group can be removed by, for example, heat treatment, oxygen plasma treatment, or ultraviolet irradiation. Thus, the first primer agent can be bonded to the fluorine compound contained in the lyophobic layer 53 via the second reactive functional group.
In the case where the first primer agent and the second primer agent are the same compound, by removing the protecting group, the first primer layer 521 and the second primer layer 522 have the same composition, and cannot be distinguished from each other. In this case, first primer layer 521 and second primer layer 522 are integrally formed, and thus single primer layer 52 shown in fig. 5 can be formed.
(formation of lyophobic layer)
Next, a solution containing a fluorine compound is applied to the surfaces of first primer layer 521 and second primer layer 522 to form lyophobic layer 53 (see fig. 8).
As the solution containing a fluorine compound, for example, a solution in which a fluorine compound is dissolved in an organic solvent can be used. As an example, the fluorine compound is a linear molecule containing a perfluoroalkyl group as one end group and a third reactive functional group that reacts with the first primer agent and the second primer agent as the other end group, and the "linear fluorine compound" described above can be used. In addition, the application of the solution containing the linear fluorine compound can be performed using the same method as in the case of applying the solution containing the first primer agent.
Next, the laminate including the coating film containing the linear fluorine compound, the first primer layer 521, the second primer layer 522, and the nozzle plate substrate 51 is heated. In this way, a reaction occurs between the linear fluorine compound and the first primer agent and between the linear fluorine compound and the second primer agent, and the linear fluorine compound is bonded to the surfaces of the first primer layer 521 and the second primer layer 522 via the third reactive functional group. This can form a monolayer of a linear fluorine compound as the lyophobic layer 53. Heating is carried out, for example, at 200℃for 15 minutes.
As described above, as shown in fig. 8, the lyophobic layer 53 is formed on the primer layer composed of the first primer layer 521 and the second primer layer 522.
According to the above-described method, the second primer layer 522 is not formed on the first primer layer 521, and can be selectively formed only at a portion of the pinhole 520 (i.e., a portion where the first primer layer 521 is missing) (see fig. 7). Thus, a monomolecular film composed of the first primer agent and the second primer agent can be formed as the primer layer. As described above, the fluorine compound constituting the lyophobic layer may be reacted over the entire surface of the primer layer composed of the first primer layer 521 and the second primer layer 522. Thus, if there are no pinholes on the primer layer, a lyophobic layer 53 (see fig. 8) substantially free of pinholes can be formed.
4. Effects of
The nozzle plate of the present embodiment described above has a liquid repellent layer having a small number of pinholes, and therefore is excellent in liquid repellency. Therefore, the inkjet head having the nozzle plate is excellent in liquid repellency.
When the primer layer and the lyophobic layer are each composed of a monomolecular film, molecules of the primer agent can be densely and orderly arranged on the nozzle plate substrate, and molecules of the fluorine compound can be densely and orderly arranged thereon. This can realize more excellent lyophobicity. In addition, when the primer layer and the lyophobic layer are each composed of a monomolecular film, adhesion between the lyophobic layer and the nozzle plate substrate can be improved, and further excellent scratch resistance can be achieved. The scratch resistance means a property that liquid repellency is not easily deteriorated by scraping with the wiping blade 140 or the like.
Examples
Hereinafter, examples and comparative examples will be described.
Example (example)
In this example, a nozzle plate having a primer layer and a lyophobic layer was fabricated. The primer layer and the lyophobic layer are formed by the following method.
As a nozzle plate substrate, a polyimide film was prepared. The nozzle plate substrate is subjected to plasma treatment in a reduced pressure atmosphere containing an argon-oxygen mixed gas. Thus, a ring-opening reaction is generated by polyimide on the substrate surface, and hydroxyl groups are added to the surface.
The surface of the nozzle plate substrate was coated with a primer solution by a knife coating method. As the primer, a substance represented by the above general formula (1) wherein R1 is a hydroxyl group, R2 is a hydroxyl group, and n is 10 is used.
The film was heated at 200℃for 15 minutes. Thus, the primer agent is bonded to the polyimide, and the coating film is dried. The alkoxysilyl groups of the primer are then hydrolyzed, resulting in dehydration condensation of silanol groups between adjacent primer molecules. Thereby, a monomolecular film composed of the primer agent was formed as the first primer layer.
The first primer layer has pinholes. Thus, isopropyl alcohol is supplied to the first primer layer, and the reactive functional group of the primer agent is substituted with an isopropoxy group as a protecting group. Next, a solution of the primer described above was coated on the first primer layer by a blade coating method, and the same treatment as described above was performed. The surface of the first primer layer has a protective group, and therefore, the primer agent does not react with the first primer layer but reacts with the substrate surface exposed at the position of the pinhole. In this way, a monolayer composed of a primer agent was formed as the second primer layer at the pinhole site.
Next, plasma treatment is applied to the first and second primer layers in a reduced pressure atmosphere containing an argon-oxygen mixed gas. Thereby, the protecting group is removed from the first primer layer and hydroxyl groups are introduced on these surfaces. Thereby, a primer layer composed of the first and second primer layers is formed. Pinholes were not present on the primer layer thus obtained.
Then, a solution of a fluorine compound was coated on the first and second primer layers by a knife coating method. As the fluorine compound, a compound represented by the above general formula (2) wherein R3 is a hydroxyl group and p is 1 is used.
The film was heated at 200℃for 15 minutes. In this way, one end group of the fluorine compound is reacted with the reactive functional groups of the first and second primer layers. Thereby, a monolayer composed of a fluorine compound was formed as the lyophobic layer. No pinholes were present on the lyophobic layer.
Comparative example
The nozzle plate was manufactured by the same method as the above-described embodiment, except that the second primer layer was not formed. Pinholes are present on the primer layer and the lyophobic layer of the nozzle plate.
(XPS analysis)
XPS spectra were measured for the primer layers formed in the examples and the primer layers formed in the comparative examples. The results are shown in fig. 9.
CF on primer layer of examples 2 The energy intensity of the radicals is the same as the theoretical value. CF on primer layer of comparative example 2 The energy intensity of the radicals is 38% of the theoretical value.
In the case of measuring XPS spectrum for the lyophobic layer formed in the example and the lyophobic layer formed in the comparative example, it was regarded as CF 2 The same results were obtained with the relationship of the energy intensity of the radicals.
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications may be made in the implementation stage without departing from the gist thereof. In addition, the embodiments may be appropriately combined and implemented, and in this case, the combined effect is obtained. The above-described embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by a combination selected from a plurality of disclosed components. For example, if some components are deleted from all components shown in the embodiment, the problem can be solved and the effect can be obtained, the configuration with the deleted components can be extracted as an invention.
Claims (5)
1. An inkjet head is provided with a nozzle plate provided with nozzles for ejecting ink onto a recording medium,
the nozzle plate includes:
a nozzle plate substrate;
a primer layer covering a surface of the nozzle plate substrate facing the recording medium; a kind of electronic device with high-pressure air-conditioning system
A lyophobic layer covering the primer layer and containing a fluorine compound,
CF of the lyophobic layer determined by an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis method 2 The energy intensity of the radicals is more than 50% relative to the theoretical value,
the nozzle plate is manufactured by a manufacturing method of the nozzle plate, which comprises the following steps:
supplying a first primer agent to one surface of the nozzle plate substrate to form a first primer layer having an opening;
introducing a protecting group into the first primer layer;
supplying a second primer agent onto the first primer layer having the protective group introduced thereinto, and forming a second primer layer covering the surface at the position of the opening;
removing the protecting groups from the first primer layer after forming the second primer layer; a kind of electronic device with high-pressure air-conditioning system
After removing the protective groups, a lyophobic layer including a fluorine compound is formed on the first primer layer and the second primer layer.
2. The inkjet printhead of claim 1, wherein,
the primer layer is a monomolecular film of a primer agent containing silicon atoms and carbon atoms.
3. The inkjet head according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,
the lyophobic layer is a monomolecular film of a linear fluorine compound having a perfluoroalkyl group as one end group on the surface side, and the other end group is bonded to the primer layer.
4. An inkjet printer comprising:
the inkjet head according to any one of claims 1 to 3; a kind of electronic device with high-pressure air-conditioning system
And a medium holding mechanism for holding the recording medium opposite to the ink jet head.
5. The inkjet printer according to claim 4, further comprising:
and a wiping blade that wipes a surface of the nozzle plate facing the recording medium, and removes an attached matter from the surface of the nozzle plate facing the recording medium.
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| JP2020191520A JP2022080444A (en) | 2020-11-18 | 2020-11-18 | Inkjet head and inkjet printer |
| JP2020-191520 | 2020-11-18 |
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Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP2007106024A (en) * | 2005-10-14 | 2007-04-26 | Sharp Corp | Nozzle plate, inkjet head and inkjet device |
| JP2008062525A (en) * | 2006-09-07 | 2008-03-21 | Sharp Corp | Nozzle plate, inkjet head and manufacturing process for them |
| CN109501458A (en) * | 2017-09-14 | 2019-03-22 | 东芝泰格有限公司 | Ink gun and ink-jet printer |
| CN110869213A (en) * | 2017-07-10 | 2020-03-06 | 柯尼卡美能达株式会社 | Ink jet head, ink jet recording apparatus, and method of manufacturing ink jet head |
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| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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| JP4674619B2 (en) * | 2008-07-29 | 2011-04-20 | セイコーエプソン株式会社 | Nozzle plate, nozzle plate manufacturing method, droplet discharge head, and droplet discharge apparatus |
| JP5752816B2 (en) * | 2013-02-04 | 2015-07-22 | 富士フイルム株式会社 | Water repellent film manufacturing method, nozzle plate, ink jet head, and ink jet recording apparatus |
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Patent Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP2007106024A (en) * | 2005-10-14 | 2007-04-26 | Sharp Corp | Nozzle plate, inkjet head and inkjet device |
| JP2008062525A (en) * | 2006-09-07 | 2008-03-21 | Sharp Corp | Nozzle plate, inkjet head and manufacturing process for them |
| CN110869213A (en) * | 2017-07-10 | 2020-03-06 | 柯尼卡美能达株式会社 | Ink jet head, ink jet recording apparatus, and method of manufacturing ink jet head |
| CN109501458A (en) * | 2017-09-14 | 2019-03-22 | 东芝泰格有限公司 | Ink gun and ink-jet printer |
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