EP0178596B2 - Silicon nozzle structures and method of manufacture - Google Patents

Silicon nozzle structures and method of manufacture Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0178596B2
EP0178596B2 EP85112882A EP85112882A EP0178596B2 EP 0178596 B2 EP0178596 B2 EP 0178596B2 EP 85112882 A EP85112882 A EP 85112882A EP 85112882 A EP85112882 A EP 85112882A EP 0178596 B2 EP0178596 B2 EP 0178596B2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
cross
sectional area
silicon
exit
aperture
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP85112882A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0178596A2 (en
EP0178596A3 (en
EP0178596B1 (en
Inventor
Herbert A. Waggener
Joseph C. Zuercher
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Ncr International Inc american Telephone And Tele
AT&T Corp
Original Assignee
AT&T Teletype Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
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Application filed by AT&T Teletype Corp filed Critical AT&T Teletype Corp
Publication of EP0178596A2 publication Critical patent/EP0178596A2/en
Publication of EP0178596A3 publication Critical patent/EP0178596A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0178596B1 publication Critical patent/EP0178596B1/en
Publication of EP0178596B2 publication Critical patent/EP0178596B2/en
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Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • 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
    • 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
    • B41J2/16—Production of nozzles
    • B41J2/1621—Manufacturing processes
    • B41J2/1626—Manufacturing processes etching
    • B41J2/1629—Manufacturing processes etching wet etching
    • 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
    • B41J2/16—Production of nozzles
    • B41J2/162—Manufacturing of the 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
    • B41J2/135—Nozzles
    • B41J2/16—Production of nozzles
    • B41J2/1621—Manufacturing processes
    • B41J2/1631—Manufacturing processes photolithography
    • 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
    • B41J2/16—Production of nozzles
    • B41J2/1621—Manufacturing processes
    • B41J2/1632—Manufacturing processes machining
    • 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
    • B41J2/16—Production of nozzles
    • B41J2/1621—Manufacturing processes
    • B41J2/164—Manufacturing processes thin film formation
    • B41J2/1642—Manufacturing processes thin film formation thin film formation by CVD [chemical vapor deposition]

Definitions

  • Monocrystalline silicon bodies with passages Monocrystalline silicon bodies with passages.
  • a monocrystalline, crystallographically oriented silicon wafer may be selectively etched to form one or more reproducible channels of a specific form in the wafer body.
  • the specific type of the channel described in that patent has a rectangular entrance cross-section which continues to an intermediate rectangular cross-section, smaller than the entrance cross-section, and then to an exit cross-section which has a shape other than rectangular.
  • Achannel of this specific type is established by either of two disclosed processes, both of which utilize a heavily doped p+ layer (patterned in the one process and unpatterned in the other) as an etchant barrier.
  • a silicon wafer is heavily doped to place it near or at saturation from one major face to form the p+ etchant barrier. Thereafter, patterned anisotropic etching from the opposite major face proceeds until the p+ barrier is reached.
  • the anisotropic etching results in a rectangular entrance cross-section and a rectangular intermediate cross-section defining a membrane smaller in size than the entrance cross-section.
  • the etching Process is continued from the entrance side until an opening is made through the membrane.
  • the other process utilizes patterned isotropic etching from the opposite side (exit side) of the nozzle to complete a passage through the membrane to the intermediate cross-section.
  • a standard commercially available semi-conductor wafer of crys- tallo-graphically oriented, monocrystalline p-type silicon is used to produce a single fluid nozzle or an array of nozzles directly and without the need for mechanical or chemical polishing of the two major surfaces of the wafer by a process wherein a low saturation n surface layer is formed on at least one major surface of the wafer.
  • Materials resistant to an anisotropic etchant, later employed, are then deposited on both surfaces of the wafer. Thereafter, aperture masks defining the entrance and exit areas of a nozzle are formed on these major surfaces and the exit area is coated with a material which is both resistant to an etching solution and which provides an electrical connection to the n layer.
  • Acavity is anisotropically etched from the entrance area of the wafer through to the n layer at the exit side by immersing the wafer in a caustic etching solution.
  • a potential applied across the p/n junction at the exit side of the wafer electro-chemically stops the etching action leaving a membrane having a thickness substantially equal to the n-layer.
  • a passage is then anisotropically etched through the membrane from the exit side to complete the nozzle structure.
  • some of the more important characteristics required of the nozzle are the uniformity in the size of each respective nozzle, spatial distribution of the nozzles in an array, their resistance to cracking under the fluidic pressures encountered in the system, provision of an efficient mechanical impedance match between the fluid supply and the exit opening, as well as, their resistance to wear caused by the high velocity fluid flow through the nozzle structure.
  • a substrate 10 is shown having an array of uniform openings 11 therein.
  • Each opening 11 starts with an initial, substantially square area and tapers to and terminates in a substantially square area smaller than the initial square area defining a membrane 12.
  • each membrane 12 in turn has an opening 13 extending therethrough which starts in a substantially square area smaller than the square area of each respective membrane 12 and terminates in a substantially square area larger than the starting square area of said opening.
  • Both horizontal axes of the openings 13 in the membrane 12 are substantially aligned with the horizontal axes of each corresponding opening 11 in the main body of the wafer 10 by virtue of the wafer 10 crystallography.
  • Figs. 3 through 8 illustrate a sequence of process steps for production of an aperture in a single crystal silicon wafer 10 for forming one fluid nozzle or an array of nozzles. It is to be understood that the following process steps may be used in a different sequence and that otherfilm materials for performing the same functions described below may be used. Furthermore, film formation, size, thickness and the like, may also be varied.
  • the wafer 10 is of single crystal (100) oriented p type silicon with electrical resistivity of 0,5 to 100 ohm-cm, approximately 495 f..lm to 515 f..lm (19,5 to 20,5 mils) thick having front 14 and back 15 surfaces.
  • the (100) planes are parallel to surfaces 14 and 15. As shown in Fig.
  • phosphorous is diffused into the front 14 and back 15 surfaces of the silicon wafer 10 to a depth of about 5 ⁇ m forming n type layers 16 and 17.
  • the diffusion is accomplished in a well-known manner by having a gas mixture containing 0,75 % PH 3 , 1 % 2 0, and the make-up of Ar and N 2 flow for 30 minutes past the silicon wafer 10 which is maintained at 950°C. This is followed by a long drive-in period (1050°C for 22 hours) to achieve a thick layer (about 5 microns). Since the final concentration of phosphorous in the n layers 16 and 17 is very low, this diffusion step introduces very little stress into the silicon wafer 10, and consequently the silicon structure retains its strength.
  • both front 14 and back 15 surfaces of the wafer 10 are coated with a protective material such as LPCVD silicon nitride forming layers 18 and 19 which can resist a long etching period in a caustic (KOH) solution.
  • a protective material such as LPCVD silicon nitride forming layers 18 and 19 which can resist a long etching period in a caustic (KOH) solution.
  • LPCVD silicon nitride forming layers 18 and 19 which can resist a long etching period in a caustic (KOH) solution.
  • LPCVD silicon nitride forming layers 18 and 19 which can resist a long etching period in a caustic (KOH) solution.
  • Oxide layers (not shown) less than 0,5 ⁇ m thick may be grown on both sides of layers 18 and 19 to reduce the effect of stress between nitride and silicon and to improve adhesion of photoresist to nitride.
  • masks are prepared corresponding to the desired entrance 20 and exit 21 areas of the nozzle.
  • the masks for both entrance 20 and exit 21 areas are made circular in shape since the openings in the silicon wafer 10 defined by circular masks will etch out to squares parallel to the 100 planes, each square circumscribing its respective circle. Use of circular masks eliminates possible error due to the theta misalignment which may occur when a square shaped mask is used.
  • the silicon nitride layers 18 and 19 are photoshaped simultaneously on both sides using a two-sided photospinner (not shown) and a two-sided aligner (not shown). The resulting structure after etching away of portions of layers 18 and 19 defining the entrance 20 and exit 21 areas, is shown in Fig. 5.
  • the exit area 21 is then protected from the etching solution by covering it with a metallic layer 22, as shown in Fig. 6, or by use of a hermetic mechanical fixture (not shown). Thereafter the wafer is submerged in a hot (80-85°C) KOH solution (not shown) and a potential is placed across the p/n junction at the back side 15 by connecting the positive side of an electrical power source (not shown) with the metallic layer 22 protecting the exit area 21.
  • Other alkaline etch solutions such as metal hydroxides of the Group I-A elements of the Periodic Table, for example, NaOH, NH 4 0H, or others, may be used.
  • electrochemically controlled thinning process for semi-conductors is well-known in the art and is described in detail in US-A-3,689,389.
  • the opening 11 in the monocrystalline silicon wafer 10 is etched anisotropically until the diffused layer 17 at the back side 25 is reached, at which time the etching action stops due to an oxide layer (not shown) which is caused to grow at the p/n junction due to the applied potential across the junction.
  • the (111) plane is a slow etch plane in monocrystalline silicon material when a KOH etching solution is used.
  • the etching step produces a pyramidal opening in the wafer 10 which opening truncates in a membrane 12 when it encounters the electrochemical etch barrier set up at the silicon and diffused layer 17 interface (p/n junction).
  • the wafer 10 is removed from the etching solution, the protective metallic layer 22 and associated electrical connection on the exit side are removed, and the entrance side 20 is protected from the etching solution usually by a layer 24 formed by air oxidation.
  • the wafer 10 is then re-submersed into the etching solution and a pyramidal passage is etched aniso-tropically from the back surface 15 to form the exit opening 13.
  • the resulting structure is shown in Fig. 7.
  • the protective coatings 18,19 and 24 are then removed leaving a completed pure silicon nozzle structure as shown in Fig. 8.
  • the initial opening of the entrance 20 is about 890 f..lm (35 mils) wide and the smallest portion of the exit opening 13 is about 38 ⁇ m to 102 ⁇ m (1,5 to 4 mils) wide.
  • the back surface 15 of the wafer 10 may be coated with a material of low surface energy such as Teflon.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Particle Formation And Scattering Control In Inkjet Printers (AREA)
  • Weting (AREA)
  • Nozzles (AREA)
  • Special Spraying Apparatus (AREA)
EP85112882A 1984-10-15 1985-10-11 Silicon nozzle structures and method of manufacture Expired - Lifetime EP0178596B2 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US66100584A 1984-10-15 1984-10-15
US661005 1984-10-15

Publications (4)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0178596A2 EP0178596A2 (en) 1986-04-23
EP0178596A3 EP0178596A3 (en) 1987-09-16
EP0178596B1 EP0178596B1 (en) 1991-01-16
EP0178596B2 true EP0178596B2 (en) 1994-06-01

Family

ID=24651804

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP85112882A Expired - Lifetime EP0178596B2 (en) 1984-10-15 1985-10-11 Silicon nozzle structures and method of manufacture

Country Status (7)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0178596B2 (es)
JP (1) JPS6198558A (es)
KR (1) KR930009109B1 (es)
AU (1) AU582581B2 (es)
CA (1) CA1237020A (es)
DE (1) DE3581355D1 (es)
ES (2) ES8707144A1 (es)

Families Citing this family (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4791436A (en) * 1987-11-17 1988-12-13 Hewlett-Packard Company Nozzle plate geometry for ink jet pens and method of manufacture
DE4222140C2 (de) * 1992-07-06 1994-06-16 Heinzl Joachim Aerostatisches Miniaturlager
US6183064B1 (en) 1995-08-28 2001-02-06 Lexmark International, Inc. Method for singulating and attaching nozzle plates to printheads
US6120131A (en) * 1995-08-28 2000-09-19 Lexmark International, Inc. Method of forming an inkjet printhead nozzle structure
WO1998051506A1 (fr) * 1997-05-14 1998-11-19 Seiko Epson Corporation Procede de formation d'ajutage pour injecteurs et procede de fabrication d'une tete a jet d'encre
US6491380B2 (en) * 1997-12-05 2002-12-10 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Liquid discharging head with common ink chamber positioned over a movable member
EP0921004A3 (en) * 1997-12-05 2000-04-26 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Liquid discharge head, recording apparatus, and method for manufacturing liquid discharge heads
JP2000198199A (ja) 1997-12-05 2000-07-18 Canon Inc 液体吐出ヘッドおよびヘッドカートリッジおよび液体吐出装置および液体吐出ヘッドの製造方法
US6463656B1 (en) * 2000-06-29 2002-10-15 Eastman Kodak Company Laminate and gasket manfold for ink jet delivery systems and similar devices
KR100944884B1 (ko) * 2007-11-01 2010-03-03 주식회사 알파켐 비충격 프린팅을 위한 노즐 및 이를 사용한 인쇄방법
JP5407162B2 (ja) * 2008-04-01 2014-02-05 コニカミノルタ株式会社 インクジェットヘッド、インクジェットヘッドを備えた塗布装置及びインクジェットヘッドの駆動方法
KR101291689B1 (ko) * 2010-08-17 2013-08-01 엔젯 주식회사 정전기력을 이용하는 액적분사장치용 노즐

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
USB789264I5 (es) * 1969-01-06
JPS5040616B1 (es) * 1970-03-18 1975-12-25
US3921916A (en) * 1974-12-31 1975-11-25 Ibm Nozzles formed in monocrystalline silicon
US3958255A (en) * 1974-12-31 1976-05-18 International Business Machines Corporation Ink jet nozzle structure
US3949410A (en) * 1975-01-23 1976-04-06 International Business Machines Corporation Jet nozzle structure for electrohydrodynamic droplet formation and ink jet printing system therewith
US4157935A (en) * 1977-12-23 1979-06-12 International Business Machines Corporation Method for producing nozzle arrays for ink jet printers
JPS5753366A (en) * 1980-09-17 1982-03-30 Ricoh Co Ltd Nozzle plate for liquid jet apparatus
JPS57116656A (en) * 1981-01-14 1982-07-20 Sharp Corp Manufacture of orifice for ink jet printer
JPS57182449A (en) * 1981-05-07 1982-11-10 Fuji Xerox Co Ltd Forming method of ink jet multinozzle

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
KR930009109B1 (ko) 1993-09-23
EP0178596A2 (en) 1986-04-23
AU4819085A (en) 1986-04-24
ES547845A0 (es) 1987-08-16
JPS6198558A (ja) 1986-05-16
EP0178596A3 (en) 1987-09-16
ES8707144A1 (es) 1987-08-16
ES296483U (es) 1987-10-16
KR860003109A (ko) 1986-05-19
ES296483Y (es) 1988-04-16
AU582581B2 (en) 1989-04-06
CA1237020A (en) 1988-05-24
EP0178596B1 (en) 1991-01-16
DE3581355D1 (de) 1991-02-21

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