EP0459481A2 - Herstellungsverfahren eines Thermodruckkopfes - Google Patents

Herstellungsverfahren eines Thermodruckkopfes Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0459481A2
EP0459481A2 EP91108862A EP91108862A EP0459481A2 EP 0459481 A2 EP0459481 A2 EP 0459481A2 EP 91108862 A EP91108862 A EP 91108862A EP 91108862 A EP91108862 A EP 91108862A EP 0459481 A2 EP0459481 A2 EP 0459481A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
layer
substrate
heat resistant
resin layer
resistant resin
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.)
Granted
Application number
EP91108862A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0459481A3 (en
EP0459481B1 (de
Inventor
Masaru C/O Intellectual Property Div. Nikaido
Katsuhisa C/O Intellectual Property Div. Homma
Yasuhisa C/O Intellectual Property Div. Takamura
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.)
Toshiba Corp
Original Assignee
Toshiba 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
Application filed by Toshiba Corp filed Critical Toshiba Corp
Publication of EP0459481A2 publication Critical patent/EP0459481A2/de
Publication of EP0459481A3 publication Critical patent/EP0459481A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0459481B1 publication Critical patent/EP0459481B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
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
    • B41J2/315—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material
    • B41J2/32—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material using thermal heads
    • B41J2/335—Structure of thermal heads
    • B41J2/33555—Structure of thermal heads characterised by type
    • B41J2/3357—Surface type resistors
    • 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
    • B41J2/315—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material
    • B41J2/32—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material using thermal heads
    • B41J2/335—Structure of thermal heads
    • B41J2/3359—Manufacturing processes

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a method of manufacturing a thermal head having a high resistance substrate comprising a heat resistant resin coating layer as a heat insulating layer.
  • thermal head is utilized for various recording apparatuses such as a facsimile, a printer for a word processor, or the like, on account of the advantages of noiseless, no need of in maintenance, a low running cost, etc. It is desirable that these recording apparatuses be compact, inexpensive, and low power consuming. Accordingly, a compact, inexpensive, and high-efficient thermal head has been required.
  • the above-described polyimide layer was difficult to use for a thermal head in practice, since it is difficult to obtain a resin which can be used for the polyimide layer 2 serving as a heat insulating layer in the thermal head, i.e., a resin which has such heat resistance and adhesion enough to withstand the operation of the thermal head.
  • the present inventors developed aromatic polyimide having the following molecular structure, and opened a prospect for realizing a thermal head having a heat insulating layer made of resin (see USP 4868584).
  • the polyimide is formed as follows: a ring-opening poly-addition reaction is performed using a equimolar mixture of a biphenyl tetracarboxylic acid dihydride and a p-phenylene diamine, 0.05 to 10 mol% of p-phenylene diamine being replaced by bisaminosiloxane, to produce a polyamic acid; and the polyamic acid is coated on a metal substrate and baked, thereby forming a polyimide layer on the substrate.
  • the polyimide layer not only enables the thermal head to operate at a high efficiency but also provides a high characteristic in image quality. Similar polyimide resins are described in the Summary of SPSE's 5th International Congress on Advances in Non-Impact Printing Technologies, page 261 (November 12, 1989).
  • Fig. 1 is an example of the above-mentioned thermal head.
  • the thermal head includes a metal substrate 1, on which a polyimide layer 2 is formed.
  • a resin protecting layer 3 is formed on the polyimide layer 2 to protect polyimide from CDE (Chemical Dry Etching) and ashing, to control the resistance of a heat-generating resistive layer (which will be formed later) easily, and to prevent a crack which may be caused by foreign material rolled up by the thermal head having a resin layer serving as a heat insulating layer.
  • a heating resistor 4 made of Ta-SiO2, Nb-SiO2 and the like is formed on the resin protecting layer 3.
  • An individual electrode 6 and a common electrode 7 made of Al, Al-Si-Cu and the like are formed on the heat-generating resistor so as to form an opening to serve as a heat-generating portion 5. In this manner, the heating portion 5 is formed.
  • a protecting layer 8 made of Si-O-N, Si-Al-O-N, Si-Zr-Y-N-O, and the like is formed so as to cover at least the heat-generating portion 5.
  • the above-mentioned thermal head which comprises a high-resistance substrate having a metal substrate and a resin layer formed thereon, has the following advantages and is expected to be a high performance thermal head of a next generation.
  • One of the methods of patterning a resin on a metal substrate for forming a common electrode using a metal substrate is to print polyamic acid on the metal substrate into a predetermined pattern by a screen printer.
  • a filler must be added to polyamic acid to control the thixotropy and the viscosity to obtain a paste suitable for the printing.
  • Such a paste cannot provide the above-described advantages of a heat resistant layer made of polyimide.
  • an unprinted portion of the metal substrate which should serve as a common electrode may be oxidized by an oxide gas generated during the dehydrating cyclizing reaction, with the result that an insulting layer is formed on that portion.
  • Another method of patterning a resin layer is to plate a portion of the metal substrate surface with a metal which is not easily adhesive to polyimide and are not oxidized easily (e.g. Pt, Pd, and Au), coat a resin layer on the substrate using the plated portion, and remove the plated portion.
  • a metal which is not easily adhesive to polyimide and are not oxidized easily e.g. Pt, Pd, and Au
  • This method requires complicated manufacturing processes and high cost.
  • the thermal head as shown in Fig. 1 requires an insulating layer, i.e., a ceramic film serving as a resin protecting layer. Hence, it is also necessary to form a pattern for the ceramic film.
  • edges of the pattern form an angle of about 90°C with the substrate.
  • step coverage of the thin resistor film and conductive film on the edge is deteriorated to cause disconnection of these films.
  • a preferable patterning method for using the metal substrate as a common electrode has been awaited.
  • the present invention has been conceived to overcome the above-described problems of the conventional art, and its object is to provide a method of manufacturing a thermal head using a high resistance substrate having a metal substrate and a heat resistant resin layer formed thereon, wherein patterning of the resin layer to form a common electrode using the metal substrate is satisfactorily performed, and the property of the resin layer is fully utilized, thereby improving the quality of the product.
  • a method of manufacturing a thermal head comprises the steps of: forming a heat resistant resin layer on a substrate; removing a portion of the heat resistant resin layer by photochemical reaction by means of excimer laser which emits beams having a wavelength of 150 to 400nm, thereby exposing the portion of the substrate; forming a heating resistor layer on the heat resistant resin layer and the exposed portion of the substrate; and forming a conductive film and an individual electrode on the heating resistor layer.
  • the property of the resin material is not degraded, and a heat resistant resin layer of a desirable property can be formed.
  • the heat resistant resin layer is removed basically by photochemical reaction rather than heat, alteration by heat is prevented.
  • the edges of the heat resistant resin layer formed by the laser beams are tapered, sufficient step coverage of the heating resistor layer with the conductive film thereon can be obtained. Hence, the heat resistant resin layer and layers formed thereon are not easily disconnected.
  • the thermal head of the present invention is manufactured as follows.
  • a heat resistant resin layer 12 is formed on a substrate 11. It is desirable that the substrate 11 be formed of a metal substrate made of Fe-Cr, Fe-Cr-Nb, and the like, a ceramic substrate made of Al2O3, AlN and the like or glassy epoxy substrate. These ceramic and glassy epoxy substrates have a metal film thereon as a common electrode and the like. Also, it is desirable that the heat resistant resin layer 12 be formed of one selected from the group consisting of polyimide, polyamide-imide and polyamide. A protecting layer 13, which is made of, for example, an in organic materials such as SiOx, SiCx, SiNx, Si-Al-O-N, Si-Zr-O-N or the like, may be formed on the heat resistant resin layer 12.
  • a heating resistor layer 14 which is made of, for example, Ta-SiO2, Nb-SiO2, Cr-SiO2, or the like, is formed on top of the substrate body 11.
  • the protecting layer 17 is made of, for example, Si-O-N, Si-Zr-Y-O-N, SiCx, or the like.
  • excimer lasers which emit beams having a wavelength of 150 to 400nm
  • an ArF excimer laser, a KrF excimer laser, an XeCl excimer laser, and an XeF excimer laser which respectively emit beams having wavelengths of 193nm, 248nm, 308nm, and 353nm.
  • the most preferable wavelength of the excimer laser beams is 200 to 360 nm.
  • Excimer laser beams of a wavelength shorter than 150nm are disadvantageous in practical use in that penetration depth of beams into the heat resistant resin layer is extremely shallow, thus requiring a long period of time to remove a portion of the resin layer.
  • excimer laser beams of a wavelength longer than 400nm are disadvantageous in practical use in that the surface of the edges processed by the laser beams is rough.
  • an excimer laser exited by ultraviolet rays which has a wavelength shorter than those of visible and infrared lasers, to cause oscillation, one photon has energy greater than that of visible and infrared lasers.
  • photons of excimer laser beams directly excite a chemical bond of polyimide to dissociate, which is considered to be gradually changed to a form which is easily vaporized in accordance with the dissociation. Vaporization proceeds by heat as the change of polyimide, resulting in a sharp edge which has not been affected by heat.
  • a resin protecting layer is formed on the heat resistant resin layer, it can be removed together with the heat resistant resin layer in the removing step. It is desirable that the edge of the heat resistant resin layer processed by excimer laser beams form a taper angle ⁇ 1 (3° ⁇ ⁇ 1 ⁇ 40°) to the substrate surface, and that the edge of the resin protecting layer form a taper angle ⁇ 2 (30° ⁇ ⁇ 2 ⁇ 50°) to the substrate surface.
  • the taper angles ⁇ 1 and ⁇ 2 can be changed by controlling energy distribution of the excimer laser beam.
  • excimer laser beams having a wavelength of 150nm to 400nm is used to remove portions of the heat resistant resin layer by a photochemical reaction. It is possible to simultaneously remove the resin protecting layer formed on the heat resistant resin layer and an unneeded oxide layer formed between the metal substrate and the resin layer by the excimer laser beams having the above-mentioned wavelength.
  • Fig. 2 shows Example 1. As shown in Fig. 2, a metal substrate 11 having a thickness of 0.5mm and formed of an Fe alloy containing 18 wt% of Cr is subjected to a leveling process, and cut in a predetermined size, and deburring is performed.
  • the metal substrate 11 is cleaned with alcohol and thereafter subjected to optical cleaning with UV/O3.
  • the metal substrate 11 is immersed in, for example, an aqueous solution having a temperature of 40 to 60°C containing 5 to 20 vol% of 96% H2SO4 for 1 to 2 minutes, thereby removing the oxide layer, including Cr2O3 as its main component, formed on the metal substrate 1, and making the substrate surface rough.
  • an organic solvent such as N-methyl-2-pyrolidone (NMP) was added to a polyamic solution which is a precursor of polyimide, thereby obtaining a desired viscosity.
  • NMP N-methyl-2-pyrolidone
  • the substrate is baked in nitrogen gas within a baking furnace under the conditions of 50°C for 60 minutes, 80°C for 30 minutes, 250°C for 60 minutes, and 450°C for 30 minutes in sequence, thereby removing the organic solvent.
  • dehydrating cyclizing reaction proceeds and the precursor is changed to polyimide, thereby forming a heat resistant resin layer 12 having a thickness of about 20 ⁇ m.
  • an oxidizing gas such as H2O gas generated by the dehydrating cyclizing reaction oxidizes the surface of the metal substrate 11, thereby reliably adhering the metal substrate 11 and the heat resistant resin layer 12.
  • an Si-Zr-Y-N-O film serving as a resin protecting layer 13 is formed on the heat resistant resin layer 12 by sputtering method to a predetermined thickness.
  • the heat resistant resin layer 12 is patterned by a device shown in Fig. 3.
  • an excimer laser 20 emits excimer laser beams having a wavelength of 150 to 400nm.
  • the laser beams are cut into a predetermined size by an aperture 21, reflected at a predetermined angle by, for example, a dichroic mirror 23, then converged by a quartz lens 24 set to a suitable focal distance, and applied to the metal substrate coated with the resin which is fixed to an X-Y table 25.
  • An X-Y control board is provided to the X-Y table 25 to move the X-Y table to a desired position to control the radiation position and the radiation angle of the laser beams.
  • a KrF excimer laser which emits beams having a wavelength of 248nm is used.
  • the substrate is scraped with neutral detergent, rinsed in pure water, subjected to substitution using isopropyl alcohol, and thereafter dried.
  • a heating resistor film 14 made of Ta-SiO2 is formed on the resin protecting layer 13. Subsequently, an Al layer is formed on the entire substrate. A resist layer is formed on the Al layer. The Al layer is patterned into a predetermined configuration by photolithography technique, thereby forming an individual electrode 15 and a conductive film 16 made of aluminum. The conductive film 16 electrically connects the metal substrate serving as a common electrode with the heating resistor film 14.
  • a thermal head is obtained.
  • the thermal head obtained in this manner was placed in an atmosphere of high temperature and humidity containing 95% of RH at a temperature of 40°C for 1,000 hours. Thereafter, a Cross Cut Tape Test (ASTM) was performed, with the result that peeling was not observed in the heat resistant resin layer 12 and no problem occurred in practical use.
  • ASTM Cross Cut Tape Test
  • Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view showing a thermal head according to another embodiment of the present invention.
  • the thermal head of this embodiment has the same structure as in Example 1 except that an a-SiC x layer 13a and an a-SiO x layer 13b constituting a resin protecting layer are formed by plasma CVD method.
  • the thermal head thus formed was subjected to the Cross Cut Tape Test in the same conditions as in Example 1, with the result that the heat resistant resin layer was not removed and no problem occurred in practical use.
  • a thermal head of this embodiment has the same structure as in Example 1 except that a glassy epoxy or a ceramic substrate with a conductive film formed thereon as a common electrode is used as a substrate.
  • the thermal head thus formed was subjected to the Cross Cut Tape Test in the same conditions as in Example 1, with the result that the heat resistant resin layer was not removed and no problem occurred in practical use.
  • a-SiO x forming the resin protecting layer is transparent to excimer laser beams having a wavelength of 150 to 400nm. If two layers can be removed by a photochemical reaction by using excimer laser beams, a transparent layer interposed between the two layers can also be processed. More specifically, first, excimer laser beams remove the uppermost layer (a-SiC x layer), pass through an intermediate transparent layer (a-SiO x layer), and reach the lowermost layer (polyimide layer). When the lowermost layer begins to be removed by photochemical reaction, gas begins to generate.
  • the exposed portion of the intermediate layer is raised by the pressure of the gas, and the exposed portion of the intermediate layer is removed as if the intermediate layer is cut by a cutting knife at the portion between the edges of the uppermost layer and lowermost layer processed by the excimer laser.
  • the heat resistant resin layer is basically removed by a photochemical reaction, rather than heat, a satisfactory thermal head having a desirable property which is expected in a case of using a heat insulating layer made of a heat resistant resin is obtained with no heat affected part.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Electronic Switches (AREA)
EP19910108862 1990-06-01 1991-05-29 Herstellungsverfahren eines Thermodruckkopfes Expired - Lifetime EP0459481B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP14383190A JP2862637B2 (ja) 1990-06-01 1990-06-01 サーマルヘッドの製造方法
JP143831/90 1990-06-01

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0459481A2 true EP0459481A2 (de) 1991-12-04
EP0459481A3 EP0459481A3 (en) 1992-02-05
EP0459481B1 EP0459481B1 (de) 1994-12-07

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ID=15347962

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19910108862 Expired - Lifetime EP0459481B1 (de) 1990-06-01 1991-05-29 Herstellungsverfahren eines Thermodruckkopfes

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EP (1) EP0459481B1 (de)
JP (1) JP2862637B2 (de)
KR (1) KR950007739B1 (de)
DE (1) DE69105622T2 (de)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0547596A3 (en) * 1991-12-19 1993-08-18 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Ink jet recording head, ink jet recording head cartridge and recording apparatus using same
EP1226951A3 (de) * 2001-01-29 2003-03-12 Alps Electric Co., Ltd. Energiesparthermokopf
US20220088941A1 (en) * 2020-09-23 2022-03-24 Rohm Co., Ltd. Manufacturing method of thermal print head

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB8722085D0 (en) * 1987-09-19 1987-10-28 Cambridge Consultants Ink jet nozzle manufacture
US4877644A (en) * 1988-04-12 1989-10-31 Amp Incorporated Selective plating by laser ablation
US4915981A (en) * 1988-08-12 1990-04-10 Rogers Corporation Method of laser drilling fluoropolymer materials

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0547596A3 (en) * 1991-12-19 1993-08-18 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Ink jet recording head, ink jet recording head cartridge and recording apparatus using same
CN1059861C (zh) * 1991-12-19 2000-12-27 佳能公司 喷墨记录头、喷墨记录头盒及其记录设备
US6328422B1 (en) 1991-12-19 2001-12-11 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Ink jet head cartridge having a folded wiring member
EP1226951A3 (de) * 2001-01-29 2003-03-12 Alps Electric Co., Ltd. Energiesparthermokopf
US7046265B2 (en) 2001-01-29 2006-05-16 Alps Electric Co., Ltd. Power-saving thermal head
US20220088941A1 (en) * 2020-09-23 2022-03-24 Rohm Co., Ltd. Manufacturing method of thermal print head
CN114248560A (zh) * 2020-09-23 2022-03-29 罗姆股份有限公司 热敏打印头的制造方法
US11642894B2 (en) * 2020-09-23 2023-05-09 Rohm Co., Ltd. Manufacturing method of thermal print head

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69105622D1 (de) 1995-01-19
JPH0437561A (ja) 1992-02-07
JP2862637B2 (ja) 1999-03-03
EP0459481A3 (en) 1992-02-05
EP0459481B1 (de) 1994-12-07
KR950007739B1 (ko) 1995-07-14
DE69105622T2 (de) 1995-06-14

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