JP2000052554A - Element structure and ink-jet type recording head and ink-jet type recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an element structure and an ink-jet type recording head and an ink-jet type recording apparatus whereby an element set on a substrate and a wiring for supplying electricity to the element can be connected easily and compactly. SOLUTION: In the element structure having a piezoelectric element set to one face side of a passage formation substrate 10 and a lead electrode 110 electrically connected to the piezoelectric element, a beam part 111 is set to an area of the passage formation substrate 10 facing the piezoelectric element, which can be elastically deformed by a predetermined amount in a thickness direction of the piezoelectric element. An electric contact part 112 for the piezoelectric element and lead electrode 110 is formed on the beam part 111, so that the piezoelectric element and lead electrode can be connected easily.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an element structure for connecting an element provided on one surface of a substrate to a wiring electrically connected to the element, and more particularly, to a structure in which a part of a pressure generating chamber is formed of an elastic film. The present invention relates to an ink jet recording head and an ink jet recording apparatus having a piezoelectric element on the surface of the elastic film and having the element structure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A part of a pressure generating chamber communicating with a nozzle opening for discharging ink droplets is constituted by a vibrating plate, and the vibrating plate is deformed by a piezoelectric element to pressurize the ink in the pressure generating chamber to pass through the nozzle opening. Two types of ink jet recording heads that eject ink droplets have been commercialized, one using a longitudinal vibration mode piezoelectric actuator that expands and contracts in the axial direction of the piezoelectric element, and the other using a flexural vibration mode piezoelectric actuator. ing.

In the former method, the volume of the pressure generating chamber can be changed by bringing the end face of the piezoelectric element into contact with the diaphragm, so that a head suitable for high-density printing can be manufactured. There is a problem in that a difficult process of cutting into a comb shape in accordance with the arrangement pitch of the openings and an operation of positioning and fixing the cut piezoelectric element in the pressure generating chamber are required, and the manufacturing process is complicated.

On the other hand, in the latter, a piezoelectric element can be formed on a diaphragm by a relatively simple process of sticking a green sheet of a piezoelectric material according to the shape of a pressure generating chamber and firing the green sheet. In addition, there is a problem that a certain area is required due to the use of flexural vibration, and that high-density arrangement is difficult.

On the other hand, in order to solve the latter disadvantage of the recording head, a uniform piezoelectric material layer is formed by a film forming technique over the entire surface of the diaphragm as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-286131. A proposal has been made in which the piezoelectric material layer is cut into a shape corresponding to the pressure generating chambers by a lithography method, and a piezoelectric element is formed so as to be independent for each pressure generating chamber.

This eliminates the need for attaching the piezoelectric element to the vibration plate, which not only allows the piezoelectric element to be manufactured by a precise and simple method such as lithography, but also reduces the thickness of the piezoelectric element. There is an advantage that it can be made thin and can be driven at high speed.

In a recording head using such a flexure mode piezoelectric actuator, the piezoelectric elements corresponding to the respective pressure generating chambers are generally covered with an insulator layer, and the respective piezoelectric actuators are covered with the insulator layer. A window (hereinafter, referred to as a contact hole) for forming a connection portion with a lead electrode for supplying a voltage for driving is provided corresponding to each pressure generating chamber, and a connection between each piezoelectric element and the lead electrode is provided. A part is formed in the contact hole.

[0008]

However, in the above-described ink jet recording head, there is a problem that the insulator layer formed on the piezoelectric element suppresses the displacement of the diaphragm, and the displacement amount is reduced. is there. Further, wiring for power supply is routed on the substrate on which the vibration plate is formed, so that the layout of the piezoelectric elements is limited. Further, there is also a problem that the area of the substrate becomes large and the cost increases.

Further, such a problem exists not only in an ink jet recording head but also in an apparatus having an element on one side of a substrate.

In view of such circumstances, the present invention provides an element structure, an ink jet recording head, and an element capable of easily connecting an element provided on a substrate and a wiring for supplying power to the element and capable of being miniaturized. It is an object to provide an ink jet recording apparatus.

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided:
In an element structure including an element provided on one surface side of a substrate and a wiring electrically connected to the element, the element structure is provided in a region of the substrate facing the element, and is provided in a thickness direction of the element. An element structure comprising an elastically deformable beam portion, and an electrical contact portion between the element and the wiring is provided on the beam portion.

In the first aspect, the elements provided on the substrate and the wiring can be easily and reliably connected.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the beam portion projects from the second substrate provided facing the element side of the substrate toward the element. An element structure characterized by being provided.

In the second aspect, the element and the wiring can be easily connected by joining the substrate having the element and the second substrate having the wiring, and the wiring area can be formed on the substrate. No need to secure.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the beam portion is a cantilever beam which is deformed in advance to the element side before connecting the element to the contact portion. An element structure characterized in that:

In the third aspect, the element and the wiring can be connected without applying an extra load to the element, and the element can be displaced.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, the beam portion is a cantilever deformed toward the element due to a difference in internal stress in a thickness direction of the beam portion. An element structure characterized by the following.

In the fourth aspect, the tip of the beam can be easily deformed toward the element by utilizing the difference in the internal stress of the beam.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the third or fourth aspect, the contact portion provided on the beam portion is formed substantially parallel to a surface of the element. In the element structure.

According to the fifth aspect, the area of the contact portion can be increased, and the element and the wiring can be more reliably connected.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, the base end side of the beam portion is curved to be convex toward the opposite side to the element side and to be convex toward the element side at the distal end side. Element structure.

According to the sixth aspect, the beam portion reliably projects toward the element, and the element and the wiring can be connected with a relatively large area.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the fifth or sixth aspect, the element side has a relatively high tensile strength at the base end side of the beam portion, and the contact side has a relatively high tensile strength at the element side. The element structure is characterized in that the beams are formed by patterning films having different residual strains so as to weaken.

In the seventh aspect, the beam portion can be easily deformed into a predetermined shape by utilizing the internal stress of the beam portion.

An eighth aspect of the present invention is the element structure according to the third or fourth aspect, wherein the beam portion is wound with the element side inside.

In the eighth aspect, by winding the beam, it is possible to more easily form the beam that can be elastically deformed in the thickness direction.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, the beam portion is formed of a ductile material and is deformed toward the element by plastic deformation. Element structure.

In the ninth aspect, the beam can be easily formed into a predetermined shape by mechanically plastically deforming the beam.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the second to ninth aspects, the second substrate has a through hole in a region facing the element, and at least the contact point of the beam portion is provided. The element is formed in a region facing the through hole.

In the tenth aspect, the state of the contact portion can be easily recognized from the through hole, and adjustment and the like can be performed.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the tenth aspect, the element and the contact portion are connected via an adhesive member for adhering the element and the contact portion. Element structure.

In the eleventh aspect, the element and the wiring are more reliably connected by the adhesive member.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the eleventh aspect, the adhesive member is a solder, and the element and the contact portion are soldered from outside the second substrate through the through hole. Are bonded by heating.

In the twelfth aspect, the element and the wiring can be reliably connected by solder.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the beam portion is formed in a doubly supported beam shape, and a base end of the beam portion is deformable in an in-plane direction of the substrate. An element structure characterized by being supported.

In the thirteenth aspect, the rigidity of the beam can be increased, and the durability is improved.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the second to thirteenth aspects, the contact portion is connected to a wiring pattern provided on the surface of the second substrate. The element structure is characterized by being connected to the element of (1).

In the fourteenth aspect, the electrode of the element connected to the contact portion provided on the beam can be easily connected to a plurality of elements by the wiring pattern provided on the second substrate.

A fifteenth aspect of the present invention is the element structure according to any one of the second to fourteenth aspects, wherein the second substrate is a silicon substrate.

In the fifteenth aspect, the second substrate can be easily formed from a silicon substrate.

A sixteenth aspect of the present invention is the element structure according to any one of the first to fifteenth aspects, wherein the element is formed on a diaphragm.

In the sixteenth aspect, the element and the wiring can be easily connected without unnecessarily deforming the diaphragm.

A seventeenth aspect of the present invention is the element structure according to the sixteenth aspect, wherein the compliance of the beam portion is larger than the compliance of the diaphragm.

In the seventeenth aspect, since the beam portion is softer than the diaphragm, even when the element is connected to the wiring, no unnecessary stress is applied to the diaphragm when the element is displaced. .

The eighteenth aspect of the present invention relates to the sixteenth or seventeenth aspect.
In the aspect, the element is a piezoelectric element.

In the eighteenth aspect, the wiring can be easily connected to the piezoelectric element.

According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the sixteenth to eighteenth aspects, a pressure generating chamber communicating with an ink supply port is provided on a side of the diaphragm opposite to the element. In the ink jet recording head.

According to the nineteenth aspect, it is possible to realize an ink jet recording head capable of improving the amount of deformation of the diaphragm and reducing the size.

According to a twentieth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink jet recording apparatus comprising the ink jet recording head according to the nineteenth aspect.

According to the twentieth aspect, it is possible to realize an ink jet recording apparatus having improved head characteristics.

[0051]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail based on embodiments.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view and a cross section of one of the pressure generating chambers in the longitudinal direction. It is a figure showing a structure.

As shown in the figure, the flow path forming substrate 10 is formed of a silicon single crystal substrate having a plane orientation (110) in this embodiment. As the flow path forming substrate 10, usually 150 to 3
A thickness of about 00 μm is used.
Those having a thickness of about 0 to 280 μm, more preferably about 220 μm are suitable. This is because the arrangement density can be increased while maintaining the rigidity of the partition wall between the adjacent pressure generating chambers.

One surface of the flow path forming substrate 10 is an opening surface, and the other surface is formed with a 1-2 μm-thick elastic film 50 made of silicon dioxide previously formed by thermal oxidation.

On the other hand, the opening surface of the flow path forming substrate 10 is anisotropically etched on a silicon single crystal substrate,
A nozzle opening 11 and a pressure generating chamber 12 are formed.

Here, in the anisotropic etching, when the silicon single crystal substrate is immersed in an alkaline solution such as KOH, it is gradually eroded and the first (111) plane perpendicular to the (110) plane and the first (111) plane A second (1) which forms an angle of about 70 degrees with the (111) plane and forms an angle of about 35 degrees with the (110) plane.
11) plane, and the etching rate of the (111) plane is about 1/1 compared to the etching rate of the (110) plane.
This is performed using the property of being 80.
By such anisotropic etching, two first (11
Precision processing can be performed based on depth processing of a parallelogram formed by the 1) plane and two oblique second (111) planes, and the pressure generating chambers 12 can be arranged at high density. it can.

In this embodiment, the long side of each pressure generating chamber 12 is formed by the first (111) plane, and the short side is formed by the second (111) plane. The pressure generating chamber 12 is provided on the flow path forming substrate 1.
It is formed by etching until it reaches the elastic film 50 almost through 0. The amount of the elastic film 50 that is attacked by the alkaline solution for etching the silicon single crystal substrate is extremely small.

On the other hand, each nozzle opening 11 communicating with one end of each pressure generating chamber 12 is formed to be narrower and shallower than the pressure generating chamber 12. That is, the nozzle opening 11 is formed by partially etching (half-etching) the silicon single crystal substrate in the thickness direction. In addition,
Half etching is performed by adjusting the etching time.

Here, the size of the pressure generating chamber 12 for applying the ink droplet ejection pressure to the ink and the size of the nozzle opening 11 for ejecting the ink droplet depend on the amount of the ejected ink droplet, the ejection speed, and the ejection frequency. Optimized. For example,
When recording 360 ink droplets per inch, the nozzle openings 11 need to be formed with a groove width of several tens of μm with high accuracy.

Further, each pressure generating chamber 12 and a common ink chamber 31 described later are connected to each pressure generating chamber 1 of the sealing plate 20 described later.
The ink is supplied from a common ink chamber 31 through the ink supply communication port 21 formed at a position corresponding to one end of the pressure generation chamber 12. Distributed to

The sealing plate 20 is provided with an ink supply passage 21 corresponding to each of the pressure generating chambers 12 described above. , For example, 2.5-4.5 [× 10 ⁻⁶ / ° C.]. In addition, the ink supply communication port 21
Each of the pressure generating chambers 1 is, as shown in FIGS.
It may be one slit hole 21A crossing the vicinity of the second ink supply side end or a plurality of slit holes 21B. The sealing plate 20 is provided on one side with the flow path forming substrate 10.
, And also serves as a reinforcing plate for protecting the silicon single crystal substrate from impacts and external forces. Also, sealing plate 2
0 forms one wall surface of the common ink chamber 31 on the other surface.

The common ink chamber forming substrate 30 forms the peripheral wall of the common ink chamber 31, and is formed by punching a stainless steel plate having an appropriate thickness according to the number of nozzles and the ink droplet ejection frequency. . In the present embodiment, the thickness of the common ink chamber forming substrate 30 is 0.2 mm.

The ink chamber side plate 40 is made of a stainless steel substrate, and one surface of the ink chamber side plate 40 constitutes one wall surface of the common ink chamber 31. In the ink chamber side plate 40, a thin wall 41 is formed by forming a concave portion 40a by half etching on a part of the other surface, and an ink introduction port 42 for receiving ink supply from the outside is punched and formed. ing. The thin wall 41 is for absorbing pressure generated at the time of ink droplet ejection toward the side opposite to the nozzle opening 11, and is unnecessary for the other pressure generating chambers 12 via the common ink chamber 31. Prevents positive or negative pressure from being applied.
In the present embodiment, the ink chamber side plate 40 is made 0.2 mm in consideration of rigidity required at the time of connection between the ink introduction port 42 and an external ink supply means, and a part of the thickness is 0.02 mm.
The thickness of the ink chamber side plate 40 may be 0.02 mm from the beginning in order to omit the formation of the thin wall 41 by half etching.

On the other hand, the lower electrode film 60 having a thickness of, for example, about 0.2 μm and the piezoelectric film having a thickness of, for example, about 1 μm are formed on the elastic film 50 on the side opposite to the opening surface of the flow path forming substrate 10. Body membrane 7
0 and an upper electrode film 80 having a thickness of, for example, about 0.1 μm,
0. In this embodiment, the piezoelectric element 3
The piezoelectric layer 70 that constitutes 00 is patterned in the pressure generating chamber 12. Here, the piezoelectric element 300 refers to a portion including the lower electrode film 60, the piezoelectric film 70, and the upper electrode film 80. Generally, one of the electrodes of the piezoelectric element 300 is used as a common electrode, and the other electrode and the piezoelectric film 70 are patterned for each pressure generating chamber 12. Here, a portion which is constituted by one of the patterned electrodes and the piezoelectric film 70 and in which a piezoelectric strain is generated by applying a voltage to both electrodes is referred to as a piezoelectric active portion 320.
In the present embodiment, the lower electrode film 60 is used as a common electrode of the piezoelectric element 300, and the upper electrode film 80 is used as an individual electrode of the piezoelectric element 300. However, there is no problem even if the upper electrode film 80 is reversed for convenience of a drive circuit and wiring. In any case, the piezoelectric active portion is formed for each pressure generating chamber. In the example described above, the elastic film 50 and the lower electrode film 60 function as a diaphragm, but the lower electrode film may also serve as the elastic film.

Here, a process for forming the piezoelectric element 300 on the flow path forming substrate 10 made of a silicon single crystal substrate will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 4A, first, a wafer of a silicon single crystal substrate serving as the flow path forming substrate 10 is
Thermal oxidation is performed in a diffusion furnace at 0 ° C. to form an elastic film 50 made of silicon dioxide.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, a lower electrode film 60 is formed by sputtering. Pt or the like is preferable as the material of the lower electrode film 60. This is because a piezoelectric film 70 described later, which is formed by a sputtering method or a sol-gel method,
After film formation, 600 to 10 in an air atmosphere or an oxygen atmosphere
This is because it is necessary to perform crystallization by firing at a temperature of about 00 ° C. That is, the material of the lower electrode film 60 must be able to maintain conductivity at such a high temperature and in an oxidizing atmosphere. In particular, when PZT is used for the piezoelectric film 70, the conductivity of the material by diffusion of PbO is increased. It is desirable that there is little change in sex, and Pt is preferred for these reasons.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4C, a piezoelectric film 70 is formed. In this embodiment, a so-called sol in which a metal organic substance is dissolved and dispersed in a solvent is applied, dried, and gelled,
Further, the film was formed using a so-called sol-gel method in which a piezoelectric film 70 made of a metal oxide was obtained by firing at a high temperature. As a material for the piezoelectric film 70, a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) -based material is suitable when used in an ink jet recording head. The piezoelectric film 70
The film forming method is not particularly limited, and may be formed by, for example, a sputtering method.

Further, a method of forming a PZT precursor film by a sol-gel method or a sputtering method, and then growing the crystal at a low temperature by a high-pressure treatment in an aqueous alkali solution may be used.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4D, an upper electrode film 80 is formed. The upper electrode film 80 only needs to be a material having high conductivity, and many metals such as Al, Au, Ni, and Pt, and a conductive oxide can be used. In the present embodiment, P
t is formed by sputtering.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the lower electrode film 60,
The piezoelectric film 70 and the upper electrode film 80 are patterned.

First, as shown in FIG. 5A, the lower electrode film 60, the piezoelectric film 70 and the upper electrode film 80 are etched together to pattern the entire pattern of the lower electrode film 60. Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, the upper electrode film 80 and the piezoelectric film 70 are etched to pattern the piezoelectric active portion 320. Next, as shown in FIG. 5C, the pressure generating chamber 12 is formed in a region facing each piezoelectric active portion 320 by etching the flow path forming substrate 10.

Thereafter, in the present embodiment, the flow path forming substrate 1
The second substrate 100 is provided on the opposite side of the pressure generation chamber 12 via spacers 90 provided on both sides of the piezoelectric active portions 320 arranged in the width direction.
Lead electrode 1 provided on the surface of the piezoelectric body
10 connects the piezoelectric active section 320 to an external terminal.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a main part of such an ink jet recording head of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the piezoelectric active section 320 composed of the piezoelectric film 70 and the upper electrode film 80 is used.
Is provided in a region facing each pressure generating chamber 12, and a plurality of piezoelectric active portions 320 are arranged in parallel in the width direction.

On the other hand, in a region facing the piezoelectric active portion 320 of the second substrate 100 arranged to face the flow path forming substrate 10, a through-hole 101 extends in the width direction of the piezoelectric active portion 320. Is provided. The second substrate 100 is a material having an electrical insulation property, and preferably has a strength that can maintain a constant shape. In the present embodiment,
A silicon substrate was used. In the present embodiment, the through-hole 101 is formed in the width direction of the piezoelectric active portion 320, but is not limited thereto.
It may be formed independently for each 20.

The piezoelectric active portion 3 of the second substrate 100
The upper electrode film 80 of the piezoelectric active part 320 is
A lead electrode 110 is formed for each piezoelectric active portion 320 to connect the lead electrode 110 to an external terminal. In a region of the lead electrode 110 facing the through hole 101 of the second substrate 100, the lead electrode 110 extends over the through hole 101. Beam 111. In the present embodiment, the through holes 101 of the second substrate 100
Is cut in the area facing the to form a cantilever shape,
The beam 111 is curved and deformed toward the piezoelectric active portion 320 so that the tip of the beam 111 contacts at least the upper electrode film 80.
That is, the vicinity of the tip end of the beam portion 111 is a contact portion 112 that contacts the upper electrode film 80.

In the present embodiment, the beam portion 111 is constituted by the lead electrode 110 itself, as will be described later in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that, for example, the beam portion may be formed of another member, and the lead electrode 110 may be formed thereon.

The electrical connection between the piezoelectric active portion 320 and the contact portion 112 of the beam portion 111 is achieved by deforming the beam portion 111 larger than the distance between the second substrate 100 and the upper electrode film 80. In this embodiment, the contact portion 112 and the upper electrode film 80 are fixed to each other with solder in order to make the connection more reliably. The fixing method is not particularly limited. For example, by heating from the outside of the through hole 101 of the second substrate 100, the solder can be melted and both can be easily fixed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, for example, the shape of the beam 111 deformed toward the piezoelectric active part 320 is such that the beam 111 is bent toward the piezoelectric active part 320 and the upper electrode is brought into line contact. The contact portion 112 and the upper electrode film 80 can be electrically connected to each other even if they are in contact with the film. However, as in the present embodiment, the contact portion 112 near the tip of the beam portion 111 is raised. Curved so as to be substantially parallel to the surface of the electrode film 80,
It is preferable to increase the contact area between the contact portion 112 and the upper electrode film 80. Thereby, a more reliable electrical connection can be made.

The method for forming the second substrate 100, the lead electrodes 110, and the like is not particularly limited.
It can be formed by the following method. 8 and 9 are views showing a manufacturing process of the lead electrode 110. FIG. 8 is a sectional view in the width direction of the pressure generating chamber.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view in the longitudinal direction of the pressure generating chamber.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, the lead electrode 110 is formed uniformly on the surface of the second substrate 100 facing the piezoelectric active portion 320. This lead electrode 110
May be formed of a material having high conductivity, and examples thereof include Al and Au.

Then, as shown in FIG. 8B, a lead electrode 110 is provided for each region facing each piezoelectric active portion 320.
Is patterned, for example, with substantially the same width as the upper electrode film 80, and then, as shown in FIG.
The through-hole 101 is formed in a region facing the piezoelectric active portion 320 in the width direction of the piezoelectric active portion 320. The through-hole 101 may be formed by, for example, removing the second substrate 100, which is a silicon substrate, by etching or the like.

Thereafter, the beam portion 111 is formed in a region facing the piezoelectric active portion 320. The method for forming the beam portion is not particularly limited. For example, in the present embodiment, the lead electrode 110 is formed.
Was formed by mechanical deformation.

As described above, the lead electrodes 110 are formed and patterned, and the through holes 101 are formed in the second substrate 100.
Is formed, a region facing the through hole 101 is
As shown in (a), a plurality of flat beam portions 111 are formed. As shown in FIG. 9B, the plurality of flat beams 111 are pushed in from the side of the through-hole 111 opposite to the surface on which the lead electrode 110 is formed, for example, with a tool 120 having a spherical tip. Next, as shown in FIG.
Is cut and removed from a predetermined position, for example, in the present embodiment, from a position curved substantially in the same direction as the surface direction of the upper electrode film 80 in the central portion, to form a cantilever-shaped beam portion 111.

As described above, in this embodiment, the contact portion 11
The beam portion 111 is set so that 2 is substantially parallel to the upper electrode film 80.
Is formed in a curved shape, the contact area between the contact portion 112 and the upper electrode film 80 is increased, and electrical connection can be reliably performed. That is, the power from the lead electrode 110 can be reliably supplied to the piezoelectric active portion 320.

When the beam portion 111 is formed by this method, as shown in FIG. 10, it is preferable to previously pattern the beam portion 111 at a different width from a position where the beam portion 111 is cut. Easy cutting and beam 1
11 can be formed.

With the configuration of the present embodiment as described above, electric power can be supplied to the piezoelectric active section 320 without extra work for the piezoelectric active section 320. Further, since the beam portion 111 has a cantilever shape to allow the piezoelectric active portion 320 to be deformed in the thickness direction, the piezoelectric active portion 3
There is no needless load on 20. Furthermore, there is no need to provide an insulating film on the surface of the piezoelectric active portion 320, and the displacement does not decrease. Further, the piezoelectric active part 3
Since the lead electrode can be formed independently of the arrangement of the piezoelectric active portions 320, the piezoelectric active portion 320
Since there is no need to form lead electrodes on the flow path forming substrate 10 for forming the substrate, the substrate can be made compact,
Cost can be reduced.

In the above-described series of film formation and anisotropic etching, a number of chips are simultaneously formed on one wafer, and after the process is completed, a flow path of one chip size as shown in FIG. It is divided for each forming substrate 10. In addition, the divided flow path forming substrate 10 is sequentially bonded and integrated with the sealing plate 20, the common ink chamber forming substrate 30, and the ink chamber side plate 40, and the second substrate 100 is joined to form an ink jet recording head. And The ink jet head configured as described above takes in ink from an ink inlet 42 connected to an external ink supply unit (not shown), fills the interior from the common ink chamber 31 to the nozzle opening 11 with ink, and then fills the inside with ink (not shown). According to a recording signal from an external drive circuit, the upper electrode film 80
The voltage in the pressure generating chamber 12 is increased by applying a voltage between the lower electrode film 60 and the elastic film 50, the lower electrode film 60 and the piezoelectric film 70 so that the pressure in the pressure generating chamber 12 increases.
Ink droplets are ejected.

In the present embodiment, the beam portion 111 is curved into a predetermined shape by mechanically deforming it. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any method may be used. Hereinafter, another method of forming the beam portion will be described.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 11 is a sectional view of an essential part of an ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 2.

This embodiment is an example in which the beam portion is constituted by a plurality of layers, and the beam portion is deformed by utilizing its internal stress.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, in the present embodiment, a lead electrode 110A is formed of, for example, a compression layer 113 having a compressive stress such as SiO ₂ and a Pt formed on the compression layer 113, for example, Pt. And the like and heat-treated to form a two-layer structure with a tensile layer 114 having a tensile stress. As a result, the internal stress of each layer of the lead electrode 110A is released, that is, the tensile force acts on the lower layer and the compressive force acts on the upper layer, as shown by the dotted line in the figure. The beam portion 111A is curved toward the piezoelectric body active portion 320.

In this embodiment, the beam 111A is formed by the following steps. After forming the lead electrodes 110A on the entire surface of the second substrate 90 as described above, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 12A, patterning is performed so that one end of the lead electrode 110A is located in a region facing the through hole 101 of the second substrate 100, and then, as shown in FIG. A through hole 101 is formed by etching or the like from the surface of the substrate 100 opposite to the lead electrode 110A. As a result, the internal stress of the lead electrode 110A in the region facing the through hole 101, that is, the beam portion 111A is released, and the beam portion 111A is curved toward the piezoelectric active portion 320 as shown by a dotted line in the drawing.

As described above, by forming the beam portion 111A by a plurality of layers having a predetermined stress, the beam portion 111A curved toward the piezoelectric body active portion 320 is formed by the force that releases the internal stress. be able to. Also, of course,
In this embodiment, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

In the present embodiment, all the lead electrodes 110A constituting the beam 111A are constituted by a plurality of layers. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It may be composed of a plurality of layers.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 13 is a sectional view of a main part of an ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 3.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, a second compressive layer 115 having a strong compressive stress, such as Ir, is provided on a portion of the tensile layer 114 serving as the contact portion 112 of the beam portion 111B. Other than the above, it is the same as the second embodiment.

With such a configuration, the second compression layer 11
5 is formed in the second compressed layer 1
Fifteen compressive stresses are released and a tensile force acts.
As shown by the dotted line in the figure, the piezoelectric element is deformed so as to protrude toward the piezoelectric active portion 320. That is, the contact portion 112 can be curved in the same direction as the surface of the upper electrode film 80 to form the contact portion 112 substantially parallel to the upper electrode film 80, and the contact area between the upper electrode film 80 and the contact portion 112 increases, Connection can be made more reliably electrically.

The beam portion of this embodiment can be formed in the same manner as in the above-described second embodiment, but is not limited to this. For example, it can be formed by the following method.

First, as shown in FIG.
A sacrificial layer 130 made of a material that can be relatively easily removed, for example, polysilicon is formed on the second substrate 100 in a region where 11B is to be formed. Next, as shown in FIG. 14B, the respective layers of the lead electrode 110B are sequentially laminated, and FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4C, patterning is performed into a predetermined shape.
Then, as shown in FIG. 14D, the second substrate 100
The sacrifice layer 130 formed thereon is removed.

As a result, the internal stresses of the compression layer 113, the tensile layer 114, and the second compression layer 115 formed on the sacrificial layer 130 are released, and the beam 111B curved toward the piezoelectric active section 320 is released. Can be formed.

According to such a method, the second substrate 100
The beam portion can be easily formed without forming the through-hole 101 in the hole.

Further, in such a forming method, when the thickness of the beam portion 111C, that is, the total thickness t of the compression layer 112 and the tensile layer 113 is set to about 1 μm or less, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the beam part 111C is wound with the piezoelectric body active part 320 side inside. In this case, by forming the lower compression layer 112 with, for example, a conductive material such as a metal, a contact portion can be provided on the beam portion 111C as in the above-described embodiment.

(Embodiment 4) FIG. 16 is a plan view and a sectional view of a lead electrode of an ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 4.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
The substrate 100 is provided with an independent through hole 101A for each piezoelectric active portion 320, and a doubly-supported beam portion 111D is provided in a region facing the through hole 101A. At both ends in the longitudinal direction of the beam portion 111D, overhang portions 116 extending in the width direction are provided.
1D is fixed at a portion of the overhang portion 116 facing the second substrate 100. Thereby, the through hole 101A
The overhanging portion 116 in the region facing the surface can be deformed in the in-plane direction. Therefore, when a load is applied to the beam 111D, the beam 111D can be deformed in the thickness direction by the deformation of the overhang 116. Thus, even when the contact portion 112 is brought into contact with the upper electrode film 80, the piezoelectric active portion 320 can be reliably connected without applying an extra load.

As described in the above embodiment,
The beam portion can be curved toward the piezoelectric body active portion 320 by forming the beam portion with a plurality of layers and using different internal stresses of the respective layers. For example, even when the beam portion is formed as a single layer, If the stress distribution in the thickness direction of the material is different, the material can be curved toward the piezoelectric active portion 320 due to the internal stress.

(Other Embodiments) The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the basic configuration of the ink jet recording head is not limited to the above.

For example, in each of the above embodiments, the contact portion is provided at one end in the longitudinal direction of the piezoelectric active portion. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the contact portion may be provided at any location such as the central portion. Good.

In the above embodiment, the spacer 90
Although the flow path forming substrate 10 and the second substrate 100 are joined via the through hole, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the spacer and the second substrate may be integrally formed.

Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the reservoir 14 is formed in the flow path forming substrate 10 together with the pressure generating chamber 12, but the flow path unit for forming the common ink chamber by a separate member is used as the flow path forming substrate. 10 may be provided.

FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment configured as described above, and FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the flow channel. In this embodiment, the nozzle opening 11 is formed in the nozzle substrate 120 opposite to the piezoelectric element, and the nozzle communication port 22 that connects the nozzle opening 11 and the pressure generating chamber 12 is formed with the sealing plate 20 and the common ink chamber. It is arranged so as to penetrate the forming plate 30, the thin plate 41A, and the ink chamber side plate 40A.

The present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that
A is basically the same as the above-described embodiment except that the ink chamber side plate 40A and the ink chamber side plate 40A are separate members, and the opening is formed in the ink chamber side plate 40. Is omitted.

Of course, the present invention can be similarly applied to an ink jet recording head of a type in which a common ink chamber is formed in a flow path forming substrate.

In each of the embodiments described above, a thin film type ink jet recording head which can be manufactured by applying a film forming and lithography process is described as an example.
Of course, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a piezoelectric film is formed by laminating substrates to form a pressure generating chamber, or a piezoelectric film is formed by attaching a green sheet or by screen printing, or a piezoelectric film formed by crystal growth. The present invention can be applied to ink jet recording heads having various structures, such as those that form a recording medium.

As described above, the present invention can be applied to ink-jet recording heads having various structures, as long as the spirit of the present invention is not contradicted.

The ink jet recording head of each of the embodiments constitutes a part of a recording head unit having an ink flow path communicating with an ink cartridge and the like, and is mounted on an ink jet recording apparatus. FIG.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an example of the ink jet recording apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 19, the recording head units 1A and 1B having the ink jet recording heads
Cartridges 2A and 2B constituting ink supply means are detachably provided. A carriage 3 on which the recording head units 1A and 1B are mounted is provided on a carriage shaft 5 attached to the apparatus main body 4 so as to be movable in the axial direction. I have. The recording head units 1A and 1B are, for example,
Each of them ejects a black ink composition and a color ink composition.

The driving force of the driving motor 6 is transmitted to the carriage 3 via a plurality of gears and a timing belt 7 (not shown), so that the carriage 3 on which the recording head units 1A and 1B are mounted moves along the carriage shaft 5. Moved. On the other hand, the apparatus main body 4 is provided with a platen 8 along the carriage shaft 5, and a recording sheet S, which is a recording medium such as paper fed by a paper feed roller (not shown), is wound around the platen 8. It is designed to be transported.

[0120]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the piezoelectric active part and the external wiring are connected to the pressure generating chamber side of the flow path forming substrate via the beam part deformed to the piezoelectric active part side, an insulator is provided on the surface of the piezoelectric active part. There is no need to form a film or the like, and the amount of deformation of the diaphragm can be improved. In addition, there is no need to provide a wiring pattern on the flow path forming substrate, and the effect is obtained that the wiring pattern can be provided easily and in a space-saving manner.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an ink jet recording head according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view and a cross-sectional view of the inkjet recording head according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the same.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a modification of the sealing plate of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a thin film manufacturing process according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a thin film manufacturing process according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a main part of the ink jet recording head according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a principal part showing another example of the ink jet recording head according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a manufacturing process of a wiring portion of the ink jet recording head according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a manufacturing process of a beam portion of the ink jet recording head according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a manufacturing process of a beam portion of the ink jet recording head according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a main part of an inkjet recording head according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a manufacturing process of a beam portion of the ink jet recording head according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a main part of an inkjet recording head according to a third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing a step of manufacturing a beam part of the ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a plan view and a cross-sectional view of main parts showing a beam part of an ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view of an ink jet recording head according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a sectional view of an ink jet recording head according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a schematic view of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 flow path forming substrate 12 pressure generating chamber 50 elastic film 60 lower electrode film 70 piezoelectric film 80 upper electrode film 90 spacer 100 second substrate 110 lead electrode 111, 111A to 111D beam portion 112 contact portion 113 compression layer 114 tensile layer 115 second compression layer 116 overhang 300 piezoelectric element 320 piezoelectric active part

Claims (20)

[Claims] 1. An element structure comprising an element provided on one side of a substrate and a wiring electrically connected to the element, wherein the element is provided in a region of the substrate facing the element, and An element structure comprising: a beam portion capable of being elastically deformed in a predetermined thickness direction, and an electrical contact portion between the element and the wiring is provided on the beam portion. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the beam portion is provided so as to project toward the element from a second substrate provided opposite to the element side of the substrate. Element structure. 3. The beam according to claim 1, wherein:
An element structure, wherein the element is a cantilever which is deformed in advance toward the element before connecting the element and the contact portion. 4. The element structure according to claim 3, wherein the beam is a cantilever deformed toward the element due to a difference in internal stress in a thickness direction of the beam. 5. The device structure according to claim 3, wherein the contact portion provided on the beam portion is formed substantially parallel to a surface of the device. 6. The element structure according to claim 5, wherein a base end side of said beam portion is curved convexly on a side opposite to said element side and convexly convex on a tip side thereof. . 7. The device according to claim 5, wherein the base end side of the beam portion has a relatively high tensile strength on the element side, and the contact portion has a different residual strength such that the tensile strength on the element side is relatively low. An element structure, wherein the beam portion is formed by patterning a film having distortion. 8. The element structure according to claim 3, wherein the beam portion is wound with the element side inside. 9. The element structure according to claim 1, wherein the beam portion is formed of a ductile material, and is deformed toward the element by plastic deformation. 10. The second substrate according to claim 2, wherein the second substrate has a through hole in a region facing the element, and at least the contact portion of the beam portion faces the through hole. An element structure formed in a region. 11. The element structure according to claim 10, wherein the element and the contact portion are connected via an adhesive member for adhering the element and the contact portion. 12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the adhesive member is solder, and the element and the contact portion are bonded by heating the solder from outside the second substrate through the through hole. An element structure characterized by: 13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the beam portion is formed in a doubly supported beam shape, and a base end of the beam portion is supported so as to be deformable in an in-plane direction of the substrate. Element structure. 14. The contact according to claim 2, wherein the contact portion is connected to a wiring pattern provided on a surface of the second substrate, and the wiring pattern is connected to another element. Element structure characterized by the above-mentioned. 15. The element structure according to claim 2, wherein the second substrate is a silicon substrate. 16. The element structure according to claim 1, wherein the element is formed on a diaphragm. 17. The element structure according to claim 16, wherein compliance of the beam portion is larger than compliance of the diaphragm. 18. The element structure according to claim 16, wherein the element is a piezoelectric element. 19. The method according to claim 16, wherein
An ink jet recording head having a pressure generating chamber communicating with an ink supply port on a side of the vibration plate opposite to the element. 20. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising the ink jet recording head according to claim 19.