JP2000127399A - Electrothermal conversion element substrate, ink jet recording head equipped with it, and ink jet recorder employing it - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To arrange beaters and ink outlets at high density on an electrothermal conversion element substrate while reducing the size thereof without lowering ink ejection performance. SOLUTION: Common electrodes 134 being connected electrically with heating parts 122, 132 through branch joints 134A, respectively, are formed beneath an electrothermal conversion element layer 121 having the heating parts 122, 132 while being stacked through a protective layer 126 and individual electrodes 124, 136 are formed on the upper surface of the electrothermal conversion element layer 121 on the opposite sides of the branch joint 134A.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrothermal conversion element substrate having an electrothermal conversion element layer having a plurality of heat generating portions arranged corresponding to a liquid flow path for guiding a liquid used for recording, and an electrothermal conversion. The present invention relates to an ink jet recording head having an element substrate and an ink jet recording apparatus using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, an ink jet recording apparatus is provided with a recording head for discharging ink as a liquid used for recording. As shown in, for example, JP-A-62-261452 and JP-A-62-261453, a bubble jet type recording head is provided with ink discharge ports from which ink droplets are discharged at predetermined intervals. An ink ejection member having a plurality of formed ink ejection port forming surfaces, and an electrothermal conversion element substrate in which electrothermal conversion element layers are arranged corresponding to respective ink flow paths communicating with the respective ink ejection ports of the ink ejection member. And a printed wiring board for supplying a drive control signal to each electrothermal conversion element layer of the electrothermal conversion element substrate.

The ink ejection member has a common liquid chamber in which a predetermined amount of ink supplied from an ink tank is stored. The common liquid chamber is communicated with one end of each ink flow path formed by partition members arranged in parallel to face each other.
As a result, the ink from the common liquid chamber is distributed to the respective ink flow paths, and the ink is discharged as ink droplets from the ink discharge ports.

In the case of a multi-value recording system in which the size of a droplet to be ejected is changed based on multi-valued recording image data, a plurality of heating elements in a plurality of electro-thermal conversion element layers are used. Are selectively driven.

The electrothermal transducer substrate is disposed between a portion of the ink discharge member where the ink flow path is formed and the printed wiring board, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, for example. , The heat generating portion 8ai (i = 1) of the electrothermal conversion element layer
To n, n is an integer) and the heat generating portion 20ai (i = 1 to n,
(n is an integer) the base portion 6 arranged on one surface corresponding to each ink flow path, the individual electrode layer 10 having one end electrically connected to the heat generating portion 8ai, and the individual electrode layer 10. The individual electrode layers 18 are juxtaposed on the same plane, one end of which is electrically connected to the heat generating portion 20ai, and the other end is electrically connected to the heat generating portions 8ai and 20ai, respectively. A common electrode layer 12 formed on the same plane as above, a protective layer 16 covering all the adjacent heat generating portions 8ai and 20ai, the individual electrode layers 10, and the individual electrode layers 18, and the entire surface of the protective layer 16 And a cavitation-resistant layer 14 to be coated.

In FIGS. 6A and 6B, two ink flow paths 2ai (i = 1) of the ink ejection member are shown.
To n, where n is an integer), and the other parts are omitted.

The heat-generating portion 8ai and the heat-generating portion 20ai are arranged on a common straight line along the ink flow path on the same plane of the base portion 6. The heat generating portion 8ai includes the heat generating portion 20.
It is arranged at a position closer to the ink ejection port of the ink ejection member than ai. The capacity (calorific value) of the heat generating portion 8ai is smaller than the capacity (calorific value) of the heat generating portion 20ai.

A reference power supply for supplying a predetermined power is connected to the other end of the common electrode layer 12 formed on the heating portions 8ai and 20ai.

The cavitation-resistant layer 14 whose surface is formed with undulations is used for the partition members 4 of the ink ejection member.
ai (i = 1 to n, where n is an integer) has a shallow groove corresponding to each partition member 4ai and an elongated groove 14a corresponding to each partition member 4ai.

The adjacent ink flow path 2ai is formed between one end of the partition member 4ai of the ink ejection member and the anti-cavitation layer 1a.
4 are formed independently without being connected to each other by being brought into close contact with a predetermined pressure.

At this time, the number of ink ejection ports has tended to increase recently due to the demand for high resolution of the obtained recorded image. Therefore, the distance between adjacent ink flow paths and the adjacent heat generating portions 8ai have been increasing. The distance between the heat generating portions 20ai is also reduced.

[0012]

As described above, a plurality of heat generating portions 8ai and heat generating portions 20ai are formed in a straight line on the same plane for each ink flow path, and the individual electrode layers 10 and 18 are shared with each other. When the electrode layers 12 are formed in parallel on the same plane, the wiring and routing between each electrode layer and the reference power supply are complicated and relatively large.

In order to increase the density by increasing the number of ink discharge ports, the width of each heater and the individual electrode layer 10
And 18, it is conceivable to narrow the width of each ink flow path by making the width of the common electrode layer 12 narrower. However, narrowing the width of each heat generating portion may lower the heating efficiency and lower the ink ejection performance. There is a certain limit in reducing the width of the individual electrode layers 10 and 18 and the common electrode layer 12 because the wiring resistance increases. Therefore, it is not easy to increase the density of the heat generating portion and the ink discharge ports of the electrothermal conversion element substrate and to downsize the electrothermal conversion element substrate.

In view of the above problems, the present invention provides an electrothermal conversion element substrate having an electrothermal conversion element having a plurality of heating portions arranged corresponding to a liquid flow path for guiding a liquid used for recording; An ink jet recording head including an electrothermal transducer element substrate, and an ink jet recording apparatus using the same, wherein the density of the heaters and ink ejection ports of the electrothermal transducer element substrate is increased without lowering the ink ejection performance. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrothermal conversion element substrate capable of reducing the size of a heat conversion element substrate, an inkjet recording head including the electrothermal conversion element substrate, and an inkjet recording apparatus using the same.

[0015]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an electrothermal transducer substrate according to the present invention has a plurality of liquid discharge ports each having a liquid discharge port formed at one end side for discharging a liquid used for recording. An electrothermal conversion element layer having a plurality of heat generating portions arranged on a straight line corresponding to the liquid flow paths, and an individual electrode layer electrically connected to the plurality of heat generating portions of the electrothermal conversion element layer, respectively. A common electrode layer formed by being stacked below the electrothermal conversion element layer and the individual electrode layer via an insulating layer, and electrically connected to a plurality of heating portions of the electrothermal conversion element; And a substrate portion on which the individual electrode layer and the common electrode layer are provided.

An ink jet recording head according to the present invention has a liquid discharge member having a plurality of liquid flow paths each having a liquid discharge port through which a liquid used for recording is discharged at one end, and a liquid discharge member at one end used for recording. And a plurality of electrothermal conversion element layers each having a plurality of heat generating portions arranged in a straight line corresponding to a plurality of liquid flow paths each formed with a liquid discharge port through which a liquid to be discharged is formed. And an individual electrode layer electrically connected to each of the heat-generating portions of the electro-thermal conversion element layer and the individual electrode layers. An electrothermal transducer element including an electrically connected common electrode layer, an electrothermal transducer element layer, and a substrate portion provided with the individual electrode layer and the common electrode layer; and an electrothermal transducer element. It is electrically connected to the plate, configured to the common electrode layer of the electrothermal converting element substrate and a wiring board for supplying electric power.

An ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention comprises:
An ink jet recording head for performing a recording operation on a recording surface of a recording medium, a recording head moving means for moving the ink jet recording head relative to the recording surface of the recording medium, and the ink jet recording on the recording head moving means. And a control unit for causing the inkjet recording head to perform a recording operation while performing an operation of relatively moving the head.

[0018]

FIG. 4 shows a main part of an example of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 4 has a guide shaft member 30 whose both ends are supported by the side wall of the casing 26 and guides the carriage 28,
4, a lead screw member 32 whose both ends are supported by the side wall of the casing 26 to reciprocate the carriage 28 in the scanning direction indicated by the arrow Ca or Cb in FIG. A carriage section 28 slidably supported on the lead screw member 32 and selectively fitted with the ink cartridge 36; and a paper 22 serving as a recording medium disposed substantially parallel to the lead screw member 32. Roller unit 38 for transporting the sheet in a sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the scanning direction of the carriage unit 28, and a platen roller unit 38 connected to one end of the platen roller unit 38.
Paper transport motor 3 for rotating the paper and transporting the paper 22
5 and the lead screw member 3 via the speed reduction mechanism RG.
And a carriage driving motor 60 that drives the rotation of the carriage 2 as main components.

The platen roller unit 38
And a pair of rollers for nipping and transporting the paper, one of which is connected to the paper transport motor 35. Between the platen roller unit 38 and the carriage unit 28,
The recording surface 22a of the sheet 22 is placed on the platen roller unit 38.
A pressing plate 40 that presses to the side is provided. Thereby, the paper transport motor 35 is controlled by the control unit 10 described later.
When the driving is controlled based on the driving control signal from 6,
The sheet 22 is fed in the direction indicated by the arrow H.

The lead screw member 32 has a spiral groove 32a which is engaged with an engagement pin provided in an engagement hole 28a of the carriage portion 28. At one end of the lead screw member 32, a gear 42 in the reduction mechanism RG is provided. The reduction mechanism RG includes a gear 42 fixed to one end of the lead screw member 32, a gear 44 meshed with the gear 42 and having a module larger than the gear 42, and an output of the carriage driving motor 60 meshed with the gear 44. And a gear 46 connected to the shaft. Thereby, the carriage driving motor 60
When drive is controlled based on a drive control signal from the control unit 106 described later, the lead screw member 32 is rotated in the forward or reverse direction via the speed reduction mechanism RG, and the carriage 28 is moved along the scanning direction. It will be reciprocated.

When the carriage 28 is at a predetermined home position (standby position) around the carriage driving motor 60 and the speed reduction mechanism RG, the carriage 2
8, the recording head 7 of the ink cartridge 36
A recovery processing device 48 that is disposed to face the plurality of ink ejection ports 5 and performs a suction recovery process of the recording head 75 is provided. Further, between the recovery processing device 48 and the platen roller unit 38, when the ink cartridge 36 mounted on the carriage unit 28 is moved, a cleaning blade 50 for wiping dirt on the ink discharge port forming surface of the recording head 75 is provided. And a supporting movable member 52 that supports the cleaning blade 50 and moves the cleaning blade 50 toward the ink ejection port forming surface of the recording head 75 in accordance with the timing of the movement of the recording head 75. The support movable member 52 is moved by a driving unit that is interlocked with a carriage driving motor 60.

Further, at a predetermined home position between the lead screw member 32 and the guide shaft member 30, a home position detecting section 54 for detecting that the lever member 28d provided at the bottom of the carriage section 28 is at the home position. Are arranged. The home position detection unit 54 is, for example, a photocoupler,
The detection output signal is sent to the control unit 106.

When the carriage driving motor 60 is operated, the carriage portion 28 includes a guide shaft member 30 fitted in the fitting hole 28b, and the engaging hole 28b.
While being slidably supported by the lead screw member 32 engaged with a, the slider is reciprocated by a predetermined moving amount.

Further, in an example of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5, a control block including a recording head operation control unit 114 for controlling the operation of the recording head 75 is additionally provided. It has.

The control block includes a communication section 102 to which image data DG and control data DC from a host computer 100 installed separately from the ink jet recording apparatus are supplied, and an image data DG transferred from the communication section 102.
Is selectively stored via the transmission path 104 and the image data DMG read from the image data memory unit 110 for selectively transmitting the stored image data DG. Image processing unit 112 that performs conversion processing and obtains recording operation control data group DD
And an image data memory unit 110 through the transmission path 104,
The control unit 10 that controls the operations of the image processing unit 112, the motor drive control unit 108, and the printhead operation control unit 114.
6 as a main element.

The communication unit 102 includes, for example, an interface circuit (IEEE1284). When the image data DG and the control data DC for one scan or every predetermined number of scans are supplied from the host computer 100, The communication unit 102 is in a receiving state.
When data representing the storage capacity of the image data memory unit 110 is supplied from the control unit 106, the transmission state is set to send the data to the host computer 100.

The control unit 106 controls the motor drive control unit 108 based on the control data DC obtained through the transmission path 104 to control the carriage drive motor 60 and the sheet transport motor 35 to perform predetermined operations. It is assumed to supply DM. Further, the control unit 106 forms the ejection timing data DT of the recording head 75 synchronized with the movement of the carriage unit 28 based on the detection output signal Se from the encoder unit provided in the carriage unit 28, and sends it out.

The motor drive control unit 108 controls the control data group DM to reciprocate the carriage unit 28 by a predetermined distance.
, A drive control signal is formed based on the control data group DM, and the drive control signal is supplied to the carriage drive motor 60 and the paper Pa is intermittently conveyed a predetermined distance in accordance with the recording operation of the recording head 75. A drive control signal is formed and supplied to the paper transport motor 35.

The image data memory unit 110 stores, for example, 1
Each pixel has a predetermined number of bits, and the supplied image data DG is sequentially written for each specified memory address. Further, the image data memory unit 110 stores the data for one scan stored at the specified memory address. Is supplied to the image processing unit 112.

The image processing unit 112 includes, for example, a multi-value / binary conversion unit for performing a binarization process on the image data DMG from the image data memory unit 110, and a binary value from the multi-value / binary conversion unit. Distribution processing unit for distributing the digitized data to the recording head 75, and raster BJ conversion for matching the arrangement of the binarized data distributed from the signal distribution processing unit to the arrangement of the ejection openings of the recording head 75 And a registration adjustment unit that performs registration adjustment and sends the print operation control data group DD to the print head operation control unit 114.

When the recording head 75 and the carriage unit 28 move, the recording head operation control unit 114 controls the ejection timing from the control unit 106 based on the recording operation control data group DD so that the recording head 75 performs the recording operation. Drive control pulse signal group P synchronized with data DT
B and supply them to the recording head 75 respectively.

Thus, the recording head 75 moves the paper Pa
The recording operation is performed on the recording surface.

The recording head 75 of the ink cartridge 36
Is, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, an electrothermal conversion element substrate 76 which is an example of the electrothermal conversion element substrate according to the present invention.
, An ink discharge member 78, and a pressing spring 80 for pressing the ink discharge member 78 toward the electrothermal transducer substrate 76.
And an ink supply / distribution member 82 for supplying / distributing ink to the ink ejection member 78, and a printed wiring board 74 as main elements.

The printed wiring board 74 includes an electrode surface portion 74a on which the electrothermal transducer substrate 76 is fixed, and an electrode surface portion 74.
a circuit part 74d that is electrically connected to a and transmits a drive control signal group, and a circuit part 74 that is electrically connected to the circuit part 74d.
contact pad 74b for sending a group of drive control signals to
And

The printed wiring board 74 has a pair of fixed shafts 68a provided on one end surface of an ink tank 68 to be described later. It is fixed on one end surface. Further, the printed wiring board 74 is positioned at one end surface of the ink tank 68 at a predetermined position by engaging the connection member with a pair of positioning members 68d provided at one end surface of the ink tank 68. . The contact pad 74b is connected to one end of a flexible cable (not shown). The flexible cable supplies a control signal group from the control unit 106 to the contact pad 74b.

The ink supply / distribution member 82 communicates with the supply path 82b connected to the supply path 68b of the ink tank 68 through the through-hole of the printed wiring board 74 and the through-hole of the connection member. And a supply path 82a connected to the connection portion 78a of the discharge member 78. In addition, the ink supply / distribution member 82 cooperates with the presser spring 80 and the electrothermal transducer substrate 76 to form an engagement portion 82d for nipping the periphery of the ink ejection port forming surface of the ink ejection member 78, and 74 electrode surface 74a
At the site corresponding to.

The ink discharge member 78 has a common liquid chamber communicating with a connection portion 78a connected to the supply path 82a of the ink supply / distribution member 82. The common liquid chamber has a volume for storing a predetermined amount of ink, and communicates with one end of each of the plurality of ink flow paths. Each ink channel 78bi (i =
1 to n, where n is an integer), as shown in FIG.
The two partition members 78ai (i = 1 to n, n is an integer) and the electrothermal transducer substrate 76 are provided at predetermined intervals in parallel with each other at a portion opposed to the portion 6.

At the other end of each ink passage 78bi, an ink discharge port is formed. The ink ejection ports are formed in a line on the ink ejection port forming surface 78p of the ink ejection member 78 in a straight line at a predetermined interval.

The electrothermal conversion element substrate 76 includes a base 84
And an insulating layer 118 as a heat storage layer disposed on one end surface of the base portion 84 so as to correspond to each of the ink flow paths 78bi.
And a common electrode layer 134 mounted on the insulating layer 118;
Heating portions 122 and 132 of the electrothermal conversion element layer 121 disposed on the common electrode layer 134 via the protective layer 126;
An anti-cavitation layer that covers the individual electrode layers 124 and 136 having one ends connected to the heat generating sections 122 and 132, the heat generating sections 122 and 132, the common electrode layer 134, and the individual electrode layers 124 and 136 via the protective layer 128. 130 are included. In FIGS. 1A and 1B, a plurality of ink flow paths 78 are shown.
A portion corresponding to a part of bi is shown as a representative, and other portions are omitted.

The base 84 is formed of, for example, a single-crystal silicon material having a predetermined thickness.

Each insulating layer 118 is formed of, for example, silicon oxide at a position corresponding to each ink flow path 78bi. Each insulating layer 118 has a thickness of thermal oxidation, sputtering,
It is formed to have a thickness of about 1.8 (μm) by a CVD method or the like. The distance between the adjacent insulating layers 118 is set to be slightly larger than the thickness of the partition member 78ai.

For example, the common electrode 1 made of aluminum to a thickness of about 5100 (angstrom)
Reference numeral 34 is formed at a substantially central portion of a portion corresponding to the ink flow path 78bi. As shown in FIG. 2, the end of the common electrode 134 on the ink ejection port side is
Extends to a position below.

In the portion between the individual electrode 124 and the individual electrode 136 in the common electrode 134, a hole 13 is formed substantially in the center thereof.
A branch connection portion 134A having 4a is formed. Accordingly, the power supplied through the common electrode 134 is
Heat generation unit 1 to be described later through branch connection portion 134A
22 and 132.

Both ends in the width direction of the ink flow path 78bi of the common electrode 134 are opposed to the partition member 78ai at a predetermined interval. After the common electrode 134 is formed to a predetermined film pressure by a sputtering method, it is formed by dry etching using a mixed gas (BCI3, CI2, N2). The mixing ratio of each gas in the mixed gas is
For example, they are 46, 36, and 18 (%), respectively.

The common electrode 134 is covered with a protective layer 126 as an insulating film. The protective layer 126 is, for example,
It is formed of silicon oxide to a thickness of about 1.2 (μm). The hole 134a of the branch connection portion 134A is formed by, for example, etching using ammonium fluoride.

The electrothermal conversion element layer 121 is formed into a thin film by a reactive sputtering method using a target material of, for example, tantalum and a silicon alloy. The heat generating parts 122 and 132 of the electrothermal conversion element layer 121
Each of them is arranged at a predetermined interval on a common straight line on the base portion 84 with the branch connection portion 134A of the common electrode 134 interposed therebetween. The heat generating parts 122 and 132
As shown in FIG. 1 (B), each has extension portions 122a and 132a extending to a portion corresponding to a space between two adjacent insulating layers 118, respectively.

At this time, the heat generating section 122 is
In bi, it is arranged closer to the ink ejection port than the heat generating portion 132. The amount of heat generated by the heating unit 122 is determined by the heating unit 1.
It is smaller than the heat value of 32.

The individual electrode layer 124 connected to one side of the heat generating portion 122 and the individual electrode layer 136 connected to one side of the heat generating portion 132 are respectively connected to the branch connection portion 134A of the common electrode 134 and the electrothermal conversion element. On the same plane on the upper surface of the layer 121, it is formed in a thin film shape of, for example, aluminum.

The individual electrode layer 124 includes a connecting portion 124A connected to one end of the heat generating portion 122, a partition member 78ai adjacent to the connecting portion 124A and the other individual electrode 124.
Extension portion 124D extending to the vicinity, and extension portion 124D
The ink flow path 78 is formed on the upper surface of the extending portion 122a of the heat generating portion 122 while being connected to the connecting portion 124A and bent.
and a connecting portion 124B extending along bi.

The position of the connecting portion 124B of the individual electrode layer 124 in the thickness direction is determined by the connecting portion 124A and the extending portion 124A.
D is lower than that position. In addition, a step having a predetermined height is formed between the connecting portion 124B of the individual electrode layer 124 and the extending portion 124D of another adjacent individual electrode layer 124. In addition, the connecting portion 124
The other end of B is connected to a predetermined terminal. The individual electrode layer 136 has a connection part connected to the heat generating part 132. The connecting portion has the same width as the width of the heat generating portion 132 in the ink ejection port arrangement direction.

The common electrode layer 134, the individual electrode layers 124 and the individual electrode layers 136, and the heat generating portions 122 and 132 in each ink flow path 78bi are covered with a common protective layer 128.

The protective layer 128 is formed of, for example, silicon nitride or silicon oxide to a thickness of about 1.0 (μm) by a plasma CVD method.

The anti-cavitation layer 130 covering most of the protective layer 128 is formed by sputtering, for example, to about 2300 (angstrom) of tantalum. The anti-cavitation layer 130 is
A relatively shallow concave portion is provided at a position corresponding to a portion between the common electrode layer 120 and the individual electrode layer 124 and the individual electrode layer 136 corresponding to each ink flow path 78bi. further,
A recess 13 that regulates the relative position of the partition member 78ai between the adjacent ink flow paths 78bi with respect to the common electrode layer 120, the individual electrode layer 124, and the individual electrode layer 136.
0a is formed corresponding to the partition member 78ai.
The recess 130a has, for example, a depth of about 1.0 (μm) and a width corresponding to the thickness of the partition member 78ai. Therefore, each partition member 7 of the ink ejection member 78
8ai corresponds to the recess 13 of the electrothermal transducer substrate 76.
Since the ink ejection member 78 and the electrothermal conversion element substrate 76 are assembled in a state where the ink ejection member 78 is securely fitted to the bottom of the bottom of Oa, ink leakage between the ink flow paths 78bi is reliably avoided.

As described above, since the common electrode layer 134 and the individual electrode layers 124 and 136 are arranged in multiple layers, the occupied area of each electrode layer corresponding to each ink flow path 78bi is reduced. , Adjacent ink flow paths 7
It is also possible to reduce the distance between 8bi and increase the density of the ink ejection ports.

Further, in forming the above-described branch connection portion 134A, individual electrode layer 124, and 136, first, after the electrothermal conversion element layer 121 is formed on the protective layer 126, a thin film is formed by 5500 ( Ang Strong)
Is formed on the electrothermal conversion element layer 121 with aluminum by sputtering.

Subsequently, unnecessary portions of the electrothermal transducer layer 121 and the thin film thereof are defined by a patterning process using a photolithography method, and the unnecessary portions are removed by a predetermined etching process. Then, the portion of the remaining thin film facing the heat generating portions 122 and 132 in the electrothermal conversion element layer 121, the individual electrode layer 1
24 and 136 are removed by an etching process based on predetermined patterning, so that the branch connection portion 134A, the individual electrode layers 124, and 136 are removed.
Is formed.

In the above-described example, the present invention is applied to the recording head 75 for ejecting ink. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example, and one example of the present invention is a recording head for ejecting a processing liquid for insolubilizing an ink dye. 75 may be applied.

[0059]

As apparent from the above description, according to the electrothermal transducer element substrate, the ink jet recording head having the electrothermal transducer element substrate, and the ink jet recording apparatus using the same according to the present invention, the common electrode Layers are formed by stacking an electrothermal conversion element layer having a plurality of heating portions arranged in a straight line corresponding to the plurality of liquid flow paths and an individual electrode layer with an insulating layer interposed therebetween. Since each of the plurality of heat generating portions of the conversion element layer is electrically connected to each other, the density of the heaters and ink discharge ports of the electrothermal conversion element substrate and the size of the electrothermal conversion element substrate are reduced without lowering the ink discharge performance. Can be achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a plan view showing a main part of an example of an electrothermal transducer substrate according to the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. It is.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of an ink jet recording head including the electrothermal conversion element substrate according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a recording apparatus using an example of an ink jet recording head including an electrothermal conversion element substrate according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control block provided in the example shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6A is a plan view showing a main part of a conventional electrothermal conversion element substrate. (B) is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line BB in (A).

[Explanation of symbols]

 75 recording head 76 electrothermal conversion element substrate 78 ink discharge member 78bi ink flow path 84 base 106 control unit 114 recording head operation control section 121 electrothermal conversion element layer 122, 132 heating section 124, 136 individual electrode layer 126 protective layer 134 Common electrode 134A Branch connection

Claims (11)

[Claims] An electrothermal converter having a plurality of heat generating portions arranged on a straight line corresponding to a plurality of liquid flow paths each having a liquid discharge port through which a liquid used for recording is discharged on one end side. An element layer, an individual electrode layer electrically connected to each of the plurality of heat-generating portions of the electrothermal conversion element layer, and a stack of insulating layers below the electrothermal conversion element layer and the individual electrode layer via an insulating layer. A substrate formed and provided with a common electrode layer electrically connected to each of the plurality of heat generating portions of the electrothermal conversion element layer, the electrothermal conversion element layer, the individual electrode layer, and the common electrode layer And an electrothermal conversion element substrate comprising: 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the common electrode layer is electrically connected to a branch connecting portion formed between the plurality of heat generating portions of the electrothermal transducer layer, and the plurality of heat generating portions are connected to the branch connecting portion. The electric heat conversion element substrate according to claim 1, wherein electric power is supplied from the common electrode layer through the respective electrodes. 3. The electrothermal conversion element substrate according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of heat generating portions of the electrothermal conversion element layer have different heat generating capacities per unit time. 4. A liquid discharge member having a plurality of liquid flow paths each having a liquid discharge port formed on one end side for discharging a liquid used for recording, and a liquid discharged on one end side for discharging a liquid used for recording. An electrothermal conversion element layer having a plurality of heat generating portions arranged in a straight line corresponding to a plurality of liquid flow paths each having a discharge port formed therein; and a plurality of heat generating portions of the electrothermal conversion element layer, respectively. An individual electrode layer that is electrically connected to the plurality of heat generating portions of the electrothermal conversion element layer, the stack being formed below the electrothermal conversion element layer and the individual electrode layer via an insulating layer. An electrothermal conversion element substrate including: a common electrode layer that is electrically connected; the electrothermal conversion element layer; and a substrate portion on which the individual electrode layer and the common electrode layer are provided. Is electrically connected to the plate, the ink jet recording head configured respectively to the common electrode layer of the electric converting element substrate comprises a wiring board for supplying power, a. 5. The common electrode layer is electrically connected to a branch connecting portion formed between a plurality of heat generating portions of the electrothermal conversion element layer, and the plurality of heat generating portions are connected to the branch connecting portion. 5. The ink jet recording head according to claim 4, wherein electric power is supplied through each of the ink jet recording heads. 6. The ink jet recording head according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of heat generating portions of the electrothermal transducer layer have different heat generating capacities per unit time. 7. An ink jet recording head according to claim 4, which performs a recording operation on a recording surface of a recording medium, and a recording head for moving said ink jet recording head relative to the recording surface of said recording medium. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising: a moving unit; and a control unit that causes the recording head moving unit to perform an operation of relatively moving the inkjet recording head and causes the inkjet recording head to perform a recording operation. . 8. An ink jet recording head according to claim 5, which performs a recording operation on a recording surface of a recording medium, and a recording head for moving said ink jet recording head relative to a recording surface of said recording medium. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising: a moving unit; and a control unit that causes the recording head moving unit to perform an operation of relatively moving the inkjet recording head and causes the inkjet recording head to perform a recording operation. . 9. An ink jet recording head according to claim 6, which performs a recording operation on a recording surface of a recording medium, and a recording head for moving said ink jet recording head relative to the recording surface of said recording medium. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising: a moving unit; and a control unit that causes the recording head moving unit to perform an operation of relatively moving the inkjet recording head and causes the inkjet recording head to perform a recording operation. . 10. The ink jet recording head according to claim 4, wherein the liquid is ink or a processing liquid for insolubilizing the ink. 11. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the liquid is ink or a processing liquid for insolubilizing the ink.