JP2001205815A - Ink-jet recording head and ink-jet recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink-jet recording head in which a diaphragm rigidity is improved and pressure generation chambers can be highly densely arranged, its manufacturing method and an ink-jet recording apparatus. SOLUTION: This ink-jet recording head has a channel formation substrate 10 where pressure generation chambers 12 having at least a silicon layer of single crystal silicon and communicating with nozzle openings 21 are partitioned, and piezoelectric elements 300 set to a region opposite to the pressure generation chambers 12 via diaphragms constituting part of the pressure generation chambers 12 for generating a pressure change in the pressure generation chambers 1. The recording head has a join substrate 20 to be joined to the side of the piezoelectric elements 300 of the channel formation substrate 10. The nozzle openings 21 are set to the join substrate 20.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pressure generating chamber which communicates with a nozzle opening for discharging ink droplets, which is constituted by a vibrating plate. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an ink jet recording head and an ink jet recording apparatus for ejecting ink droplets by means of a printer.

[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 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.

Further, in such an ink jet type recording head, since the pressure generating chamber penetrates in the thickness direction by, for example, etching from the surface of the substrate opposite to the piezoelectric element, the dimensional accuracy is reduced. High pressure generating chambers can be relatively easily and densely arranged.

[0008]

However, in such an ink jet recording head, when a relatively large substrate having a diameter of, for example, about 6 to 12 inches is to be used as a substrate for forming the pressure generating chamber, Due to problems such as handling, the thickness of the substrate must be increased, and the depth of the pressure generating chamber also increases accordingly. Therefore, unless the thickness of the partition wall that partitions each pressure generating chamber is increased, sufficient rigidity cannot be obtained, crosstalk occurs, and desired discharge characteristics cannot be obtained. Also,
If the thickness of the partition wall is increased, the nozzles cannot be arranged with a high arrangement density, and thus there is a problem that high-resolution printing quality cannot be achieved.

In view of such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording head and an ink jet recording apparatus capable of improving the rigidity of a partition wall and arranging pressure generating chambers at a high density. I do.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a flow path forming a pressure generating chamber having at least a silicon layer made of single crystal silicon and defining a pressure generating chamber communicating with a nozzle opening. An ink jet recording head, comprising: a substrate; and a piezoelectric element provided in a region facing the pressure generation chamber via a vibration plate constituting a part of the pressure generation chamber to generate a pressure change in the pressure generation chamber. , An ink jet recording head having a joining substrate joined to the piezoelectric element side of the flow path forming substrate, wherein the nozzle opening is provided in the joining substrate.

In the first aspect, even if the pressure generating chamber is formed without penetrating the flow path forming substrate, the nozzle opening can be easily formed. Therefore, the pressure generating chambers can be formed relatively shallow, and the rigidity of the partition that partitions each pressure generating chamber is improved.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink jet recording head according to the first aspect, wherein an integrated circuit is integrally formed on the bonding substrate.

According to the second aspect, the integrated circuit is integrally formed on the bonding substrate bonded to the flow path forming substrate, so that the manufacturing process can be simplified, the number of components can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced. Can be.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or the second aspect, the bonding substrate secures a space in a region facing the piezoelectric element in such a manner that the space does not hinder its movement. An ink jet recording head is a sealing plate having a sealable piezoelectric element holding portion.

[0015] In the third aspect, destruction of the piezoelectric element due to the external environment is prevented.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is the ink jet recording head according to the second or third aspect, wherein the integrated circuit is a drive circuit for driving the piezoelectric element.

In the fourth aspect, a drive circuit for driving the piezoelectric element can be formed relatively easily.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect, the integrated circuit is temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the head or a temperature control circuit for controlling the temperature. In the ink jet recording head.

In the fifth aspect, the temperature detecting means or the temperature control circuit can be formed relatively easily.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect, the integrated circuit is ejection number detecting means for detecting the number of ejections of ink droplets ejected from the nozzle openings. Ink-jet recording head.

According to the sixth aspect, the number-of-discharges detecting means can be formed relatively easily.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, the integrated circuit is a humidity control circuit for controlling humidity detecting means for detecting the humidity of the piezoelectric element holding section. In the ink jet recording head.

In the seventh aspect, the humidity control circuit can be formed relatively easily.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the second to seventh aspects, the integrated circuit is provided on a surface of the bonding substrate opposite to a bonding surface with the flow path forming substrate. An ink jet recording head is characterized in that:

In the eighth aspect, the wiring of the integrated circuit can be taken out from the surface of the bonding substrate.

In a ninth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the second to seventh aspects, the integrated circuit is provided on a bonding surface side of the bonding substrate with the flow path forming substrate, and An ink jet recording head is characterized by being electrically connected to an integrated circuit by flip-chip mounting.

In the ninth aspect, the integrated circuit and the piezoelectric element can be directly connected by joining the flow path forming substrate and the joining substrate.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the ninth aspect, a connection wiring for connecting the integrated circuit and an external wiring is formed on the flow path forming substrate, and the integrated circuit and the connection wiring are connected to each other. Are electrically connected by flip-chip mounting.

In the tenth aspect, the integrated circuit and the connection wiring can be directly connected by joining the flow path forming substrate and the joining substrate.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the ninth or tenth aspect, the integrated circuit and the piezoelectric element or the connection wiring are connected by an anisotropic conductive material. In the recording head.

In the eleventh aspect, the integrated circuit can be relatively easily and reliably connected to the piezoelectric element or the connection wiring.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink jet recording head according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, wherein the bonding substrate comprises a single crystal silicon substrate.

In the twelfth aspect, an integrated circuit can be formed relatively easily and integrally with high accuracy on the bonding substrate.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to twelfth aspects, the pressure generating chamber is formed on one surface side of the flow path forming substrate without penetrating the flow path forming substrate. In addition, a reservoir for supplying ink to the pressure generating chamber is formed on the other surface side of the flow path forming substrate.

In the thirteenth aspect, the pressure generating chamber can be formed relatively shallow, and the rigidity of the partition partitioning each pressure generating chamber is improved. Further, a reservoir having a sufficiently large volume with respect to the volume of the pressure generating chamber is provided, and a change in the internal pressure is absorbed by the ink itself in the reservoir.

A fourteenth aspect of the present invention is the ink-jet recording head according to the thirteenth aspect, wherein the reservoir is in direct communication with the pressure generating chamber.

In the fourteenth aspect, ink is supplied directly from the reservoir to each pressure generating chamber.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the thirteenth aspect, an ink communication passage communicating with one longitudinal end of the pressure generating chamber is formed on one surface side of the flow path forming substrate, An ink jet recording head is characterized in that a reservoir communicates with the ink communication passage.

In the fifteenth aspect, since the ink is supplied from the reservoir to each of the pressure generating chambers via the ink communication passage, even if the cross-sectional area of the communication portion between the reservoir and the ink communication passage varies, the ink is formed in the narrow portion. Can be controlled, and variations in ink ejection characteristics among the pressure generating chambers can be reduced.

A sixteenth aspect of the present invention is the ink jet recording head according to the fifteenth aspect, wherein the ink communication path is provided for each of the pressure generating chambers.

In the sixteenth aspect, ink is supplied from the reservoir to each pressure generating chamber via an ink communication passage provided for each pressure generating chamber.

A seventeenth aspect of the present invention is the ink jet recording head according to the fifteenth aspect, wherein the ink communication path is provided continuously in a direction in which the pressure generating chambers are arranged. It is in.

In the seventeenth aspect, ink is supplied from the reservoir to each pressure generating chamber via a common ink communication passage.

According to an eighteenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the thirteenth to seventeenth aspects, the pressure generation chamber and the nozzle opening are provided at a longitudinal end side of the pressure generation chamber opposite to the reservoir. And an ink jet recording head characterized by being provided with a nozzle communication passage communicating with the ink jet recording head.

In the eighteenth mode, the ink is supplied stably from the reservoir to the pressure generating chamber, and the ink is satisfactorily discharged from the nozzle opening.

A nineteenth aspect of the present invention is the ink jet recording head according to the eighteenth aspect, wherein the nozzle communication path is formed by removing the diaphragm.

In the nineteenth aspect, the nozzle communication path can be easily formed.

The twentieth aspect of the present invention is directed to the eighteenth or nineteenth aspect.
In the ink jet recording head, the inner surface of the nozzle communication passage is covered with an adhesive.

In the twentieth aspect, peeling of the diaphragm by ink passing through the nozzle communication path is prevented.

A twenty-first aspect of the present invention is the ink jet recording head according to any one of the first to twentieth aspects, wherein the flow path forming substrate comprises only the silicon layer.

In the twenty-first aspect, the pressure generating chamber is defined only by the silicon layer.

According to a twenty-second aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to twentieth aspects, the flow path forming substrate comprises an SOI substrate having a silicon layer on both surfaces of an insulator layer. In the recording head.

In the twenty-second aspect, patterning of the pressure generating chamber, the reservoir, and the like can be performed relatively easily and accurately.

According to a twenty-third aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to twentieth aspects, the flow path forming substrate comprises a substrate having a silicon layer on both sides of at least a boron-doped polysilicon layer. In the ink jet recording head.

In the twenty-third aspect, patterning of the pressure generating chamber and the reservoir can be performed relatively easily and accurately.

According to a twenty-fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to twenty-third aspects, the plane orientation of the silicon layer constituting the flow path forming substrate is a (100) plane. In the recording head.

In the twenty-fourth aspect, the reservoir and the like can be formed with high precision even by wet etching.

According to a twenty-fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the ink jet recording head according to the twenty-fourth aspect, wherein the pressure generating chamber has a substantially triangular cross section.

In the twenty-fifth aspect, since the strength of the partition wall between the pressure generating chambers is significantly improved, the pressure generating chambers can be arranged at a high density and crosstalk can be prevented.

According to a twenty-sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to twenty-fifth aspects, the pressure generating chamber is formed by anisotropic etching, and each of the layers constituting the diaphragm and the piezoelectric element is formed as a film. And an ink jet recording head formed by a lithography method.

In the twenty-sixth aspect, a large number of ink jet recording heads having high-density nozzle openings can be manufactured relatively easily.

According to a twenty-seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink jet recording apparatus comprising the ink jet recording head according to any one of the first to twenty-sixth aspects.

In the twenty-seventh aspect, it is possible to realize an ink jet recording apparatus in which the ink ejection characteristics of the head are improved and the density is increased.

[0064]

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, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a pressure generating chamber of the ink jet recording head. And a plan view.

As shown in the figure, the flow path forming substrate 10 in which the pressure generating chamber 12 is formed is, for example, 150 μm to 1 mm.
And a pressure generating chamber 12 partitioned by a plurality of partition walls 11 by anisotropic etching in a surface layer portion on one surface side of the silicon single crystal substrate having a plane orientation of (100). ing.

At one end in the longitudinal direction of each pressure generating chamber 12, an ink communication section 13 which is a relay chamber for connecting a reservoir 15 and the pressure generating chamber 12, which will be described later, has a width larger than that of the pressure generating chamber 12. It communicates via a narrow narrow portion 14. In addition, the ink communication portion 13 and the narrow portion 14 are
It is formed together with the pressure generating chamber 12 by anisotropic etching. The narrow portion 14 is for controlling the flow of ink into and out of the pressure generating chamber 12.

This anisotropic etching may be performed by either wet etching or dry etching. The silicon single crystal substrate is etched halfway in the thickness direction (half etching) to form the pressure generating chamber 12.
Is formed shallow, and its depth can be adjusted by the etching time of the half etching.

In this embodiment, the ink communication unit 13
Is provided for each of the pressure generating chambers 12, but is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 2C, ink communication that communicates with all the pressure generating chambers 12 via the narrow portion 14 is provided. The ink communication unit 13A may be a part of a reservoir 15 described later.

On the other hand, on the other side of the flow path forming substrate 10,
A reservoir 15 is formed which communicates with each ink communication portion 13 and supplies ink to each pressure generating chamber 12. The reservoir 15 is formed from the other side of the flow path forming substrate 10 by anisotropic etching using a predetermined mask, in this embodiment, by wet etching. In this embodiment, since the reservoir 15 is formed by wet etching, the reservoir 15 has a shape in which the opening area increases toward the other surface of the flow path forming substrate 10. The volume is sufficiently larger than the volume.

In this embodiment, the flow path forming substrate 10
Is used, a silicon single crystal substrate having a plane orientation of (100) is used.
Can be formed with high accuracy.

In the vicinity of the end of the flow path forming substrate 10,
A predetermined integrated circuit, in the present embodiment, a drive circuit 16 for driving the piezoelectric element 300 is integrally formed over the direction in which the pressure generating chambers 12 are arranged.

An elastic film 50 having a thickness of 1 to 2 μm, made of an insulating layer such as zirconium oxide (ZrO ₂ ), is provided on such a flow path forming substrate 10. One surface of the elastic film 50 constitutes one wall surface of the pressure generating chamber 12.

Each pressure generating chamber 1 on such an elastic film 50
In the region opposed to 2, the thickness is, for example, about 0.5 μm
A lower electrode film 60, a piezoelectric layer 70 having a thickness of, for example, about 1 μm, and an upper electrode film 80 having a thickness of, for example, about 0.1 μm are laminated and formed by a process described later, and the piezoelectric element 30 is formed.
0. Here, the piezoelectric element 300 refers to a portion including the lower electrode film 60, the piezoelectric layer 70, and the upper electrode film 80. In general, one of the electrodes of the piezoelectric element 300 is used as a common electrode, and the other electrode and the piezoelectric layer 70 are patterned for each of the pressure generating chambers 12. Here, a portion which is constituted by one of the patterned electrodes and the piezoelectric layer 70 and in which a piezoelectric strain is generated by applying a voltage to both electrodes is referred to as a piezoelectric active portion. In the present embodiment, the lower electrode film 60 is a common electrode of the piezoelectric element 300, and the upper electrode film 80 is an individual electrode of the piezoelectric element 300.
Even if this is reversed for convenience of the drive circuit and wiring, there is no problem.
In any case, the piezoelectric active portion is formed for each pressure generating chamber. Further, here, the piezoelectric element 300 and the elastic film whose displacement is generated by driving the piezoelectric element 300 are collectively referred to as a piezoelectric actuator.

A lead electrode 90 extends on the elastic film 50 between the upper electrode film 80 of each piezoelectric element 300 and the drive circuit 16 provided integrally with the flow path forming substrate 10. And each lead electrode 90 and the driving circuit 16
The elastic films 50 are electrically connected to each other via connection holes 51 provided in a region facing the drive circuit 16.

Further, the elastic film 50 and the lower electrode film 60 are removed in the vicinity of the end of the pressure generating chamber 12 opposite to the ink communicating portion 13 in the longitudinal direction to communicate with the nozzle opening 21 described later. A nozzle communication hole 52 is provided for each pressure generating chamber 12.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a nozzle communicating with each pressure generating chamber 12 through a nozzle communication hole 52 is provided on the elastic film 50 and the lower electrode film 60 on which the piezoelectric element 300 is formed. A nozzle plate 20 having an opening 21 is provided. This nozzle plate 20 is, for example,
A piezoelectric element holding portion 22 that is made of a single-crystal silicon substrate and has a space that does not hinder the movement of the piezoelectric element 300 is provided in a region facing the piezoelectric element 300 and that can seal the space. The piezoelectric element 300 is sealed in the piezoelectric element holding section 22.

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 21 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 21 need to be formed with a diameter of several tens of μm with high accuracy.

The nozzle plate 20 is fixed on the elastic film 50 and the lower electrode film 60 with an adhesive or the like. At this time, the nozzle communication holes 52 formed in the elastic film 50 and the lower electrode film 60 are formed. Preferably, the inner surface is covered with this adhesive. Accordingly, the inner surface of the ink communication hole 52 is protected, and peeling of the elastic film 50 or the lower electrode film 60 can be prevented.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the nozzle plate 20 in which the nozzle openings 21 are formed is connected to the flow path forming substrate 1.
The pressure generation chamber 12 may be formed without penetrating the flow path forming substrate 10 because the pressure generation chamber 12 is provided on the side of the zero piezoelectric element 300. Therefore, the pressure generating chambers 12 can be formed relatively thin to increase the rigidity of the partition walls 11 that partition the respective pressure generating chambers 12, and a plurality of pressure generating chambers 12 can be arranged at a high density. Further, the compliance of the partition 11 is reduced, and the ink ejection characteristics are improved.

Further, since the thickness of the flow path forming substrate 10 can be made relatively large, handling of a large-sized wafer becomes easy. Therefore, the number of chips per wafer can be increased, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Further, since the chip size can be increased, a long head can be manufactured. Moreover,
The occurrence of warpage of the flow path forming substrate is also suppressed, and alignment is facilitated when joining with another member. Even after joining, a change in the characteristics of the piezoelectric element is suppressed, and the ink ejection characteristics are stabilized.

Further, in the present embodiment, the flow path forming substrate 1
The pressure generating chamber 12 is formed on the surface layer on one side of the pressure generating chamber 0, and the reservoir 15 communicating with each pressure generating chamber 12 is formed on the other side. Thus, the volume of the reservoir 15 can be made sufficiently large with respect to the volume of each pressure generating chamber 12, and the ink in the reservoir 15 can have compliance. Therefore, there is no need to separately provide a substrate or the like for absorbing a pressure change in the reservoir 15, and the structure can be simplified and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

The method of manufacturing such an ink jet recording head is not particularly limited, but it can be formed by the steps described below.

First, as shown in FIG. 3A, anisotropic etching is performed on one surface side of a silicon single crystal plate serving as the flow path forming substrate 10 using, for example, a mask of a predetermined shape made of silicon oxide. Thereby, the pressure generating chamber 12, the ink communication portion 13, and the narrow portion 14 are formed. The drive circuit 16 for driving the piezoelectric element is formed integrally on the flow path forming substrate 10 by, for example, a semiconductor process.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the pressure generating chamber 12 formed in the flow path forming substrate 10 and the ink communicating portion 1 are formed.
3 and the narrow portion 14 are filled with the sacrificial layer 100. For example,
In the present embodiment, after the sacrificial layer 100 is formed over the entire surface of the flow path forming substrate 10 with substantially the same thickness as the depth of the pressure generating chambers 12 and the like, the sacrifice layer 100 except for the pressure generating chambers 12, the ink communication part 13, and the narrow part 14 Was formed by removing the sacrificial layer 100 by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP).

Although the material of the sacrificial layer 100 is not particularly limited, for example, polysilicon or phosphorus-doped silicon oxide (PSG) may be used. In this embodiment, PSG having a relatively high etching rate is used. .

The method of forming the sacrificial layer 100 is not particularly limited. For example, ultrafine particles of 1 μm or less
A method called a gas deposition method or a jet molding method in which a film is formed by colliding with a substrate at high speed by the pressure of a gas such as e) may be used. In this method, the pressure generating chamber 12 and the ink communication section 13
In addition, the sacrifice layer 100 can be partially formed only in a region corresponding to the narrow portion 14.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3C, an elastic film 50 is formed on the flow path forming substrate 10 and the sacrificial layer 100.
In the present embodiment, the protective film 5 serving as a mask when forming the reservoir 15 is formed on the other surface of the flow path forming substrate 10.
5 is formed. For example, in this embodiment, after forming a zirconium layer on both surfaces of the flow path forming substrate 10, for example, 500
The elastic film 50 and the protective film 55 made of zirconium oxide were thermally oxidized in a diffusion furnace at about 1200 ° C.

The material of the elastic film 50 and the protective film 55 is not particularly limited, and may be any material that is not etched in the step of forming the reservoir 15 and the step of removing the sacrificial layer 100. Further, the elastic film 50 and the protective film 55
May be formed of different materials. further,
The protective film 55 may be formed in any step as long as it is before the reservoir 15 is formed.

Next, a piezoelectric element 300 is formed on the elastic film 50 corresponding to each pressure generating chamber 12.

The steps for forming the piezoelectric element 300 include:
First, as shown in FIG. 3D, the lower electrode film 60 is formed over the entire surface of the flow path forming substrate 10 on the pressure generating chamber 12 side by sputtering, and is patterned into a predetermined shape.
Preferable materials for the lower electrode film 60 include platinum and iridium. This is because it is necessary to crystallize a piezoelectric layer 70 described later, which is formed by a sputtering method or a sol-gel method, by firing at a temperature of about 600 to 1000 ° C. in an air atmosphere or an oxygen atmosphere after the film formation. Because. That is, the material of the lower electrode film 60 must be able to maintain conductivity under such a high temperature and oxidizing atmosphere. In particular, when the piezoelectric layer 70 is made of lead zirconate titanate (PZT), It is desirable that the change in conductivity due to diffusion of lead oxide is small, and for these reasons, platinum and iridium are preferred.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4A, a piezoelectric layer 70 is formed. For example, in the present embodiment, a so-called sol in which a metal organic material is dissolved and dispersed in a catalyst is applied and dried to form a gel, and then fired at a high temperature to obtain a piezoelectric layer 70 made of a metal oxide. Formed by using As a material for the piezoelectric layer 70, a PZT-based material is suitable when used in an ink jet recording head. The method for forming the piezoelectric layer 70 is not particularly limited. For example, the piezoelectric layer 70 may be formed by a spin coating method such as a sputtering method or a MOD method (organic metal thermal coating decomposition method).

Further, after forming a precursor film of lead zirconate titanate by a sol-gel method, a sputtering method, a MOD method or the like, a method of growing crystals at a low temperature by a high-pressure treatment method in an alkaline aqueous solution may be used. Good.

In any case, in the piezoelectric layer 70 formed as described above, the crystal is preferentially oriented unlike the bulk piezoelectric, and in the present embodiment, the crystal is formed in the piezoelectric layer 70. It is formed in a column shape. Note that the preferential orientation refers to a state in which a crystal orientation direction is not disordered and a specific crystal plane is oriented in a substantially constant direction. In addition, a crystal having a columnar thin film refers to a state in which substantially columnar crystals are gathered in a plane direction with their central axes substantially aligned in the thickness direction to form a thin film. Of course, it may be a thin film formed of preferentially oriented granular crystals. The thickness of the piezoelectric layer manufactured in the thin film process is generally 0.2 to 5 μm.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, an upper electrode film 80 is formed. The upper electrode film 80 only needs to be a material having high conductivity, and can use many metals such as aluminum, gold, nickel, and platinum, and a conductive oxide. In the present embodiment, platinum is formed by sputtering.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4C, the piezoelectric element 300 is patterned by etching only the piezoelectric layer 70 and the upper electrode film 80. In the present embodiment,
At the same time, by removing the elastic film 50 in a region facing the drive circuit 16, a connection hole 51 serving as a connection portion with each piezoelectric element 300 is formed, and the ink communication portion 13 in the longitudinal direction of the pressure generation chamber 12 is formed. Is the elastic film 5 near the opposite end.
0 and the lower electrode film 60 are patterned to form the nozzle communication hole 5.
Form 2

Next, as shown in FIG. 4D, a lead electrode 90 is formed over the entire surface of the flow path forming substrate 10, and is patterned for each piezoelectric element 300 to form a connection hole 51.
, The upper electrode film 80 of each piezoelectric element 300 is electrically connected to the drive circuit 16.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5A, a region of the protection film 55 provided on the surface of the flow path forming substrate 10 opposite to the pressure generating chamber 12 and serving as the reservoir 15 is removed by patterning. By forming an opening 56 through the opening 56 and performing anisotropic etching (wet etching) from the opening 56 to the ink communicating portion 13, the reservoir 1 is formed.
5 is formed. In the present embodiment, the piezoelectric element 300
Although the reservoir 15 is formed after the formation, the present invention is not limited to this, and the reservoir 15 may be formed in any process.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, the sacrificial layer 100 is removed from the reservoir 15 by wet etching or etching with steam. In the present embodiment, since PSG is used as the material of the sacrifice layer 100, the sacrifice layer 100 is etched with a hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution. When polysilicon is used, etching can be performed with a mixed aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid or an aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide.

The pressure generating chamber 12 and the piezoelectric element 300 are formed by the above-described steps. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5C, a nozzle opening 21 is formed in the flow path forming substrate 10 on the piezoelectric element 300 side. The provided nozzle plate 20 is fixed with an adhesive or the like.

In the ink jet recording head of this embodiment, ink is taken into the reservoir 15 from an external ink supply means (not shown), and the interior from the reservoir 15 to the nozzle opening 21 is filled with ink. A voltage is applied between the lower electrode film 60 and the upper electrode film 80 corresponding to the pressure generating chamber 12 according to the recording signal from the elastic film 50, the lower electrode film 60, and the piezoelectric layer 70.
Is deformed, the pressure in each pressure generating chamber 12 increases, and ink droplets are ejected from the nozzle openings 21.

In the present embodiment, the ink communication unit 13
And each pressure generating chamber 12 and the reservoir 1 through the narrow portion 14.
5, but is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, each pressure generating chamber 12 and the reservoir 1 are connected to each other.
5 may be directly communicated.

Further, in the present embodiment, the narrow portion 14 is formed to have a smaller width than the pressure generating chamber 12 so as to control the flow of ink into and out of the pressure generating chamber 12, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, a narrow portion 14A having the same width as the pressure generating chamber 12 and an adjusted depth may be used.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 8 is a sectional view of an ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 2.

This embodiment is an example in which a plurality of flow path forming substrates are used. As shown in FIG. 8, an insulating layer 111 and first and second layers provided on both sides of the insulating layer 111 are provided. This is an example in which an SOI substrate composed of silicon layers 112 and 113 is used as the flow path forming substrate 10A.

That is, the first silicon layer 112, which is thinner than the second silicon layer 113, is etched until it reaches the insulating layer 111 to form the pressure generating chamber 12, the ink communication part 13, and the narrow part 14, Second silicon layer 113
Is etched until the insulating layer 111 is reached.
5, except that a through portion 111a is formed in a portion of the insulating layer 111 corresponding to the bottom surface of the reservoir 15.
This is the same as in the first embodiment.

In such a configuration of the second embodiment,
Of course, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing an ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 3.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional structure in the longitudinal direction of one pressure generating chamber of the ink jet recording head, and FIG.
It is A 'sectional drawing.

The present embodiment is another example using a flow path forming substrate composed of a plurality of layers. As shown, the flow path forming substrate 10B includes a polysilicon layer 111A and the polysilicon layer 111A. And the first and second silicon layers 112 and 113 provided on both sides of the substrate.

In one silicon layer constituting the flow path forming substrate 10B, in this embodiment, the first silicon layer 112, for example, a pressure generating chamber partitioned by a plurality of partition walls 11 by anisotropic etching. 12 are juxtaposed in the width direction. In addition, an ink communicating portion 13 is formed at one end in the longitudinal direction of each pressure generating chamber 12.
And one end thereof in the longitudinal direction through a narrow portion 14.

In the other silicon layer, in the present embodiment, the second silicon layer 113 is provided with a reservoir 15 that penetrates the second silicon layer 113 in the thickness direction and communicates with the ink communication section 13. Is formed. Further, a region facing the pressure generating chamber 12, the ink communication portion 13, and the narrow portion 19 on the bonding surface side with the polysilicon layer 111A, and a region excluding a portion communicating with the reservoir 15 is doped with boron. A boron-doped silicon layer 113a is formed.

In the present embodiment, the first and second silicon layers 112 and 113 constituting such a flow path forming substrate 10B are each formed of a silicon single crystal substrate having a plane orientation (100). For this reason, the width direction side surface 1 of the pressure generation chamber 12
2a is an inclined surface that is inclined so as to become narrower toward the piezoelectric element 300 side, and the flow path resistance in the pressure generating chamber 12 is suppressed.

On the other hand, the first and second silicon layers 1
Polysilicon layer 111A sandwiched between 12, 113
In this embodiment, a boron-doped polysilicon layer 111a in which boron is doped in a predetermined region is formed in the present embodiment, and the boron-doped polysilicon layer 111a forms a pressure generation chamber 12 formed in the first silicon layer 112. It has etching selectivity. That is, substantially only the boron-doped polysilicon layer 111a is sandwiched between the first and second silicon layers 112 and 113. Note that a silicon oxide layer may be provided between the polysilicon layer 111A and the first silicon layer 112, whereby highly accurate etching selectivity of the polysilicon layer 111A can be obtained.

The first component of the flow path forming substrate 10B is
The surface of the first silicon layer 11
2 is thermally oxidized in advance to form a protective film 55A. On the protective film 55A, the lower electrode film 60 and the piezoelectric film 7 are interposed via the elastic film 50 as in the above-described embodiment.
A piezoelectric element 300 including the first and second upper electrode films 80 is formed.

The piezoelectric element 30 of the flow path forming substrate 10
On the 0 side, in the present embodiment, the nozzle plate 20 is bonded on the elastic film 50 and the lower electrode film 60 as in the above-described embodiment.

In such a configuration of the third embodiment,
Of course, the same effects as in the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

In this embodiment, the flow path forming substrate 10
B and first and second silicon layers 112 and 113 constituting B
Are made of a silicon single crystal substrate having a plane orientation of (100), but are not limited thereto.
0) and a (110) plane silicon single crystal substrate, or a (110) plane silicon single crystal substrate.

Further, the first and second silicon layers 112,
In the case where 113 is made of a silicon single crystal substrate having a plane orientation (110), as shown in FIG. 11, the inner surfaces (1) of the pressure generating chamber 12, the ink communication portion 13, and the narrow portion 14 are formed.
2a) is formed on a surface substantially perpendicular to the surface of the flow path forming substrate 10B. In addition, in the case of this configuration, the flow path resistance of the narrow portion 14 can be controlled by, for example, adjusting the width.

Further, the formation position of the drive IC for driving the piezoelectric element 300 is not particularly limited, and similarly to the above-described embodiment, the flow path forming substrate 10B or the nozzle plate 2 is formed.
0 may be provided integrally.

(Embodiment 4) FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view showing an ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 4, and FIG. 13 is a sectional view of FIG.

In this embodiment, the flow path forming substrate 10
This is an example in which a pressure generating chamber is formed without using a sacrificial layer using a silicon single crystal substrate having a plane orientation of (100). As shown in FIG. Pressure generating chambers 12 each having a substantially triangular cross section defined by 11 are arranged side by side in the width direction, and near the one end in the longitudinal direction, the flow path forming substrate 10 is anisotropically etched from the other side, A reservoir 15 serving as a common ink chamber for each pressure generating chamber 12 is formed.

The elastic film 5 is formed on the flow path forming substrate 10.
0, the lower electrode film 60, the piezoelectric film 70, and the upper electrode film 8
A piezoelectric element 300 made of zero is formed. Further, in the present embodiment, the elastic film 50 has a protruding portion 50 a protruding toward the flow path forming substrate 10 in a region facing each pressure generating chamber 15.
Are formed along the longitudinal direction of the pressure generating chamber 15.

The piezoelectric element 30 of the flow path forming substrate 10
On the 0 side, in the present embodiment, the nozzle plate 20 is bonded on the elastic film 50 and the lower electrode film 60 as in the above-described embodiment.

Here, the method of manufacturing the ink jet recording head of this embodiment, in particular, the process of forming the pressure generating chamber 12 in the flow path forming substrate 10 is shown in FIGS.
This will be described with reference to FIG.

First, as shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the area where each pressure generating chamber 12 is formed in the flow path forming substrate 10 made of a silicon single crystal substrate is narrower than the pressure generating chamber 12. A substantially rectangular groove 120 having a width of, for example, a depth of about 50 to 100 μm is formed. The width of the groove 120 is preferably about 0.1 to 3 μm. In the present embodiment, the width is about 1 μm. The method of forming the groove 120 is not particularly limited, and may be formed by, for example, dry etching.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 14C and 14D, an elastic film 50 and a protective film 55 are formed on both surfaces of the flow path forming substrate 10, respectively.

Here, the elastic film 50 formed on the groove 120 side of the flow path forming substrate 10 is formed so as to partially enter the groove 120, and thus faces each pressure generating chamber 12 of the elastic film 50. In the region to be formed, a protruding portion 50a that protrudes toward the flow path forming substrate 10 in substantially the same shape as the groove 120 is formed.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 14E and 14F, the lower electrode film 60, the piezoelectric film 70 and the upper electrode film 80 are sequentially laminated and patterned to form the piezoelectric element 300.

Thereafter, the pressure generating chamber 12 and the like are formed by anisotropically etching the silicon single crystal substrate as the flow path forming substrate 10 with an alkaline solution or the like.

More specifically, first, FIG.
As shown in (b) of the cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B ′, the lower electrode film 60 and the elastic film 50 in the region that is one end in the longitudinal direction of each pressure generating chamber 12 are removed, and the nozzle communication communicating with the nozzle opening 21 is performed. A hole 52 is formed. Thereby, the flow path forming substrate 10
And one longitudinal end of the groove 120 is exposed.
At the same time, the opening 56 is formed by removing the protective film 55 in the region where the reservoir 15 is formed.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 15 (c) and FIG. 15 (d), which is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′, the flow path forming substrate 10 is formed through the nozzle communication hole 52 with an alkali solution such as KOH. The pressure generating chamber 12 is formed by anisotropic etching.
To form Here, at the time of anisotropic etching, the alkaline solution flows into the groove 120 through the nozzle communication hole 52, and the flow path forming substrate 10 is gradually eroded from the groove 120 to form the pressure generating chamber 12. . Further, since the flow path forming substrate 10 is a silicon single crystal substrate having a crystal plane orientation (100), the inner surface of the pressure generating chamber 12 is inclined by about 54 ° with respect to the surface of the flow path forming substrate 10 ( 111) plane. In other words, this (111) plane is a substantial bottom surface of the pressure generation chamber 12 and an etching stop plane during anisotropic etching.
Is formed such that its cross section is substantially triangular.

Further, after forming the pressure generating chambers 15 and the like in this manner, FIG. 15E and its CC ′ cross-sectional view are shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 8, the flow path forming substrate 10 is anisotropically etched from the surface of the flow path forming substrate 10 opposite to the piezoelectric element 300 using the protective film 55 as a mask. By etching, a reservoir 15 communicating with the pressure generating chamber 12 is formed.

As described above, in the present embodiment, since the pressure generating chambers 12 are formed so as to have a substantially triangular cross section, the strength of the partition walls 11 between the pressure generating chambers 12 is significantly increased. Therefore, even if the pressure generating chambers 12 are arranged at a high density, crosstalk does not occur and the ink discharge characteristics can be maintained well.

Further, since the pressure generating chamber 12 can be formed without penetrating the flow path forming substrate 10 by etching, the thickness of the flow path forming substrate 10 is set to about 220 μm in this embodiment. It may be thicker. Therefore, even if the wafer forming the flow path forming substrate 10 has a relatively large diameter, it can be easily handled and cost can be reduced.

Further, needless to say, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained by the configuration of the present embodiment.

In the present embodiment, the protrusion 50a is formed at a portion of the elastic film 50 corresponding to each pressure generating chamber 12, but this protrusion 50a
2 may be removed simultaneously with the etching. Further, for example, as shown in FIG.
A second elastic film 50A made of zirconium oxide or the like is provided, and when the pressure generating chamber 12 is formed by anisotropic etching, the elastic film 50 in a region facing the pressure generating chamber 12 is completely removed. You may.

(Fifth Embodiment) FIG. 17 is a sectional view of an ink jet recording head according to a fifth embodiment.

This embodiment is an example in which a driving circuit for driving a piezoelectric element is provided integrally with a nozzle plate.
As shown in FIG. 17, a drive circuit 16A is provided in a region other than the piezoelectric element holding portion 22 on the side of the nozzle plate 20A that is joined to the flow path forming substrate 10, in the present embodiment, near one end of the flow path forming substrate 10. It is formed integrally.

The drive circuit 16A and the piezoelectric element 30
0 is connected to the upper electrode film 80 via a lead electrode 90. For example, in the present embodiment, the lead electrode 90
Extends from the upper electrode film 80 to the vicinity of the discontinuous lower electrode film 61 which is discontinuous with the lower electrode film 60 from above the elastic film 50. Material (A
The second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that it is electrically connected via a connection layer 110 made of FC) or the like.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 18, the drive circuit 16A and the external wiring 120 such as an FPC are disposed on the flow path forming substrate 10 near the end of the pressure generating chamber 12 in the juxtaposition direction. And a connection wiring 130 for connecting the
The drive circuit 16A and the connection wiring 130 are connected to the lead electrode 90
In the same manner as described above, they are electrically connected via the connection layer 110.

With the configuration of this embodiment, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained. In the present embodiment, the nozzle plate 20 and the flow path forming substrate 10
Can electrically connect the lead electrode 90 and the connection wiring 130 to the drive circuit 16A. Therefore, the number of connection wirings 130 can be reduced, and the number of nozzle openings 21 can be increased to increase the density. Even if it is arranged in F
It can be taken out with a PC or the like.

For example, as shown in FIG. 19, a plurality of drive circuits 16A are provided on a bonding substrate which is bonded to the piezoelectric element 300 side of the flow path forming substrate 10, and a plurality of driving circuits 16A are provided on both sides of each driving circuit 16A of the flow path forming substrate 10. The rows of the pressure generating chambers 12 and the rows of the piezoelectric elements 300 may be provided in the corresponding regions. With such a configuration, the wiring from the piezoelectric elements 300 arranged at a high density can be easily taken out by the external wiring 120 such as an FPC.

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

For example, in the above embodiment, the piezoelectric element 3
Although the drive circuit 16 or 16A for driving 00 is provided integrally with the flow path forming substrate 10 or the nozzle plate 20A, it is separately provided near the flow path forming substrate 10,
For example, the piezoelectric element 300 may be electrically connected by wire bonding or the like.

Further, for example, in each of the above-described embodiments, an example was described in which the pressure generating chamber was formed without penetrating the flow path forming substrate, but, of course, the pressure generating chamber penetrates the flow path forming substrate. You may. FIG. 20 shows an example.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
A sealing substrate 140 is joined to a surface of the flow path forming substrate 10 opposite to the piezoelectric element 300, and the sealing substrate 140 forms one surface of the pressure generating chamber 12. On the sealing substrate 140, a reservoir forming substrate 150 on which a reservoir 15A for supplying ink to the pressure generating chamber 12 is formed, and the pressure generating chamber 12 and the reservoir 15A are connected to the sealing substrate. 140 are communicated with each other through a through hole 141 provided in a region facing the pressure generating chamber 12.

Further, a compliance substrate 160 including a sealing film 161 and a fixing plate 162 is bonded to the reservoir forming substrate 150. The sealing film 161 is made of a material having low rigidity and flexibility.
This seals one surface of the reservoir 15A. Further, the fixing plate 162 is formed of a hard material such as a metal. Since a region of the fixing plate 162 facing the reservoir 15A is an opening 163 completely removed in the thickness direction, one surface of the reservoir 15A is sealed with only the sealing film 161 having flexibility. The flexible portion 164 is deformable by a change in internal pressure.

An ink inlet 165 for supplying ink to the reservoir 15A is provided on the compliance substrate 160 substantially outside the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the reservoir 15A.
Is formed, and an ink introduction path 151 that connects the ink introduction port 165 and the side wall of the reservoir 15A is provided in the reservoir forming substrate 150.

In each of the above embodiments, a thin-film type ink jet recording head manufactured by applying a film forming and lithography process has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to a thick-film type ink jet recording head formed by a method such as attaching a sheet.

The ink jet recording head of each of these embodiments constitutes a part of a recording head unit having an ink flow path communicating with an ink cartridge or 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. 21, recording head units 1A and 1B having an ink jet recording head are
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, a platen 8 is provided on the apparatus main body 4 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.

[0153]

As described above, in the present invention, since the nozzle opening is provided in the joining substrate provided on the piezoelectric element side of the flow path forming substrate, the pressure generating chamber penetrates the flow path forming substrate. It may be formed without. Therefore, since the pressure generating chambers can be formed relatively thin, it is possible to increase the rigidity of the partition that divides each pressure generating chamber. Thereby, a plurality of pressure generating chambers can be arranged at a high density. Further, since the bonding substrate also has a plurality of roles, the number of components can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, which is a cross-sectional view and plan view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view illustrating a manufacturing process of the ink jet recording head according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a manufacturing process of the ink jet recording head according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a manufacturing process of the ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a modified example of the ink jet recording head according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

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

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing an ink jet recording head according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view schematically showing an ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an ink jet recording head according to a third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing a modified example of the ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view schematically showing an ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view showing an ink jet recording head according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view illustrating a manufacturing process of the ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a manufacturing process of the ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a sectional view showing a modified example of the ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a sectional view showing an ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a top view schematically showing an ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a top view showing a modification of the ink jet recording head according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a sectional view showing an ink jet recording head according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a schematic view of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 10A, 10B Flow path forming substrate 11 Partition wall 12 Pressure generating chamber 13 Ink communication part 14 Narrow part 15 Reservoir 16, 16A Drive circuit 20, 20A Nozzle plate 21 Nozzle opening 50 Elastic film 60 Lower electrode film 70 Piezoelectric layer 80 Upper Electrode film 300 Piezoelectric element

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] November 17, 2000 (200.11.
17)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0111

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

In the other silicon layer, in the present embodiment, the second silicon layer 113 is provided with a reservoir 15 that penetrates the second silicon layer 113 in the thickness direction and communicates with the ink communication section 13. Is formed. Further, a region facing the pressure generating chamber 12, the ink communication portion 13, and the narrow portion 14 on the bonding surface side with the polysilicon layer 111A, and a region excluding a portion communicating with the reservoir 15 is doped with boron. A boron-doped silicon layer 113a is formed.

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name]

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

The drive circuit 16A and the piezoelectric element 30
0 is connected to the upper electrode film 80 via a lead electrode 90. For example, in the present embodiment, the lead electrode 90
Extends from the upper electrode film 80 to the vicinity of the discontinuous lower electrode film 61 which is discontinuous with the lower electrode film 60 from above the elastic film 50. Material ( A
The third embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that it is electrically connected via a connection layer 110 made of CF 3 ).

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Yoshinao Miyata 3-3-5 Yamato, Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture Inside Seiko Epson Corporation (72) Inventor Akira Matsuzawa 3-5-5 Yamato, Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture Seiko Epson Corporation F term (reference) 2C057 AF34 AF40 AF65 AF93 AG12 AG42 AG44 AG60 AG83 AG89 AG90 AK08 AL25 AL30 AL32 AP02 AP11 AP14 AP17 AP25 AP34 AP51 AP79 AQ02 BA04 BA14

Claims (27)

[Claims] 1. A flow path forming substrate having at least a silicon layer made of single-crystal silicon and defining a pressure generating chamber communicating with a nozzle opening, and a diaphragm constituting a part of the pressure generating chamber. A piezoelectric element provided in a region facing the pressure generating chamber and configured to generate a pressure change in the pressure generating chamber; a bonding substrate bonded to the piezoelectric element side of the flow path forming substrate And the nozzle opening is provided in the bonding substrate. 2. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein an integrated circuit is integrally formed on the bonding substrate. 3. The piezoelectric element holding portion according to claim 1, wherein the bonding substrate has a space in a region facing the piezoelectric element, the space being large enough not to hinder the movement of the piezoelectric element holding portion. An ink jet recording head, comprising: 4. The ink jet recording head according to claim 2, wherein the integrated circuit is a drive circuit for driving the piezoelectric element. 5. An ink jet recording head according to claim 2, wherein said integrated circuit is a temperature detecting means for detecting a head temperature or a temperature control circuit for controlling said temperature. 6. An ink jet recording head according to claim 2, wherein said integrated circuit is ejection number detection means for detecting the number of ejections of ink droplets ejected from said nozzle openings. 7. An ink jet recording head according to claim 3, wherein said integrated circuit is a humidity control circuit for controlling humidity detecting means for detecting humidity of said piezoelectric element holding section. 8. The ink jet type according to claim 2, wherein the integrated circuit is provided on a surface of the bonding substrate opposite to a bonding surface with the flow path forming substrate. Recording head. 9. The integrated circuit according to claim 2, wherein the integrated circuit is provided on a bonding surface of the bonding substrate with the flow path forming substrate, and the piezoelectric element and the integrated circuit are flip-chip mounted. An ink jet recording head, which is electrically connected. 10. The flow path forming substrate according to claim 9, wherein a connection wiring for connecting the integrated circuit and an external wiring is formed, and the integrated circuit and the connection wiring are electrically connected by flip chip mounting. An ink jet recording head, which is connected. 11. The ink jet recording head according to claim 9, wherein the integrated circuit and the piezoelectric element or the connection wiring are connected by an anisotropic conductive material. 12. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the bonding substrate is formed of a single crystal silicon substrate. 13. The pressure generation chamber according to claim 1, wherein the pressure generation chamber is formed on one surface side of the flow path formation substrate without penetrating the flow path formation substrate, and the pressure generation chamber is provided with ink. An ink jet recording head, wherein a reservoir for supplying the ink is formed on the other surface side of the flow path forming substrate. 14. The ink jet recording head according to claim 13, wherein the reservoir is in direct communication with the pressure generating chamber. 15. The ink communication path according to claim 13, wherein an ink communication path communicating with one longitudinal end of the pressure generating chamber is formed on one surface side of the flow path forming substrate, and the reservoir is connected to the ink communication path. An ink jet recording head, which is in communication. 16. An ink jet recording head according to claim 15, wherein said ink communication path is provided for each of said pressure generating chambers. 17. The ink jet recording head according to claim 15, wherein the ink communication path is provided continuously in a direction in which the pressure generating chambers are juxtaposed. 18. The method according to claim 13, wherein
An ink jet type recording head, wherein a nozzle communication passage communicating the pressure generation chamber and the nozzle opening is provided at a longitudinal end side of the pressure generation chamber opposite to the reservoir. 19. The ink jet recording head according to claim 18, wherein said nozzle communication path is formed by removing said diaphragm. 20. The ink jet recording head according to claim 18, wherein an inner surface of the nozzle communication path is covered with an adhesive. 21. An ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein said flow path forming substrate is composed of only said silicon layer. 22. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the flow path forming substrate is formed of an SOI substrate having a silicon layer on both surfaces of an insulator layer. 23. An ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein said flow path forming substrate comprises a substrate having a silicon layer on both sides of at least a boron-doped polysilicon layer. 24. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plane orientation of the silicon layer forming the flow path forming substrate is (1).
(00) plane. 25. The ink jet recording head according to claim 24, wherein a cross section of the pressure generating chamber has a substantially triangular shape. 26. The pressure generating chamber according to claim 1, wherein the pressure generating chamber is formed by anisotropic etching, and each of the layers constituting the diaphragm and the piezoelectric element is formed by film formation and lithography. An ink jet recording head, characterized in that: 27. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising the ink jet recording head according to claim 1. Description: