JP2005125494A - Ink jet recording head, its manufacturing process and ink jet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To ensure durability without requiring flattening even if level difference exists on the surface for forming a heating resistor layer. <P>SOLUTION: In the ink jet recording head 10, a second conductive layer 22 covering the contact part 16A of a first conductive layer 16 extends into a first recess 20 between the first conductive layers 16 facing each other. Consequently, the contact face 16B at the contact part 16A of the first conductive layer 16 is covered well with a second conductive layer 22. A second recess between the second conductive layers 22 facing each other and the second conductive layers 22 are covered with a heating resistor layer 26. Since a large number of level differences are provided, level difference can be reduced on the surface for forming the heating resistor layer 26. Consequently, the heating resistor layer 26 and the first conductive layer 16 can be electrically connected surely through the second conductive layer 22, and durability can be ensured without flattening the surface for forming the heating resistor layer 26. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording head, an ink jet recording head manufacturing method, and an ink jet recording apparatus.

  Conventionally, a so-called thermal type ink jet recording head has been proposed in which a heating resistance element is disposed in an ink chamber, the heating resistance element is energized to generate heat, the ink in the ink chamber is foamed by this heat generation, and ink droplets are ejected. ing.

  In such a thermal ink jet recording head, wiring is formed on a substrate by etching or the like, and a heating resistance element is disposed between a pair of electrodes in each ink chamber. The pair of electrodes serves as a so-called common electrode and individual electrode, and each heating resistor element generates heat when energized from the individual electrode to the common electrode.

  Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 7A, a heating resistor 204 is laminated on a pair of electrodes 202 formed on a substrate 200, and an ink protective layer 206 is formed on the upper surface of the heating resistor 204. The heating resistor 204 between the pair of electrodes 202 is used as a heating resistor element 204A.

  However, the heating resistor 204 does not make good contact with the electrode 202 due to a step in the contact portion of the electrode 202, resulting in poor contact. Further, as shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 7B, there is a possibility that the heating resistor 204 may be broken by an impact accompanying ink ejection due to a crack of the heating resistor 204 in the step portion. As a countermeasure, it is conceivable to increase the thickness of the heating resistor 204. However, if the heating resistor 204 is thickened, there is a problem that the heating efficiency decreases.

  From such a viewpoint, the following has been proposed.

  For high integration of nozzles, conductive layers that energize individual electrodes and common electrodes are stacked on top and bottom via insulating layers, and through-holes are formed to energize the lower conductive layer to the same height as the upper conductive layer. There is a configuration provided (folded wiring structure). In such a configuration, the surface including the insulating layer between the layers is flattened, and then the heating resistor layer is stacked, so that the heating resistor layer and the electrode (through hole portion and upper conductive layer) are formed. ) And the connection is good. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

Also, there is a configuration in which a heating resistor element is disposed on the uppermost wiring pattern after the uppermost wiring pattern is planarized by a resist edge pack process or the like. (For example, refer to Patent Document 3).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-109421 JP-A-11-010882 JP 2002-052725 A

  However, in the methods described in JP-A-10-109421, JP-A-11-10882, and JP-A-2002-052725, all portions corresponding to the lower layer of the heating resistor are flattened. Therefore, when a large number of ink jet recording heads are manufactured using a silicon wafer, the wiring layer within the silicon wafer surface varies in height. Therefore, when flattening to a certain height, the wiring layer is locally exposed. However, there is a problem that the manufacturing yield of the printed wafer is lowered due to a problem that the wiring layer is excessively damaged, or that the wiring layer is not sufficiently exposed and the wiring layer is not exposed.

  In addition, since the area of the heating resistance element of the thermal type ink jet recording head is 20 μm or more on one side, the distance between the pair of electrodes of the heating resistance element is the wiring spacing (about several μm) in the drive region formed on the same substrate. ) Much larger than. For this reason, although sufficient flatness can be ensured in the drive circuit region, the lower surface of the heating resistor element has a concave shape, and flatness cannot be sufficiently ensured.

  Further, in the methods described in JP-A-10-109421 and JP-A-11-10882, in order to obtain a good connection between the wiring layer and the heating resistor layer, in addition to the planarization step, a post-processing step Need. However, even if the post-processing step is performed, a step is generated between the wiring layer and the heat storage layer below the heating resistor layer, and it is very difficult to obtain a good connection portion.

  In the method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-052725, when the insulating layer on the upper layer of the wiring is opened and connected to the heating resistor only on the upper surface of the wiring layer, the connection hole (via hole) and its vicinity are used for ink ejection. Since the heat generating region does not contribute, there is a problem that the driving efficiency and life of the heat generating resistor are lowered.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to ensure durability without being flattened even when a step is present on the formation surface of the heating resistor.

  The invention described in claim 1 includes a pair of opposed first conductive layers formed on a base, and an insulating layer stacked on the first conductive layer except for a contact portion of the first conductive layer. A first recess formed between the opposing one conductive layers, a pair of opposing second conductive layers extending from the contact portion to cover the first recess, and opposed in the first recess. A second recess formed between the second conductive layers, and a heating resistor layer covering the second conductive layer and the second recess are provided.

  The operation of the first aspect of the invention will be described.

  The second conductive layer covering the contact portion of the first conductive layer extends into the first recess between the opposing first conductive layers. For this reason, the second conductive layer satisfactorily covers the end surface and the upper surface of the contact portion of the first conductive layer. A heating resistor layer is covered on the second recess between the second conductive layers facing each other and on the second conductive layer. By providing a large number of steps in this manner, the step on the heating resistor layer forming surface can be reduced.

  Therefore, the heating resistor layer and the first conductive layer can be reliably electrically connected to each other through the second conductive layer without flattening the step on the surface on which the heating resistor layer is formed. That is, the ink jet recording head can be easily manufactured at a low cost and has a high quality.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the film thickness of the second conductive layer is smaller than the film thickness of the first conductive layer.

  The operation of the invention described in claim 2 will be described.

  Since the film thickness of the second conductive layer is thinner than the film thickness of the first conductive layer, the step between the formation surface of the second conductive layer and the bottom surface of the second recess is different from the lower surface of the contact portion of the first conductive layer and the first conductive layer. It becomes smaller than the level | step difference with the bottom face of a recessed part. For this reason, the coverage of the heating resistor layer at the end of the second conductive layer is improved.

  Therefore, without flattening the step on the surface where the heating resistor layer is formed, damage to the corners of the second recess of the heating resistor layer due to stress concentration at the time of ink foaming can be suppressed, so durability is improved. This ensures the life of the ink jet recording head. That is, the ink jet recording head can be easily manufactured at low cost and has a long life.

  The invention described in claim 3 is the invention described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the resistivity of the second conductive layer is lower than the resistivity of the heating resistor layer.

  The operation of the invention described in claim 3 will be described.

  Since the resistivity of the second conductive layer is lower than the resistivity of the heating resistor layer, heat generation in the second conductive layer when a voltage is applied between the opposing first conductive layers is suppressed, and the opposing second conductive layers are The heat generation efficiency of the heat generation resistor element (heat generation portion) of the heat generation resistor layer is improved, and the durability of the second conductive layer is improved.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the resistivity of the second conductive layer is equal to the resistivity of the heating resistor layer.

  The operation of the invention described in claim 4 will be described.

  By making the resistivity of the second conductive layer equal to the resistivity of the heating resistor layer, the second conductive layer can also function as a heating resistor element (heat generating portion). That is, the second conductive layer and the heating resistor layer between the first conductive layers facing each other serve as a heating element. That is, the heating resistor element in the first recess between the first conductive layers is substantially thickened (second conductive layer + heating resistor layer). For this reason, the coverage of the heating resistor layer can be ensured. In addition, heat generation at the thickened portion of the heating resistor element is suppressed. Therefore, durability can be ensured without flattening the surface on which the heating resistor layer is formed, and the life of the ink jet recording head can be extended.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second conductive layer is formed of the same material as the heating resistor layer.

  The operation of the invention described in claim 5 will be described.

  By forming the heating resistor layer and the second conductive layer from the same material, the second conductive layer can also function as a heating resistor element, and the same effect as in claim 4 can be achieved.

  The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the resistivity of the first conductive layer is smaller than the resistivity of the second conductive layer. .

  The invention according to claim 7 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the resistivity of the first conductive layer is equal to the resistivity of the second conductive layer. .

  The invention according to claim 8 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first conductive layer is formed of the same material as the second conductive layer. To do.

  The operation of the invention according to claims 6 to 8 will be described.

  By forming the first conductive layer with a material smaller than or equal to the resistivity of the second conductive layer, or by forming the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer with the same material, the second conductive layer substantially becomes the first conductive layer. This is the same as extending the first conductive layer in the first recess, and the electrical connection to the heating resistor layer is ensured.

  The invention according to claim 9 is characterized in that the ink jet recording head according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is mounted.

  The operation of the ninth aspect of the invention will be described.

  By mounting the ink jet recording head according to any one of claims 1 to 8, an ink jet recording apparatus having a low cost and a long life is obtained.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a first step of depositing a first conductive film on a substrate, etching the first conductive film, and forming a first step between a pair of opposing first conductive layers and the first conductive layer. A second step of forming a recess, a third step of forming an insulating layer on the first conductive layer excluding the contact portion of the first conductive layer, the insulating layer, the first conductive layer, A fourth step of depositing a second conductive film in the first recess; a pair of second conductive layers that are etched into the first recess and extend into the first recess; and facing each other in the first recess A fifth step of forming a second recess between the second conductive layers, and a sixth step of forming a heating resistor layer so as to coat the second conductive layer and the second recess. It is characterized by.

  The operation of the invention described in claim 10 will be described.

  The second conductive layer covering the contact portion of the first conductive layer extends into the first recess between the opposing first conductive layers. For this reason, the second conductive layer satisfactorily covers the end surface and the upper surface of the contact portion of the first conductive layer. A heating resistor layer is covered on the second recess between the second conductive layers facing each other and on the second conductive layer. By providing a large number of steps in this manner, the step on the heating resistor layer forming surface can be reduced.

  For this reason, even if there is a step on the formation surface of the heating resistor layer, the heating resistor layer and the first conductive layer can be reliably electrically connected via the second conductive layer.

  Therefore, there is no need to flatten the surface on which the heating resistor layer is formed. That is, it is a method for manufacturing an ink jet recording head that is easy and inexpensive at low cost.

  The invention according to claim 11 is the invention according to claim 10, wherein the film thickness of the second conductive layer is 0.2 μm or less.

  The invention according to claim 11 will be described.

  In the fifth step, for example, when the second conductive layer is formed by anisotropic dry etching, the second conductive layer is also etched to form a second recess. When the thickness of the second conductive layer is 0.2 μm or less, the depth of the second recess is less than 0.1 μm. That is, the second recess has a small step. For this reason, in the sixth step, the coverage of the heating resistor layer at the end of the second conductive layer is improved.

  Therefore, even if a step exists on the surface on which the heating resistor layer is formed, a step of flattening the step is not necessary. That is, it is a method for manufacturing an inkjet recording head that is low-cost, easy, and has a long life.

  The “recording medium” that is the target of image recording in the inkjet recording head and the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention includes a wide range of objects as long as the inkjet recording head ejects ink droplets. Further, the dot pattern on the recording medium obtained by attaching the ink droplets on the recording medium is widely included in the “image” or “recorded image” obtained by the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention. Therefore, the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention is not limited to that used for recording characters and images on recording paper. In addition, the recording medium includes a recording sheet, an OHP sheet, and the like. In addition, for example, a substrate on which a wiring pattern or the like is formed is included. The “image” includes not only general images (characters, pictures, photographs, etc.) but also the above-described wiring patterns, three-dimensional objects, organic thin films, and the like. The ejected ink is not limited to so-called colored ink. For example, production of a color filter for display performed by discharging colored ink on a polymer film or glass, formation of bumps for component mounting performed by discharging molten solder onto the substrate, and organic EL solution on the substrate For general liquid droplet ejecting devices intended for various industrial applications, such as the formation of EL display panels that are ejected onto the substrate and the formation of bumps for electrical mounting that are performed by ejecting molten solder onto the substrate. The ink jet recording head, the ink jet recording head manufacturing method, and the ink jet recording apparatus of the invention can be applied.

  Even if there is a step on the surface on which the heating resistor layer is formed, durability can be ensured without flattening.

  An ink jet recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the inkjet recording head 10 has a first insulating layer 14 laminated on a base 12. On the first insulating layer 14, a pair of first conductive layers 16 that are spaced apart and opposed to each other are formed, and a first recess 20 is formed between the first conductive layers 16 that are opposed to each other. Then, the second insulating layer 18 is stacked on the first conductive layer 16 except for the contact portion 16 </ b> A of the first conductive layer 16 (an end portion on the opposite side). An upper surface and an end surface of the contact portion 16A serve as a contact surface 16B and are electrically connected to a second conductive layer 22 described later.

  Further, a pair of spaced-apart second conductive layers 22 that cover the contact portion 16A (contact surface 16B) of the first conductive layer 16 and the second insulating layer 18 and extend into the first recess 20 are formed. Has been. In addition, a second recess 24 is formed between a pair of opposing second conductive layers 22 in the first recess 20.

  The second conductive layer 22, the second recess 24, and the second insulating layer 18 are covered with a heating resistor layer 26, and a surface protection film 28 that is an ink protection layer is formed on the upper surface of the heating resistor layer 26. .

  Next, an outline of the manufacturing process of the ink jet recording head 10 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, the base 12 is omitted for convenience of explanation.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, an aluminum layer to be the first conductive layer 16 is formed on the base 12 (see FIG. 1) after the first insulating layer 14 having a thickness of about 1 μm made of a silicon oxide film is deposited. The aluminum layer is patterned by anisotropic dry etching to form a pair of first conductive layers 16 that are spaced apart and opposed to each other. When anisotropic dry etching is performed to form the first conductive layer 16, the first insulating layer 14 between the first conductive layers 16 facing each other is also slightly etched, and the first recess 20 is formed.

  Further, a silicon oxide film 17 to be the second insulating layer 18 is coated thereon with a film thickness of about 1.0 μm.

  In addition, since there is a concern about a decrease in adhesion due to stress strain on the second conductive layer 22 and the heating resistor layer 26 formed in the subsequent steps, which will be described later, and a problem of corrosion due to ink, the silicon oxide film 17 is not used. It is not preferable to use a silicon nitride film for the second insulating layer 18.

  In addition, it is desirable to cover an area of the base 12 (see FIG. 1) where heating resistance elements 50 and 52 (see FIG. 3), which will be described later, are arranged in advance with an insulator of about 1.0 μm. By covering in this way, for example, a silicon substrate or a glass substrate in which a transistor or the like constituting a driving circuit is formed can be used.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 2B, the silicon oxide film 17 is etched and patterned to form a second insulating layer 18, and the contact portion 16A of the first conductive layer 16 is exposed. As described above, the upper surface and the end surface of the contact portion 16A serve as the contact surface 16B and are electrically connected to the second conductive layer 22.

  At this time, if etching is performed so that the contact portion 16A (contact surface 16B) of the first conductive layer 16 is reliably exposed, the first insulating layer 14 is etched. Since the second insulating layer 18 is the same silicon oxide film as the first insulating layer 14, the etching rate is fast, and the first recess 20 formed by the dry etching is further etched and deepened. Specifically, the depth of the first recess 20 is about 0.5 to 0.7 μm with respect to the lower surface of the first conductive layer 16.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2C, a second conductive film to be the second conductive layer 22 is deposited thereon with a film thickness of 0.2 μm or less, and patterned by anisotropic dry etching, A pair of spaced-apart second conductive layers 22 that cover the contact surface 16B from above the insulating layer 18 and extend into the first recess 20 are formed.

  Since the patterning of the second conductive layer 22 is performed by anisotropic dry etching, the first insulating layer 14 between the opposing second conductive layers 22 is also etched to form the second recess 24. In addition, since the thickness of the second conductive layer 22 is 0.2 μm or less, the depth of the second recess 24 is less than 0.1 μm.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 2D, a heating resistor layer 26 made of a compound of tantalum, silicon, and oxygen is formed thereon so as to cover the second conductive layer 22 and the second recess 24. .

  Further, by subjecting the heating resistor layer 26 to thermal oxidation, a surface protective film 28 that functions as an ink protective layer made of a tantalum insulator is formed. The surface protective film 28 made of a tantalum insulator is suitable because it has corrosion resistance and mechanical strength that can be used as an ink protective layer, has a very thin film thickness of about 0.01 μm, and is excellent in thermal conductivity to ink. It is. The thermal oxidation treatment for forming the surface protective film 28 is performed at about 400 ° C. so as not to affect the first conductive layer 16 made of another material, for example, aluminum.

  The heating resistor layer 26 can be made of any material that can eject ink by heat generation, other than a compound composed of tantalum, silicon, and oxygen. If the surface oxide film of the heating resistor layer 26 cannot serve as an ink protection layer, a material such as silicon insulator or tantalum is separately deposited on the heating resistor layer 26 to form the surface protection film 28. It ’s fine.

  In the ink jet recording head 10 configured as described above, the second conductive layer 22 covering the contact portion 16A of the first conductive layer 16 extends into the first recess 20 between the first conductive layers 16 facing each other. ing. For this reason, the second conductive layer 22 satisfactorily covers the contact surface 16B of the contact portion 16A of the first conductive layer 16. The heating resistor layer 26 is covered on the second recesses between the second conductive layers 22 facing each other and on the second conductive layer 22. By providing a number of steps as described above, the step on the surface on which the heating resistor layer 26 is formed can be reduced.

  Accordingly, the heating resistor layer 26 and the first conductive layer 16 can be reliably electrically connected via the second conductive layer 22 without flattening the surface on which the heating resistor layer 26 is formed. .

  Further, by selecting the material of the second conductive layer 22, it is possible to select whether the second conductive layer 22 functions as a wiring or functions as a part of the heating resistor element 52.

  That is, depending on the selection result of the material of the second conductive layer 22, as shown in FIG. 3A, the pair of second conductive layers 22 becomes a common electrode and an individual electrode, and the second conductive layer 22 is opposed to each other. The heating resistor layer 26 becomes the heating resistor element 50, or, as shown in FIG. 3B, the pair of first conductive layers 16 serves as a common electrode and an individual electrode, and is opposed to the first conductive layer. The second conductive layer 22 and the heating resistor layer 26 between the layers 16 become the heating resistor element 52.

  Then, when the heating resistance elements 50 and 52 are energized to generate heat, the ink is foamed and pressurized, and ink droplets are ejected from a nozzle (not shown).

  First, the case where the second conductive layer 22 functions as a wiring will be described with reference to FIG.

  The second conductive layer 22 is formed of the same material made of aluminum as the first conductive layer 16. When formed in this way, the first conductive layer 16 and the second conductive layer 22 are formed of the same material, so the heating resistor layer 26 between the opposing second conductive layers becomes the heating resistor element 50. .

  Since the film thickness of the second conductive layer 22 (0.2 μm or less) is thinner than the film thickness of the first conductive layer 16 (about 0.5 μm to 0.7 μm), the lower surface of the second conductive layer 22 and the second recess 24 are formed. The step between the bottom surface of the first conductive layer 16 and the first recess 20 is smaller than the step between the lower surface of the first conductive layer 16 and the first recess 20 (about 0.5 μm to 0.7 μm). Further, when the second conductive layer 22 was formed of aluminum, it was about 0.05 μm with respect to the lower surface of the second conductive layer 22. That is, the step of the second recess 24 is small.

  Thus, since the level | step difference of the 2nd recessed part 24 is small, the coverage of the heat-generating resistor layer 26 in the edge part of the 2nd conductive layer 22 becomes favorable. Therefore, damage to the corners of the second recess 24 of the heating resistor layer 26 due to stress concentration during ink foaming can be suppressed. (See Figure 7).

  Further, this is the same as extending the first conductive layer 16 in the first recess 20, and the electrical connection to the heating resistor layer 26 is ensured.

  Therefore, the durability of the heating resistor element 50 can be ensured without flattening the surface on which the heating resistor layer 26 is formed.

  As a result of the endurance test and the like by the present applicant, it was confirmed that the applicant had a life equal to or longer than that of a conventional heating resistor element having a wiring layer on the heating resistor layer.

  Next, the case where the second conductive layer 22 functions as a heating resistor element will be described with reference to FIG.

  The second conductive layer 22 is formed with a thickness of 0.2 μm using the same material made of a compound of tantalum, silicon, and oxygen as the heating resistor layer 26. The depth of the second recess 24 was about 0.05 μm.

  When formed in this way, the second conductive layer 22 and the heating resistor layer 26 between the opposing first conductive layers 16 become the heating resistor element 52.

  Even in the case where the heating resistor element 52 is configured in this way, as a result of the applicant conducting a durability test or the like, the heating resistor element 52 has a life equal to or longer than that of a heating resistor element having a conventional structure including a wiring layer on the heating resistor layer. It was confirmed.

  This is because the heating resistance element 52 is substantially thickened by the first recess 20 of the first conductive layer 16 (second conductive layer 22 + heating resistor layer 26). This is considered to be because the covering property of the heating resistor layer 26 to the recess 20 can be ensured and the heat generation in the thickened portion is suppressed.

  In addition, with such a configuration, the area that functions as the heating resistor element 52 can be increased.

  Although the case where the second conductive layer 22 is formed of the same material as that of the first conductive layer 16 or the heating resistor layer 26 has been described, the material is not particularly limited.

  When the resistivity of the second conductive layer 22 is equal to the resistivity of the heating resistor layer 26, the second conductive layer 22 functions as the heating resistor element 52. (See FIG. 3B).

  When the resistivity of the second conductive layer 22 is smaller than the resistivity of the heating resistor layer 26, the second conductive layer 22 functions as a wiring (see FIG. 3A). Further, heat generation in the second conductive layer 22 when a voltage is applied between the first conductive layers 16 facing each other is suppressed, and the heat generation efficiency of the heating resistor element 50 (see FIG. 3A) is improved. The durability of the second conductive layer 22 is improved.

  If the first conductive layer 16 is made of a material having a resistivity equal to or lower than that of the second conductive layer 22, the second conductive layer 22 is substantially an extension of the first conductive layer 16, that is, in the first recess 20. This is the same as extending the one conductive layer 16, and the electrical connection to the heating resistor layer 26 is ensured.

  Next, a color printer 100 will be described as an example of an ink jet recording apparatus equipped with the ink jet recording head 10 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the color printer 100 is provided with a rod 114 in a housing 112 and a carriage 116 that moves along the rod 114. On the carriage 116, ink jet recording heads 10 for recording colors corresponding to the colors CMYK (in FIG. 4, the black ink jet recording head 10K, the cyan color ink jet recording head 10C, and the magenta color ink jet recording head 10M). , The yellow color is indicated as the ink jet recording head 10Y). As the carriage 116 moves along the rod 114 (in the main scanning direction shown in FIG. 4), recording in the main scanning direction is performed.

  Further, the color printer 100 is provided with a platen 120 on which the paper P as a recording medium is placed. The recording in the sub-scanning direction Y is performed by moving the paper P on the platen 120 in a direction intersecting with the main scanning direction X of the carriage 116 (sub-scanning direction Y shown in FIG. 5).

  That is, an image is formed in the main scanning direction X by ejecting ink droplets of each color of the inkjet recording head 10 mounted on the carriage 116 while scanning the carriage 116 along the rod 114 in the main scanning direction X. The Note that an image is formed on the entire or a partial area of the recording area formed on the paper P on the platen 120 by the nozzle row length (sub-scanning direction Y) of the inkjet recording head 10 and the scanning length of the carriage 116. Then, paper P is fed by an amount corresponding to the length of the image formed in the sub-scanning direction, image formation is performed again in the main scanning direction X, and image formation in the main scanning direction X and paper feeding in the sub-scanning direction Y are performed. By repeating the process, an image is formed on the entire surface of the paper P. Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the ink jet recording heads 10 for the respective colors are arranged in the order of K, C, M, and Y along the scanning direction of the carriage 116, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It is not done.

As shown in FIG. 6, the operation of the color printer 100 is controlled by a microcomputer 126 that includes a CPU 126, a ROM 128, a RAM 130, and peripheral devices. In the microcomputer 132, a CPU 126, a ROM 128, a ROM 128, an input interface (input I / F) 134 and an output interface (output I / F) 136 are connected to a bus 138. Data and commands are input to the input I / F 134 from other devices.
The output I / F 136 is connected to a driver 142 that drives a conveyance motor 140 for conveying the paper P and a driver 141 that drives a carriage scanning motor 143 to move the carriage 116. The conveyance motor 140 and the carriage scanning motor 143 are controlled in accordance with instructions from the microcomputer 132.

In addition, each color inkjet recording head 10 (10K, 10C, 10M, 10Y) is connected to the output I / F 136, and ejection of ink droplets from each color inkjet recording head 10 is controlled by the microcomputer 132.
The control of the ejection of ink droplets from the ink jet recording heads 10 of each color is performed by controlling the timing of ejecting ink droplets from a plurality of ink ejection nozzles provided in each ink jet recording head 10, for example. The image recording position with respect to the scanning direction can be controlled.

  As described above, the color printer 100 is equipped with the long-life inkjet recording head 10 that is low-cost and durable, so that the color printer 100 is low-cost and long-life.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a main part of an ink jet recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing process of the inkjet recording head which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention typically from (A) to (D) in order. 1A and 1B schematically illustrate a main part of an ink jet recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a diagram when the second conductive layer functions as a wiring, and FIG. The figure when it functions as a part of the resistance element is shown. 1 is a perspective view showing a main part of a color printer equipped with an ink jet recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a positional relationship and a scanning direction of an inkjet recording head in a color printer equipped with the inkjet recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a conceptual block diagram illustrating a connection relationship of a color printer equipped with an ink jet recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A) shows the principal part of a conventional ink jet recording head, and (B) is an enlarged view of the round part of (A).

Explanation of symbols

10 Inkjet recording head 12 First insulating layer (substrate)
16 First conductive layer 16A Contact portion 18 Second insulating layer (insulating layer)
20 1st recessed part 22 2nd conductive layer 24 2nd recessed part 26 Heating resistor layer 100 Color printer (inkjet recording device)

Claims (11)

A pair of opposing first conductive layers formed on the substrate;
An insulating layer stacked on the first conductive layer except for a contact portion of the first conductive layer;
A first recess formed between the opposing one conductive layers;
A pair of opposed second conductive layers extending from the contact portion into the first recess and covering;
A second recess formed between the opposing second conductive layers in the first recess;
A heating resistor layer covering the second conductive layer and the second recess;
An ink jet recording head comprising:   2. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the film thickness of the second conductive layer is thinner than the film thickness of the first conductive layer.   3. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein a resistivity of the second conductive layer is lower than a resistivity of the heating resistor layer. 4.   The inkjet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the resistivity of the second conductive layer is equal to the resistivity of the heating resistor layer.   3. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the second conductive layer is made of the same material as that of the heating resistor layer. 4.     6. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the resistivity of the first conductive layer is smaller than the resistivity of the second conductive layer.   The inkjet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the resistivity of the first conductive layer is equal to that of the second conductive layer.   4. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the first conductive layer is made of the same material as the second conductive layer. 5.   An ink jet recording apparatus comprising the ink jet recording head according to claim 1. A first step of depositing a first conductive film on a substrate;
Etching the first conductive film to form a pair of opposing first conductive layers and a first recess between the first conductive layers; and
A third step of forming an insulating layer on the first conductive layer excluding the contact portion of the first conductive layer;
A fourth step of depositing a second conductive film on the insulating layer, the first conductive layer, and the first recess;
Etching the second conductive film to form a pair of second conductive layers extending into the first recess and a second recess between the opposing second conductive layers in the first recess; and ,
A sixth step of forming a heating resistor layer so as to coat the second conductive layer and the second recess;
An ink jet recording head manufacturing method comprising:   The method of manufacturing an ink jet recording head according to claim 10, wherein the film thickness of the second conductive layer is 0.2 μm or less.

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