JP2006175678A - Manufacturing method for nozzle sheet, surface treatment method for nozzle sheet, nozzle sheet, manufacturing method for liquid ejection head, and liquid ejection head - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To carry out a surface treatment to a nozzle sheet by a simple process with no adverse effects given to nozzles, and to obtain a highly precise and stable ejection characteristic of ink liquid droplets. <P>SOLUTION: A resist pattern 34 corresponding to the nozzles is formed on a matrix 30. After an electroforming layer 35 is formed in the perimeter of the resist pattern 34, the resist pattern 34 and electroforming layer 35 are released from the matrix 30. Thereafter, a liquid-repellent layer 36 is formed at release faces of the resist pattern 34 and the electroforming layer 35. Finally, the resist pattern 34 and the liquid-repellent layer 36 formed at the resist pattern part are removed. The nozzle sheet 17 is thus formed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a nozzle sheet manufacturing method, a nozzle sheet surface treatment method, a nozzle sheet, a liquid discharge head manufacturing method, and a liquid discharge head used in an inkjet printer or the like. The present invention relates to a technique capable of stably maintaining the liquid discharge characteristics by applying a surface treatment to the nozzle sheet without exerting any influence.

Conventionally, as a technique related to a printer head (a type of liquid ejection head) of an ink jet printer, a head frame is attached to a nozzle sheet on which nozzles for ejecting ink droplets are formed, and this head frame is accommodated in the accommodation space. A technique for forming a line head by arranging a plurality of head chips is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).
JP 2002-86736 A JP 2002-127427 A

  In the techniques described in Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2 described above, a nozzle sheet made of Ni (nickel) provided with a number of nozzles is formed by electroforming, and a plurality of head chips are formed on the one nozzle sheet. At the same time, a head frame is attached as a support member to form a line head.

FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view showing such a line head 11.
The line head 11 shown in FIG. 19 has a plurality of head chips 14 arranged in the direction in which the nozzles 18 are arranged, so that an image can be formed over the entire width of the photographic paper, and four rows in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the nozzles 18 are arranged. All the head chips 14 are attached to one wide nozzle sheet 17 by arranging them so as to be color-compatible.

  The head frame 16 is also attached to the nozzle sheet 17 and serves as a support member for the nozzle sheet 17. The head frame 16 has a thickness of about 5 mm and a size corresponding to the nozzle sheet 17. As shown in FIG. 19, four accommodation spaces 16a for the head chip 14 are formed. The storage space 16a has a length (about 21 cm) corresponding to the width of the A4-sized photographic paper. The four rows of head chips 14 arranged in a staggered pattern are arranged inside the storage space 16a. Will be housed.

20 is a partial perspective view showing the head chip 14 and the nozzle sheet 17 in the line head 11 shown in FIG. For the convenience of explanation, the vertical direction is reversed from that in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 20, the head chip 14 includes a fine heating resistor 13 formed by precipitation on the surface of a substrate made of silicon, glass, ceramics, or the like using a fine processing technique for semiconductor or electronic device manufacturing technology. It is a thing. The head chip 14 is attached to the nozzle sheet 17 through the barrier layer 15.

  Here, the barrier layer 15 is coated with a photosensitive resin on the entire surface of the substrate constituting the head chip 14, and is exposed to a predetermined wavelength by an exposure machine having radiation light having an optimum wavelength band for exposing the photosensitive resin. The pattern is formed by exposing through a photomask having a shape pattern, and then developing the exposed photosensitive resin with a predetermined developer to remove unexposed portions.

  The nozzle sheet 17 is provided with a number of nozzles 18 and is formed by an electroforming method in which Ni (nickel) is electroplated. Then, the nozzle 18 is precisely positioned so that the position of the nozzle 18 matches the position of the heating resistor 13, that is, the nozzle 18 faces the heating resistor 13, and is bonded to the barrier layer 15.

  Therefore, the ink liquid chamber 12 surrounding the heating resistor 13 is formed by the head chip 14, the barrier layer 15, and the nozzle sheet 17. That is, the head chip 14 and the heating resistor 13 constitute the bottom wall of the ink liquid chamber 12, the barrier layer 15 constitutes the side wall of the ink liquid chamber 12, and the nozzle sheet 17 constitutes the top wall of the ink liquid chamber 12. . Accordingly, the ink liquid chamber 12 has an opening in the lower right direction in FIG. 20, and ink is supplied from an ink cartridge (not shown) through this opening, and the ink liquid chamber 12 is filled with ink. It is.

  Then, the heating resistor 13 is rapidly heated by passing a pulse current through the heating resistor 13 for a short time (for example, for 1 to 3 μsec), and bubbles are generated in a portion in contact with the heating resistor 13 in the ink liquid chamber 12. generate. Then, a predetermined volume of ink is pushed away by the expansion of the bubbles. As a result, ink having a volume equivalent to the displaced ink is ejected as ink droplets from the nozzle 18 and landed on the photographic paper to form an image.

  As described above, the line head 11 discharges ink droplets from the nozzle 18 by heating the heating resistor 13. However, when ink droplet discharge is repeated, ink adheres to the periphery of the nozzle 18, and the nozzle The ink discharge surface (upper surface in FIG. 20) of the sheet 17 gets wet with ink. As a result, wetting of the ink around the nozzle 18 causes a deviation in the flying direction of the ink droplet, so that the ink droplet does not land at a desired position on the printing paper, and the printing quality deteriorates.

Therefore, a technique is known in which the surface of the nozzle sheet 17 is subjected to a liquid repellent treatment to prevent ink from getting wet around the nozzles 18 (see, for example, Patent Document 3 and Patent Document 4). .
JP-A-55-65556 JP-A-57-107848

  However, it is generally difficult to perform the liquid repellent treatment only on the surface of the nozzle sheet 17, and if the liquid repellent treatment is performed on the nozzle sheet 17 on which the nozzles 18 are formed without taking any special measures. Normally, the liquid repellent layer is formed even inside the nozzle 18. Then, when ink droplets are not ejected, the ink moves in the direction opposite to the ink ejection surface (upper surface in FIG. 20) of the nozzle sheet 17 in the nozzle 18, and a meniscus retraction phenomenon occurs.

  The meniscus receding phenomenon causes a drop in ink droplet discharge efficiency and a drop in discharge frequency, which hinders high-speed printing. Therefore, it is preferable to perform a liquid repellent treatment around the nozzles 18 at least on the ink discharge surface (the upper surface in FIG. 20) of the nozzle sheet 17 so that the interior of the nozzles 18 is non-liquid repellent.

In addition, the nozzle sheet 17 is not subjected to a liquid repellent treatment, but the ink discharge surface (the upper surface in FIG. 20) of the nozzle sheet 17 is wiped by a blade impregnated with a silicon-based liquid repellent, so that the ink around the nozzle 18 is removed. A technique for preventing wetting is also known (see, for example, Patent Document 5).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-48953

  However, when the nozzle sheet 17 is wiped, a part of the liquid repellent impregnated in the blade goes into the nozzle 18. Further, the same result can be obtained even when the nozzle sheet 17 is pressed against a porous body impregnated with a liquid repellent without wiping. For this reason, the ink droplets to be ejected from the nozzle 18 at high speed come into contact with the liquid repellent agent inside the nozzle 18, and the flying direction of the ink droplet is significantly deviated.

Therefore, various techniques have been disclosed in which liquid repellent treatment is performed only on the ink ejection surface (upper surface in FIG. 20) of the nozzle sheet 17 so that the liquid repellent layer is not formed inside the nozzle 18. That is, the inside of the nozzle 18 is filled with a removable substance, and in this state, a liquid repellent layer is formed on the ink ejection surface (upper surface in FIG. 20) of the nozzle sheet 17. There is known a technique in which the chemicals are removed chemically (see, for example, Patent Document 6).
JP-A-63-122560

In addition, the nozzle sheet 17 is subjected to a liquid repellent treatment while the nozzle 18 is filled with a filler, and then a pin having the same diameter as that of the nozzle 18 is pushed into the nozzle 18. A technique in which the liquid layer and the filler inside the nozzle 18 are physically extruded is also known (see, for example, Patent Document 7).
JP-A-6-106727

Furthermore, by laminating a negative resist in the form of a dry film from both surfaces of the nozzle sheet 17 on which the nozzles 18 are formed, and heating and softening, the negative resist is filled into the nozzles 18 to form a masking member, After that, patterning by exposure and development using a photomask is performed so that the masking member remains only in the portions that need to be masked, and liquid repellent treatment is performed in that state, and finally the masking member is removed. There is also a known technique (see, for example, Patent Document 8).
JP 2001-38912 A

  However, in the technique described in Patent Document 6 described above, the filling material filled in the nozzle 18 may adhere to the periphery of the nozzle 18. Such extra filling material must be removed in a later step. At this time, it is very difficult to cleanly remove only the extra filling material around the nozzle 18 while leaving the filling material in the nozzle 18. It is difficult to.

  For example, when the filling material is in a liquid state, the excess filling material is wiped off and then dried, but when the filling material contains a non-volatile component, the non-volatile component is not removed even after wiping off. It remains on the surface of the nozzle sheet 17. Even if the solvent is water, a water spot or the like remains, and the clean state of the nozzle sheet 17 becomes non-uniform, which adversely affects the subsequent formation of the liquid repellent layer.

  On the other hand, when the filling material is in a solid state, excess filling material can be removed by means such as scraping, but when the filling material is scraped off, the filling material inside the nozzle 18 is also damaged. It is a reality to give. Therefore, when the liquid repellent layer is subsequently formed, the masking performance by the filling material is adversely affected. Moreover, there is a possibility that the nozzle sheet 17 may be damaged when the excess filling material is scraped off, which may cause a disturbance in the flying direction of the ink droplets.

  Further, the technique described in Patent Document 7 described above has the same problem as the technique described in Patent Document 6 in that it is necessary to remove excess filler adhering to the periphery of the nozzle 18. Moreover, since the unnecessary liquid repellent layer on the nozzle 18 and the filler in the nozzle 18 are pushed out by physical destruction using a pin, the boundary shape of the liquid repellent layer is not uniform around the nozzle 18. Thus, the edge portion of the nozzle 18 coexists with the portion where the liquid repellent layer exists and the portion where the liquid repellent layer does not exist. Then, the flying direction of the ink droplet becomes a factor.

  Furthermore, in the technique described in Patent Document 7 described above, if there is a filler residue in the nozzle 18 after the filler in the nozzle 18 is pushed out by a pin, a gas such as air or nitrogen is injected into the nozzle 18. Remove by spraying into 18. However, it is impossible to completely remove the residue adhering to the nozzle 18 by blowing the gas. As a result, dust is generated, which causes non-uniform wettability inside the nozzle 18 and changes in the physical properties of the ink due to the residue being dissolved in the ink.

  Furthermore, in the technique described in Patent Document 8 described above, when patterning is performed, a masking member is selectively left in a portion where a liquid repellent layer is not desired to be formed. Therefore, there are problems that expensive equipment is required and the process of forming the liquid repellent layer is complicated. In addition, it is difficult to perform precise alignment, and the positional accuracy of the masking member is limited.

  Accordingly, the problem to be solved by the present invention is that the nozzle sheet can be subjected to surface treatment with a simple process without adversely affecting the nozzle, so that a highly accurate and stable ink droplet ejection characteristic can be obtained. A nozzle sheet manufacturing method, a nozzle sheet surface treatment method, a nozzle sheet, a liquid discharge head manufacturing method, and a liquid discharge head.

The present invention solves the above-described problems by the following means.
The invention according to claim 1, which is one of the present invention, is a method for manufacturing a nozzle sheet in which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed, and corresponds to an opening including at least the nozzles on a matrix. A first step of forming a resist pattern to be formed, a second step of forming an electroformed layer on the matrix and around the resist pattern, the resist pattern, the electroformed layer, and the matrix A third step of peeling the surface, a fourth step of forming a surface treatment layer on the peeling surface of the resist pattern and the electroforming layer from the matrix, and the resist pattern and the resist pattern portion formed on the resist pattern and the resist pattern portion. And a fifth step of removing the surface treatment layer.

  In the above invention, the resist pattern for forming the nozzle is the masking member. Since the resist pattern is formed on the mother die, the masking member does not adhere around the nozzle. Further, since a surface treatment layer may be formed on the surface separated from the matrix, the process becomes very simple.

  The invention according to claim 7, which is another one of the present invention, is a method for manufacturing a nozzle sheet in which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed, and an opening including at least the nozzles on a matrix. A first step of forming a resist pattern corresponding to the above, a second step of forming an electroformed layer on the matrix and around the resist pattern, a third step of removing the resist pattern, A fourth step of filling a masking material into at least a recess corresponding to the nozzle formed on the matrix by removing the resist pattern to form a masking member; and the electroformed layer and the masking member; A fifth step of peeling the mother die, a sixth step of forming a surface treatment layer on the peeling surface of the electroformed layer and the masking member from the mother die, the masking member and the front Characterized in that it comprises a seventh step of removing the surface treatment layer formed on the masking member.

  In the above invention, the masking member is filled with the masking material in the concave portion on the matrix corresponding to the nozzle so that the masking member adheres to the periphery of the nozzle as in the first aspect of the invention. There is nothing wrong. Further, since a surface treatment layer may be formed on the surface separated from the matrix, the process becomes very simple.

  The invention according to claim 14, which is another one of the present invention, is a method for manufacturing a nozzle sheet in which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed, and on a matrix, the thickness of the nozzle sheet is larger than that of the nozzle sheet. A first step of forming a thin dummy layer; a second step of forming a resist pattern corresponding to at least the opening including the nozzle on the dummy layer; and on the dummy layer, around the resist pattern A third step of forming an electroformed layer, a fourth step of peeling off the dummy layer and the mother die, a fifth step of peeling off the resist pattern, the electroformed layer and the dummy layer, A sixth step of forming a surface treatment layer on a surface of the resist pattern and the electroformed layer that is separated from the dummy layer, and removing the surface treatment layer formed on the resist pattern and the resist pattern portion. Characterized in that it comprises a seventh step that.

  In the above invention, the resist pattern for forming the nozzle is the masking member. Since the resist pattern is formed on the dummy layer, the masking member does not adhere to the periphery of the nozzle as in the first aspect of the invention. Further, since the dummy layer only needs to be peeled off, the influence on the masking member can be reduced during peeling. Furthermore, since a surface treatment layer may be formed on the surface separated from the dummy layer, the process becomes very simple.

  The invention according to claim 21, which is another one of the present invention, is a method for manufacturing a nozzle sheet in which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed, wherein the nozzle sheet has a thickness larger than that of the nozzle sheet on a matrix. A first step of forming a thin dummy layer; a second step of forming a resist pattern corresponding to at least the opening including the nozzle on the dummy layer; and on the dummy layer, around the resist pattern Further, a third step of forming an electroformed layer, a fourth step of removing the resist pattern, and a recess on the dummy layer corresponding to at least the nozzle formed by removing the resist pattern, A fifth step of filling a masking material to form a masking member, a sixth step of peeling the dummy layer and the mother die, the electroformed layer, the masking member and the dummy layer, The seventh step of peeling, the eighth step of forming a surface treatment layer on the peeling surface of the electroformed layer and the dummy layer in the masking member, and the surface treatment formed on the masking member and the masking member And a ninth step of removing the layer.

  In the above invention, the masking member is filled with the masking material in the concave portion on the dummy layer corresponding to the nozzle, so that the masking member adheres to the periphery of the nozzle as in the first aspect of the invention. There is nothing wrong. Further, since the dummy layer only needs to be peeled off, the influence on the masking member can be reduced during peeling. Furthermore, since a surface treatment layer may be formed on the surface separated from the dummy layer, the process becomes very simple.

  The invention according to claim 29, which is another one of the present invention, is the flat plate side of a nozzle sheet produced by performing electroforming on a flat plate so that a nozzle for discharging droplets is formed. A surface treatment method for forming a surface treatment layer on a selective portion including at least the periphery of the nozzle on the surface of the nozzle sheet, wherein a masking member is filled in the nozzle of the nozzle sheet in close contact with the flat plate. A first step of peeling the nozzle sheet and the masking member and the flat plate, and a second step of forming a surface treatment layer on the peeling surface of the nozzle sheet and the flat plate of the masking member, And a third step of removing the surface treatment layer formed on the masking member and the masking member.

  In the above invention, the nozzle sheet, the masking member and the flat plate are peeled off in a state where the nozzle of the nozzle sheet in close contact with the flat plate is filled, and a surface treatment layer may be formed on the peeled surface. Therefore, it is not necessary to remove the masking member before forming the surface treatment layer, and the process becomes very simple.

  The invention according to claim 38, which is another one of the present invention, is a nozzle sheet in which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed, and corresponds to an opening including at least the nozzles on a matrix. A first step of forming a resist pattern; a second step of forming an electroformed layer on the mother die around the resist pattern; and the resist pattern, the electroformed layer, and the mother die. A third step of peeling, a fourth step of forming a surface treatment layer on the peeling surface of the resist pattern and the electroforming layer from the matrix, and the surface formed on the resist pattern and the resist pattern portion It is produced by the process including the 5th process of removing a process layer.

Here, although the invention which concerns on Claim 38 is an invention of a thing called a nozzle sheet, this nozzle sheet is specified by the method including the process of producing a nozzle sheet.
Thus, the invention of the object was specified by the method because it was not always appropriate to express the state of the surface treatment layer around the nozzle in the invention according to claim 38 by the structure.

  That is, the nozzle sheet forms a resist pattern corresponding to at least the opening including the nozzle and an electroformed layer serving as the nozzle sheet on the mother die, and then forms a surface treatment layer on the release surface from the mother die. And finally, it is produced by removing the resist pattern. And the part which removed the resist pattern becomes opening parts, such as a nozzle. Therefore, while the surface treatment layer is not formed inside the nozzle, the surface treatment layer around the nozzle is formed with high accuracy up to the edge portion of the nozzle from which the resist pattern has been removed.

  Accordingly, in the description of claim 38, the formation accuracy having a significant difference is specified by the manufacturing method with respect to the state of the surface treatment layer around the nozzle, and regardless of the manufacturing method, it is described in claim 38. This nozzle sheet means a nozzle sheet finally obtained and having a surface treatment layer formed with high precision up to the edge portion of the nozzle.

  The invention according to claim 44, which is another one of the present invention, is a nozzle sheet in which nozzles for discharging liquid droplets are formed, and corresponds to an opening including at least the nozzles on a matrix. A first step of forming a resist pattern; a second step of forming an electroformed layer on the mother die around the resist pattern; a third step of removing the resist pattern; and the mother die A fourth step of filling a masking material into a recess corresponding to at least the nozzle formed by removing the resist pattern to form a masking member, the electroformed layer, the masking member, and the matrix And a sixth step of forming a surface treatment layer on the peeling surface of the electroformed layer and the masking member from the matrix, and the masking member and the masking member. Characterized in that it is one that is produced by a process comprising a seventh step of removing the surface treatment layer formed on the grayed member.

  In the nozzle sheet according to claim 44, as in the case of claim 38, regarding the state of the surface treatment layer around the nozzle, the formation accuracy having a significant difference is specified by the manufacturing method. The nozzle sheet according to claim 44 also means a nozzle sheet that is finally obtained and has a surface treatment layer formed with high precision up to the edge portion of the nozzle. The same as the nozzle sheet.

  The invention according to claim 51, which is another one of the present invention, is a nozzle sheet in which nozzles for ejecting liquid droplets are formed, wherein a dummy layer thinner than the thickness of the nozzle sheet is formed on a matrix. A second step of forming a resist pattern corresponding to at least the opening including the nozzle on the dummy layer, and on the dummy layer and around the resist pattern. A third step of forming a cast layer, a fourth step of peeling the dummy layer and the mother die, a fifth step of peeling the resist pattern, the electroformed layer and the dummy layer, and the resist pattern And a sixth step of forming a surface treatment layer on the peeling surface of the electroformed layer from the dummy layer, and a seventh step of removing the surface treatment layer formed on the resist pattern and the resist pattern portion. Characterized in that it is one that is produced by a process including and.

  In the nozzle sheet according to claim 51, as in the case of claims 38 and 44, regarding the state of the surface treatment layer around the nozzle, the formation accuracy having a significant difference is specified by the manufacturing method. The nozzle sheet according to claim 51 also means a nozzle sheet that is finally obtained and has a surface treatment layer formed with high precision up to the edge portion of the nozzle. This is the same as the nozzle sheet.

  The invention according to claim 58, which is another one of the present invention, is a nozzle sheet having nozzles for discharging droplets, the dummy layer being thinner on the matrix than the thickness of the nozzle sheet A second step of forming a resist pattern corresponding to at least the opening including the nozzle on the dummy layer, and on the dummy layer and around the resist pattern. A third step of forming a cast layer, a fourth step of removing the resist pattern, and a masking material on the dummy layer, at least in a recess corresponding to the nozzle formed by removing the resist pattern A fifth step of filling to form a masking member, a sixth step of peeling the dummy layer and the mother die, and peeling the electroformed layer, the masking member and the dummy layer. 7 steps, an 8th step of forming a surface treatment layer on the peeling surface of the electroforming layer and the masking member from the dummy layer, and removing the surface treatment layer formed on the masking member and the masking member And a ninth process.

  In the nozzle sheet according to claim 58, as in the case of claims 38, 44 and 51, the formation accuracy having a significant difference with respect to the state of the surface treatment layer around the nozzle is specified by the manufacturing method. It is. The nozzle sheet according to claim 58 also means a nozzle sheet that is finally obtained and has a surface treatment layer formed with high accuracy up to the edge portion of the nozzle. This is the same as the nozzle sheet.

  The invention according to claim 66, which is another aspect of the present invention, is a head chip in which a plurality of energy generating elements are arranged, a nozzle sheet in which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed, and the head chip. A liquid chamber forming member for forming a liquid chamber between each of the energy generating elements and each of the nozzles, wherein the energy generating element is provided between the energy generating element forming surface and the nozzle sheet; And a first step of forming a resist pattern corresponding to at least an opening including the nozzle on a mother mold, wherein the liquid discharge head discharges the liquid in the liquid chamber as droplets from the nozzle. A second step of forming an electroformed layer on the matrix and around the resist pattern; and the nozzle sheet is supported on the electroformed layer; A third step of bonding together a support member in which an accommodation space for placement in the portion is formed, a fourth step of peeling the resist pattern and the electroformed layer from the mother die, the resist pattern and the electroforming And a fifth step of forming a surface treatment layer on the surface of the layer that is separated from the matrix, and a sixth step of removing the surface treatment layer formed on the resist pattern and the resist pattern portion. And

  In the above invention, the resist pattern for forming the nozzle is the masking member. Since the resist pattern is formed on the mother die, the masking member does not adhere around the nozzle. Further, since a surface treatment layer may be formed on the surface separated from the matrix, the process becomes very simple. Furthermore, since the support member that supports the nozzle sheet is bonded, the handling of the thin and wide nozzle sheet is facilitated, and the productivity of the liquid discharge head is improved.

  The invention according to claim 68, which is another aspect of the present invention, is a head chip in which a plurality of energy generating elements are arranged, a nozzle sheet in which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed, and the head chip. A liquid chamber forming member for forming a liquid chamber between each of the energy generating elements and each of the nozzles, wherein the energy generating element is provided between the energy generating element forming surface and the nozzle sheet; And a first step of forming a resist pattern corresponding to at least an opening including the nozzle on a mother mold, wherein the liquid discharge head discharges the liquid in the liquid chamber as droplets from the nozzle. A second step of forming an electroformed layer on the matrix and around the resist pattern; a third step of removing the resist pattern; and on the electroformed layer; A fourth step of attaching a support member in which an accommodation space for supporting the nozzle sheet and disposing the head chip is formed; and at least formed on the mother die by removing the resist pattern A concave portion corresponding to the nozzle is filled with a masking material to form a masking member, a sixth step of peeling the electroformed layer and the masking member from the matrix, the electroformed layer and the A seventh step of forming a surface treatment layer on a surface of the masking member that is separated from the master die, and an eighth step of removing the surface treatment layer formed on the masking member and the masking member are included. And

  In the above invention, the masking member is filled with the masking material in the recesses on the matrix corresponding to the nozzle so that the masking member adheres to the periphery of the nozzle as in the invention of claim 66. There is nothing wrong. Further, since a surface treatment layer may be formed on the surface separated from the matrix, the process becomes very simple. Furthermore, since the support member that supports the nozzle sheet is bonded, the handling of the thin and wide nozzle sheet is facilitated, and the productivity of the liquid discharge head is improved.

  The invention according to claim 70, which is another one of the present invention, is a head chip in which a plurality of energy generating elements are arranged, a nozzle sheet in which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed, and the head chip. A liquid chamber forming member for forming a liquid chamber between each of the energy generating elements and each of the nozzles, wherein the energy generating element is provided between the energy generating element forming surface and the nozzle sheet; A liquid discharge head manufacturing method for discharging liquid in the liquid chamber as droplets from the nozzle, wherein a first step of forming a dummy layer thinner than the thickness of the nozzle sheet on a mother die; and A second step of forming a resist pattern corresponding to at least the opening including the nozzle on the dummy layer; and electroforming on the dummy layer and around the resist pattern. A fourth step of bonding a support member on which the nozzle sheet is supported and an accommodation space for arranging the head chip is formed on the electroformed layer; and the dummy A fifth step of peeling off the layer and the matrix, a sixth step of peeling off the resist pattern and the electroformed layer and the dummy layer, and peeling of the resist pattern and the electroformed layer from the dummy layer The method includes a seventh step of forming a surface treatment layer on the surface and an eighth step of removing the surface treatment layer formed on the resist pattern and the resist pattern portion.

  In the above invention, the resist pattern for forming the nozzle is the masking member. Since the resist pattern is formed on the dummy layer, the masking member does not adhere to the periphery of the nozzle as in the invention of the 66th aspect. Further, since the dummy layer only needs to be peeled off, the influence on the masking member can be reduced during peeling. Furthermore, since a surface treatment layer may be formed on the surface separated from the dummy layer, the process becomes very simple. Furthermore, since the support member that supports the nozzle sheet is bonded, the handling of the thin and wide nozzle sheet is facilitated, and the productivity of the liquid ejection head is improved.

  The invention according to claim 72, which is another one of the present invention, is a head chip in which a plurality of energy generating elements are arranged, a nozzle sheet in which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed, and the head chip. A liquid chamber forming member for forming a liquid chamber between each of the energy generating elements and each of the nozzles, wherein the energy generating element is provided between the energy generating element forming surface and the nozzle sheet; A liquid discharge head manufacturing method for discharging liquid in the liquid chamber as droplets from the nozzle, wherein a first step of forming a dummy layer thinner than the thickness of the nozzle sheet on a mother die; and A second step of forming a resist pattern corresponding to at least the opening including the nozzle on the dummy layer; and electroforming on the dummy layer and around the resist pattern. A third step for forming the resist pattern, a fourth step for removing the resist pattern, and a support in which an accommodation space for supporting the nozzle sheet and arranging the head chip is formed on the electroformed layer. A fifth step of bonding members; a sixth step of filling a masking material into a recess corresponding to at least the nozzle formed on the dummy layer by removal of the resist pattern; and A seventh step of peeling the dummy layer and the matrix; an eighth step of peeling the electroformed layer and the masking member and the dummy layer; and the dummy layer in the electroformed layer and the masking member; A ninth step of forming a surface treatment layer on the release surface, and a tenth step of removing the surface treatment layer formed on the masking member and the masking member. And wherein the Mukoto.

  In the above invention, since the masking member is filled with the masking material in the concave portion on the dummy layer corresponding to the nozzle, the masking member is attached to the periphery of the nozzle as in the invention of claim 66. There is nothing wrong. Further, since the dummy layer only needs to be peeled off, the influence on the masking member can be reduced during peeling. Furthermore, since a surface treatment layer may be formed on the surface separated from the dummy layer, the process becomes very simple. Furthermore, since the support member that supports the nozzle sheet is bonded, the handling of the thin and wide nozzle sheet is facilitated, and the productivity of the liquid ejection head is improved.

  The invention according to claim 74, which is another one of the present invention, provides a head chip in which a plurality of energy generating elements are arranged, a nozzle sheet in which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed, and the head chip. A liquid chamber forming member for forming a liquid chamber between each of the energy generating elements and each of the nozzles, wherein the energy generating element is provided between the energy generating element forming surface and the nozzle sheet; And a first step of forming a resist pattern corresponding to at least an opening including the nozzle on a mother mold, the liquid ejection head ejecting the liquid in the liquid chamber as droplets from the nozzle; A second step of forming an electroformed layer on the mold and around the resist pattern; and the nozzle sheet is supported on the electroformed layer and the head chip is disposed inside A third step of bonding together a support member in which an accommodation space is formed; a fourth step of peeling the resist pattern and the electroformed layer from the master; and the resist pattern and the electroformed layer in the electroformed layer. Produced by a step including a fifth step of forming a surface treatment layer on the surface to be peeled from the mother die and a sixth step of removing the surface treatment layer formed on the resist pattern and the resist pattern portion. It is characterized by being.

Here, the invention according to claim 74 is an invention of a liquid discharge head, and this liquid discharge head is specified by a method including a step of manufacturing a liquid discharge head.
Thus, the invention of the object was specified by the method because it was not always appropriate to express the state of the surface treatment layer around the nozzle in the invention according to claim 74 by the structure.

  That is, the nozzle sheet forms a resist pattern corresponding to at least the opening including the nozzle and an electroformed layer serving as the nozzle sheet on the mother die, and then forms a surface treatment layer on the release surface from the mother die. And finally, it is produced by removing the resist pattern. And the part which removed the resist pattern becomes opening parts, such as a nozzle. Therefore, while the surface treatment layer is not formed inside the nozzle, the surface treatment layer around the nozzle is formed with high accuracy up to the edge portion of the nozzle from which the resist pattern has been removed.

  Therefore, the description of claim 74 relates to the state of the surface treatment layer around the nozzle, and the formation accuracy having a significant difference is specified by the manufacturing method. Regardless of the manufacturing method, the description of claim 74 is provided. This liquid discharge head means a liquid discharge head provided with a nozzle sheet finally obtained and having a surface treatment layer formed with high accuracy up to the edge portion of the nozzle.

  The invention according to claim 76, which is another aspect of the present invention, is a head chip in which a plurality of energy generating elements are arranged, a nozzle sheet in which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed, and the head chip. A liquid chamber forming member for forming a liquid chamber between each of the energy generating elements and each of the nozzles, wherein the energy generating element is provided between the energy generating element forming surface and the nozzle sheet; And a first step of forming a resist pattern corresponding to at least an opening including the nozzle on a mother mold, the liquid ejection head ejecting the liquid in the liquid chamber as droplets from the nozzle; A second step of forming an electroformed layer on the mold and around the resist pattern; a third step of removing the resist pattern; and the nozzle sheet on the electroformed layer. A fourth step of bonding a support member in which a housing space for arranging the head chip and supporting the head chip is formed; and at least the step formed on the mother die by removing the resist pattern A fifth step of filling a concave portion corresponding to the nozzle with a masking material to form a masking member, a sixth step of separating the electroformed layer and the masking member from the master die, the electroformed layer and the masking It is produced by a step including a seventh step of forming a surface treatment layer on the surface of the member that is separated from the matrix and an eighth step of removing the surface treatment layer formed on the masking member and the masking member. It is characterized by that.

  In the liquid discharge head according to a 76th aspect, similarly to the 74th aspect, regarding the state of the surface treatment layer around the nozzle, the formation accuracy having a significant difference is specified by the manufacturing method. The liquid discharge head according to claim 76 also means a liquid discharge head provided with a nozzle sheet having a surface treatment layer formed with high accuracy up to the edge portion of the nozzle finally obtained, This is the same as the liquid discharge head according to claim 74.

  The invention according to claim 78, which is another aspect of the present invention, is a head chip in which a plurality of energy generating elements are arranged, a nozzle sheet in which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed, and the head chip. A liquid chamber forming member for forming a liquid chamber between each of the energy generating elements and each of the nozzles, wherein the energy generating element is provided between the energy generating element forming surface and the nozzle sheet; A liquid discharge head for discharging the liquid in the liquid chamber as droplets from the nozzle, wherein a first step of forming a dummy layer thinner than the thickness of the nozzle sheet on the matrix is formed on the dummy layer And a second step of forming a resist pattern corresponding to at least the opening including the nozzle, and forming an electroformed layer on the dummy layer and around the resist pattern. A third step, a fourth step of supporting the nozzle sheet on the electroformed layer, and affixing a support member in which an accommodation space for disposing the head chip is formed; and the dummy layer and the A fifth step of peeling the mother mold, a sixth step of peeling the resist pattern and the electroformed layer and the dummy layer, and a peeling surface of the resist pattern and the electroformed layer from the dummy layer, It is produced by a process including a seventh process for forming a surface treatment layer and an eighth process for removing the surface treatment layer formed on the resist pattern and the resist pattern portion.

  In the liquid ejection head according to claim 78, as in the case of claim 74 and claim 76, the formation accuracy having a significant difference is specified by the manufacturing method regarding the state of the surface treatment layer around the nozzle. The liquid discharge head according to claim 78 also means a liquid discharge head including a nozzle sheet that is finally obtained and has a surface treatment layer formed with high accuracy up to the edge portion of the nozzle. This is the same as the liquid discharge head according to claim 74.

  The invention according to claim 80, which is another one of the present invention, is a head chip in which a plurality of energy generating elements are arranged, a nozzle sheet in which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed, and the head chip. A liquid chamber forming member for forming a liquid chamber between each of the energy generating elements and each of the nozzles, wherein the energy generating element is provided between the energy generating element forming surface and the nozzle sheet; A liquid discharge head for discharging the liquid in the liquid chamber as droplets from the nozzle, wherein a first step of forming a dummy layer thinner than the thickness of the nozzle sheet on the matrix is formed on the dummy layer And a second step of forming a resist pattern corresponding to at least the opening including the nozzle, and forming an electroformed layer on the dummy layer and around the resist pattern. A third step, a fourth step of removing the resist pattern, and a support member on which the nozzle sheet is supported and an accommodation space for arranging the head chip is formed on the electroformed layer. A fifth step of combining, a sixth step of filling a masking material in at least a recess corresponding to the nozzle formed on the dummy layer by removing the resist pattern, and forming a masking member; and the dummy layer And a seventh step of peeling the mold and the mold, an eighth step of peeling the electroformed layer and the masking member and the dummy layer, and a peeling surface of the electroformed layer and the masking member from the dummy layer. And a ninth step of forming a surface treatment layer and a tenth step of removing the surface treatment layer formed on the masking member and the masking member. Characterized in that in which the fabricated Ri.

  In the liquid discharge head according to claim 80, as in the case of claim 74, claim 76, and claim 78, regarding the state of the surface treatment layer around the nozzle, the formation accuracy having a significant difference is specified by the manufacturing method. Is. The liquid discharge head according to claim 80 also means a liquid discharge head including a nozzle sheet that is finally obtained and has a surface treatment layer formed with high accuracy up to the edge portion of the nozzle, This is the same as the liquid discharge head according to claim 74.

  According to the method for manufacturing a nozzle sheet of the present invention, the masking member does not adhere to the periphery of the nozzle, and it is only necessary to form a surface treatment layer on the surface to be peeled off from the mother die. It will be something. In addition, selective surface treatment can be performed only on necessary portions of the nozzle sheet without adversely affecting the nozzles.

  According to the surface treatment method for a nozzle sheet of the present invention, the nozzle sheet and the masking member are separated from the flat plate in a state where the nozzle of the nozzle sheet in close contact with the flat plate is filled, and the surface treatment is performed on the separation surface. Since it is sufficient to form a layer, it is not necessary to remove the masking member before forming the surface treatment layer, and the process becomes very simple. In addition, selective surface treatment can be performed only on necessary portions of the nozzle sheet without adversely affecting the nozzles.

  According to the nozzle sheet of the present invention, the surface treatment layer is not formed inside the nozzle, and the surface treatment layer around the nozzle is formed with high accuracy up to the edge portion of the nozzle. Therefore, the nozzle sheet of the present invention can stably maintain the liquid ejection characteristics.

  According to the method for manufacturing a liquid discharge head of the present invention, the masking member does not adhere to the periphery of the nozzle, and the surface treatment layer may be formed on the separation surface from the mother die. The manufactured nozzle sheet can be easily manufactured, and the manufacturing process of the liquid discharge head becomes very simple. In addition, since the support member for supporting the nozzle sheet is bonded, the handling of the thin and wide nozzle sheet is facilitated, and in particular, the productivity of a large liquid discharge head such as a line head is greatly improved.

  According to the liquid ejection head of the present invention, the surface treatment layer is not formed inside the nozzle, and the surface treatment layer around the nozzle is formed with high accuracy up to the edge portion of the nozzle. Therefore, highly accurate and stable liquid ejection characteristics can be obtained, and beautiful printing and printing capabilities are continuously exhibited.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
The liquid discharge head in the present invention corresponds to the printer head 10 for an ink jet printer in the following embodiment. Ink is used as the liquid, and the ink chamber 12 is a liquid chamber that contains the ink. In the following embodiment, the heating resistor 13 is used as an energy generating element, and the head chip 14 on which the heating resistor 13 is arranged constitutes one surface (bottom wall portion) of the ink liquid chamber 12. Further, the liquid chamber forming member of the present invention is a barrier layer 15, and the barrier layer 15 constitutes a side wall of the ink liquid chamber 12.

FIG. 1 is a diagram partially showing a printer head 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1A is a perspective view thereof, and FIG. 1B is a sectional view thereof.
As shown in FIG. 1A, the printer head 10 includes a head chip 14 in which a plurality of heating resistors 13 are arranged in one direction at regular intervals, a barrier layer 15 that constitutes the ink liquid chamber 12, and a nozzle 18. And a nozzle sheet 17 formed.

  When the ink in the ink liquid chamber 12 is rapidly heated by the heating resistor 13, bubbles are generated on the heating resistor 13 as shown in FIG. Only a small amount (for example, several picoliters) becomes ink droplets and is ejected from the nozzles 18 formed on the nozzle sheet 17 as indicated by arrows.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 1B, the head frame 16 is affixed to the nozzle sheet 17. The head frame 16 is a support member for the thin and wide nozzle sheet 17, and the head chip 14 is disposed in the accommodating space of the head frame 16 via the barrier layer 15. A common flow path member 19 is disposed on the head chip 14, and a common ink flow path 20 formed by the common flow path member 19 communicates with each ink liquid chamber 12 of the printer head 10. Yes.

  Accordingly, when ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles 18 by heating the heating resistor 13, the ink in the ink cartridge (not shown) is supplied to the ink liquid chamber 12 through the ink flow path 20. The printer head 10 shown in FIG. 1 can eject ink droplets continuously.

  Further, the printer head 10 shown in FIG. 1 has a liquid-repellent surface treatment layer (hereinafter simply referred to as “liquid-repellent layer”) formed on the ink ejection surface (lower surface in FIG. 1) of the nozzle sheet 17. That is, the nozzle sheet 17 provided in the printer head 10 has a liquid repellent layer formed on one surface thereof. Therefore, even when ink droplets are ejected, the periphery of the nozzle 18 does not get wet with ink. Moreover, the liquid repellent layer is formed with high precision up to the edge portion of the nozzle 18, but is not formed inside the nozzle 18.

  Accordingly, the printer head 10 shown in FIG. 1 does not cause a deviation in the flight direction even when ink droplets are continuously ejected, and can land the ink droplets at a desired position on the photographic paper. Highly accurate and stable ink droplet ejection characteristics can be obtained, and beautiful printing and printing capabilities are continuously exhibited.

As described above, the printer head 10 shown in FIG. 1 is characterized in that a surface treatment layer such as a liquid repellent layer is formed on the ink discharge surface (the lower surface in FIG. 1) of the nozzle sheet 17.
Then, next, the manufacturing method of such a nozzle sheet 17, the surface treatment method of the nozzle sheet 17, and the nozzle sheet 17 are demonstrated.

(First embodiment)
Drawing 2 is a figure showing the 1st process in the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet of a 1st embodiment.
In the first step shown in FIG. 2, a resist pattern 34 corresponding to the nozzle is formed on the mother die 30. That is, in step 1-1, a metal substrate to be the mother die 30 is prepared. As the mother die 30, SUS (stainless steel) or the like that is generally used as an electroformed substrate is suitable. In the first embodiment, SUS304, which is a conductor having a thickness of 0.4 mm and a size of 400 mm × 400 mm, is used. The base plate 30 is used as the substrate. Note that a metal material other than SUS (stainless steel) can be used as the mother die 30.

  In the subsequent step 1-2, a resist layer 31 having a thickness of about 15 μm is formed on the matrix 30. The material resin of the resist layer 31 is mainly composed of cyclized isoprene, and it contains a photosensitizer and various additives (leveling agent, silane coupling agent, etc.) at the same time and diluted with an appropriate amount of solvent. This is a negative resist photosensitive resin. Not limited to this, it is an insulating photosensitive resin, and various types of photoresists, photosensitive interlayer insulating materials, and dry film resists that are marketed as plating masks for printed circuit boards and printed circuit boards. Various types of photosensitive resins such as various photosensitive materials marketed on the market, photosensitive materials used for printing plate making and the like can be used.

  In addition, as a method of forming such a resist layer 31 by applying such a photosensitive resin to the matrix 30, there are various methods such as spin coating, bar coating, curtain coating, meniscus coating, spray coating, etc. What is necessary is just to select an optimal thing suitably from the inside. In this case, the photosensitive resin is supplied in a liquid state and dried. However, even if a step of volatilizing the solvent contained in the resin solution is introduced by heating the mother die 30 after application of the photosensitive resin. There is no problem.

  Subsequently, in step 1-3, exposure by an exposure machine (not shown) is performed. For the exposure machine, a contact aligner, a mirror projection aligner, or the like in which a photomask and a pattern to be formed are 1: 1 can be used. Then, the resist layer 31 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays 33 through a photomask 32 on which a pattern corresponding to the nozzle is formed so that a portion that becomes a nozzle hole remains selectively. Since the resist layer 31 shown in FIG. 2 is a negative resist, the exposed portion 31 'becomes insoluble in the developer.

  In the next step 1-4, the resist layer 31 exposed in the step 1-3 is developed with a predetermined developer, the unexposed portion is removed, and the exposed portion 31 ′ is selectively left, whereby the resist pattern 34 is formed. Form. Here, although the kind of developing solution changes with photosensitive resins used for the resist layer 31, aqueous solutions, such as TMAH (tetramethylammonium hydroxide) and monoethanolamine, various organic solvents, etc. are generally used. In the case where a photosensitive resin having the above cyclized isoprene as a main component is used, a solvent such as a xylene-containing solvent or an isoparaffinic hydrocarbon is used as the developer.

  Further, after development, it is possible to rinse with a predetermined rinsing solution or water (for example, pure water or ion-exchanged water) for the purpose of replacing the residual developer or cleaning the surface as necessary. Furthermore, after that, heating to volatilize the moisture and solvent remaining on the surface of the mother die 30, shake-off drying using a spinner, vacuum drying using a vacuum chamber, and natural standing in air or nitrogen atmosphere may be performed. Is possible.

  As described above, the first step shown in FIG. 2 completes the master block 30 on which the resist pattern 34 (with the exposed portion 31 ′ of the resist layer 31 remaining selectively) is formed. These are formed in a pattern corresponding to the nozzle 18 (see FIG. 1) and have high dimensional accuracy. The resist pattern 34 has an inversely tapered shape as shown in FIG. 2, but this shape can be appropriately controlled depending on the material for forming the resist layer 31 and the conditions for exposure and development. . In the case where openings other than the nozzle 18 (see FIG. 1) are formed simultaneously, a resist pattern corresponding to the openings is also formed simultaneously.

  Drawing 3 is a figure showing from the 2nd process to the 5th process in the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet of a 1st embodiment. In addition, the 3rd process-the 5th process shown in FIG. 3 are also 1st Embodiment in the surface treatment method of the nozzle sheet of this invention.

  As shown in FIG. 3, after the first step (see FIG. 2), the electroformed layer 35 is formed in the second step. Then, in the third step (the first step in the surface treatment method of the nozzle sheet), the resist pattern 34 (masking member) and the electroformed layer 35 (nozzle sheet) are separated from the matrix 30 (flat plate), and the fourth step In (second step in the surface treatment method), a liquid repellent layer 36 which is a liquid repellent surface treatment layer is formed on the surface of the resist pattern 34 and the electroformed layer 35 where the mold 30 is peeled off, and the fifth step (surface In the third step of the processing method, the resist pattern 34 and the liquid repellent layer 36 formed on the resist pattern 34 are removed, and the nozzle sheet of the first embodiment is manufactured (surface treatment).

  That is, in the second step shown in FIG. 3, an electrode plate is attached to the mother die 30, put into a chemical bath, and Ni (nickel) is deposited around the resist pattern 34 on the mother die 30 by electroplating. An electroformed layer 35 having a thickness of about 13 μm as a main component is formed. And after completion | finish of an electroforming process, post-processes, such as washing | cleaning and drying, are performed.

  Here, as a forming material of the electroformed layer 35, in addition to pure Ni (nickel), for example, Ni (nickel) -Co (cobalt) alloy to which about 10 to 20% of Co (cobalt) is added can be used. . Although the electroformed layer 35 can be formed by electroless plating, the electroplating is advantageous in terms of production efficiency because the film formation rate is faster.

  Also, as a chemical solution, in the case of a nickel sulfamate plating bath, a mixed solution of nickel sulfamate, nickel chloride, boric acid, stress modifier, pit inhibitor, etc. is used. In the case of a Weisberg nickel plating bath, sulfuric acid is used. Use a mixture of nickel, nickel chloride, cobalt sulfate, boric acid, nickel formate, ammonium sulfate, formaldehyde, etc.

  In the next third step, the resist pattern 34 and the electroformed layer 35 are separated from the mother die 30. As a result, the electroformed layer 35 in which the resist pattern 34 remains inside the portion corresponding to the nozzle is formed, and the resist pattern 34 becomes a masking member filled in the nozzle of the nozzle sheet. In addition, since the peeling surface with the mother die 30 is in a clean and active state, it is advantageous for subsequent surface treatment.

  Here, when the mother die 30 is peeled off, not all of the resist pattern 34 remains inside the nozzle, and a part of the resist pattern 34 may be removed together with the mother die 30. However, as shown in FIG. 3, the resist pattern 34 has a reverse taper shape on the side of the separation surface from the mother die 30, so that even if the resist pattern 34 remains on the mother die 30 side at the time of separation, the nozzle It is hard to come out from inside.

  Further, even when the adhesion between the mother die 30 and the resist pattern 34 is extremely strong and the resist pattern 34 remains in close contact with the mother die 30 side, cohesive failure within the resist pattern 34 is caused. Therefore, all of the resist pattern 34 does not fall out of the nozzle as it is, and remains as a masking member, so that the masking function in the subsequent surface treatment is not adversely affected.

  In the subsequent fourth step, a liquid repellent layer 36 having a thickness of about 0.2 μm is formed on the surface of the resist pattern 34 and the electroformed layer 35 where the mold 30 is peeled off. The liquid repellent layer 36 is formed by using a fluororesin coating agent (trade name “FH-2000 series” manufactured by Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.). Yes, the resist pattern 34 is not dissolved. In addition, not only a fluororesin coating agent but a silicone resin coating agent etc. can also be used.

  Then, a fluororesin coating agent is coated on the release surface by spin coating, and left at room temperature for 2 hours, and then heat treated at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to form the liquid repellent layer 36. The coating method is not limited to spin coating, and coating can be performed by various methods such as dip coating, meniscus coating, and roll coating.

  In addition, since the upper surface of the electroformed layer 35 opposite to the peeling surface does not require fine patterning at the time of masking, a masking tape is put on the entire upper surface of the electroformed layer 35 before coating, It is removed after the liquid repellent layer 36 is formed.

  In the final fifth step, the resist pattern 34 and the liquid repellent layer 36 formed on the resist pattern 34 are removed, and then cleaning and drying are performed. The resist pattern 34 may be removed by using an alkaline solution, an organic solvent, or the like. As a result, the electroformed layer 35 becomes the nozzle sheet 17 and a selective liquid repellent layer 36 is formed on the nozzle sheet 17. It will be.

  Further, in order to improve the durability of the liquid repellent layer 36 thus formed, an additional heat treatment is performed at 200 ° C. for 1 hour. The additional heat treatment may be appropriately performed according to specifications such as durability required for the liquid repellent layer 36. However, by performing this, the long-term durability of the liquid repellent layer 36 is improved.

  As described above, the nozzle sheet manufacturing method (nozzle sheet surface treatment method) of the first embodiment uses the resist pattern 34 for forming the nozzle 18 as it is as a masking member of the nozzle 18. The masking member does not protrude from the nozzle 18 on the surface separated from the mold 30, and it is not necessary to remove the excess masking member. Therefore, the peeled surface, which is the surface on which the liquid repellent layer 36 is formed, is clean and active, and the liquid repellent layer 36 with high adhesion can be formed.

  Further, the obtained nozzle sheet 17 has a thickness of about 13 μm and a size of about 50 mm × 240 mm, and has an appropriate size when the printer head 10 shown in FIG. 1 is an A4 size line head. Therefore, all the nozzles 18 necessary for the printer head 10 are formed on one nozzle sheet 17.

  The nozzle diameter of each nozzle 18 is about 17 μm, the pitch between nozzles to adjacent nozzles 18 is about 42.3 μm, and the liquid repellent layer 36 is formed with high precision up to the edge of each nozzle 18. It has become. The nozzle sheet 17 having the fluororesin liquid repellent layer 36 formed with high precision up to the edge of the nozzle 18 is also the nozzle sheet of the first embodiment.

(Second Embodiment)
In the second embodiment, the material for forming the liquid repellent layer 36 in the fourth step shown in FIG. 3 is changed with respect to the first embodiment. That is, a perfluoro group-containing triazine thiol derivative is used for forming the liquid repellent layer 36 in the second embodiment.

  Then, a liquid repellent layer 36 having a thickness of about 0.1 μm is formed on the surface of the resist pattern 34 and the electroformed layer 35 where the mold 30 is peeled off by a vacuum evaporation method, and then the entire surface is irradiated with ultraviolet rays for repelling. The liquid layer 36 was cured. The vacuum deposition method is a kind of PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) method (physical vapor deposition method), which is one of the dry film forming methods, but is a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method. Method).

  As described above, in the second embodiment, the liquid repellent layer 36 is formed by a vacuum deposition method. However, when a dry film formation method such as a vacuum deposition method is used, a liquid coating agent is used. It is not necessary to consider compatibility with the resist pattern 34 that must be noted in some cases, and since it is easy to control the film thickness with a thin film thickness, the liquid repellent layer 36 at the edge portion of the nozzle 18 is more It can be formed with high accuracy.

  After the liquid repellent layer 36 is formed, the resist pattern 34 that is a masking member and the liquid repellent layer 36 formed on the resist pattern 34 are removed in the same manner as in the first embodiment (the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3). 5 steps), a selective liquid repellent layer 36 is formed on the nozzle sheet 17, and then an additional heat treatment is performed at 200 ° C. for 1 hour, thereby further improving the durability of the liquid repellent layer 36. . The nozzle sheet 17 on which the liquid repellent layer 36 of a perfluoro group-containing triazine thiol derivative is formed with high accuracy up to the edge portion of the nozzle 18 is also a nozzle sheet of the second embodiment.

(Third embodiment)
3rd Embodiment also changes the formation material of the liquid repellent layer 36 in the 4th process shown in FIG. 3 with respect to 1st Embodiment. That is, in the formation of the liquid repellent layer 36 in the third embodiment, a composite plating (hereinafter simply referred to as “Ni-PTFE composite”) made of Ni (nickel) and a fluorine-based resin such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) is used. Called "plating"). Note that the liquid repellent layer 36 can also be formed by a sputtering method using a PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) target, a plasma polymerization method using a fluorocarbon-based gas, or the like.

  Then, a liquid repellent layer 36 having a thickness of about 2 μm is formed on the surface of the resist pattern 34 and the electroformed layer 35 that are separated from the mother die 30. Here, when the liquid repellent layer 36 becomes relatively thick as in the case where Ni-PTFE composite plating is used, it may be considered that the hole diameter of the nozzle 18 is adversely affected. Therefore, in such a case, the resist pattern 34 in the first step is formed so that the hole diameter of the nozzle 18 is increased by taking into account the influence of the formation of the liquid repellent layer 36.

  After forming the liquid repellent layer 36 in this manner, the resist pattern 34 and the liquid repellent layer 36 formed on the resist pattern 34 are removed in the same manner as in the first embodiment (fifth step shown in FIG. 3). To do. Thereafter, a heat treatment is performed at 250 ° C. for 1 hour to improve the liquid repellency and durability. The nozzle sheet 17 in which the Ni-PTFE composite plating liquid-repellent layer 36 is formed with high accuracy up to the edge portion of the nozzle 18 is also the nozzle sheet of the third embodiment.

(Fourth embodiment)
In the fourth step shown in FIG. 3, the nozzle sheet manufacturing method of the fourth embodiment does not form the lyophobic layer 36 as in the first embodiment, but a corrosion-resistant surface treatment layer (hereinafter simply referred to as “ This is a method of forming a “corrosion resistant layer”. This method is also the surface treatment method for the nozzle sheet of the fourth embodiment.

  In the fourth embodiment, the resist pattern 34 and the electroformed layer 35 are peeled from the matrix 30 by corrosion-resistant plating by electroplating Au (gold) using an acidic bath, and then the same as in the first embodiment. Thus, the selective corrosion resistant layer is formed on the nozzle sheet 17 by removing the resist pattern 34 and the corrosion resistant plating formed on the resist pattern 34 (fifth step shown in FIG. 3).

  Here, in the fourth embodiment, Au (gold) is used as a material for forming the corrosion-resistant layer, but in addition, Pd (palladium), Ir (iridium), Rh (rhodium), Pt (platinum), Precious metals such as Ru (ruthenium) and Os (osmium) can also be used. In addition to these pure metals, for example, Ni (nickel), Ag (silver), In (indium), Co (cobalt), etc. are co-deposited to about 0.1 to 8% with respect to Au (gold). Further, a noble metal alloy containing these noble metals as a main component, such as a hard gold plating or an alloy of Pd (palladium) and Ni (nickel), can also be used.

  Furthermore, a part of Ag (silver) alloy can also be used. That is, among the noble metals, Ag (silver) is not so good in corrosion resistance and stability over time, so that a sufficient effect cannot be obtained as it is. However, by using an alloy containing about 0.5 to 1% or more of a noble metal such as Au (gold), Pd (palladium), or Pt (platinum), the corrosion resistance is improved and can be used. It becomes. Furthermore, in addition to noble metals, corrosion resistant metals can also be used. That is, it has good corrosion resistance by forming a stable passive film on the surface, such as Cr (chromium) or Ti (titanium).

  Further, the corrosion-resistant layer can be formed not by electroplating of Au (gold) but by electroless plating of Au (gold). Further, various dry film forming methods such as a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) method (physical vapor deposition method) such as an ion plating method, a sputtering method, and a vacuum deposition method can also be used.

  Thus, in the fourth embodiment, a selective corrosion-resistant layer is formed on the nozzle sheet 17, and this corrosion-resistant layer is formed for the purpose of stabilizing the discharge characteristics of the nozzle 18 for a long period of time. For this purpose, there is no problem even if a corrosion-resistant layer is formed inside the nozzle 18. However, if a corrosion-resistant layer is also formed inside the nozzle 18, the amount of expensive Au (gold) used will increase.

  In addition, it is difficult to uniformly form a corrosion-resistant layer inside all the nozzles 18 and the thickness varies. As a result, the inner diameters of the nozzles 18 are different, and the discharge characteristics of each nozzle 18 vary. Furthermore, in some nozzles 18, the corrosion-resistant layer is not formed inside, or clogging occurs due to poor formation, which may cause ejection failure.

  However, in the nozzle sheet 17 manufactured (surface treatment) by the method of the fourth embodiment, the corrosion resistant layer is not formed inside the nozzle 18, and the corrosion resistant layer is formed with high accuracy up to the edge portion of the nozzle 18. It will be. Therefore, no problem occurs in the discharge characteristics of the nozzle 18. In addition, the nozzle sheet 17 in which the corrosion-resistant layer is formed with high accuracy up to the edge portion of the nozzle 18 is also the nozzle sheet of the fourth embodiment.

(Fifth embodiment)
Drawing 4 is a figure showing from the 2nd process to the 4th process in a manufacturing method of a nozzle sheet of a 5th embodiment.
Moreover, FIG. 5 is a figure which shows from the 5th process to the 7th process in the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet of 5th Embodiment. Note that the fifth to seventh steps shown in FIG. 5 are also the fifth embodiment of the surface treatment method for a nozzle sheet of the present invention.

  Here, FIG. 4 does not show the first step in the method of manufacturing the nozzle sheet of the fifth embodiment, but the first step is exactly the same as the first step of the first embodiment. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, in Step 1-1, a metal substrate to be a mother die 30 is prepared, and in Step 1-2, a resist layer 31 having a thickness of about 15 μm is formed on the mother die 30. In step 1-3, exposure is performed by an exposure machine. In step 1-4, the exposed resist layer 31 is developed with a predetermined developer, and an unexposed portion is removed to selectively leave an exposed portion 31 ′. Then, a resist pattern 34 is formed.

  Then, in the second step shown in FIG. 4, as in the first embodiment, the electroformed layer 35 is formed on the mother die 30 and around the resist pattern 34. That is, by electroplating, an electroformed layer 35 having a thickness of about 13 μm mainly composed of Ni (nickel) or Ni (nickel) is formed, and then post-treatment such as cleaning and drying is performed.

  Next, in the fifth embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, in the third step shown in FIG. 4, the electroformed layer 35 is kept in close contact with the matrix 30 with an alkaline solution, an organic solvent, or the like. The resist pattern 34 is removed.

  Then, in the subsequent fourth step, a masking material is filled in the concave portions formed on the mother die 30 and formed by removing the resist pattern 34 to form a masking member 37. Here, the masking material is an aqueous solution of PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) resin, which is adjusted with pure water and ethanol so that the solid content concentration of PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) is about 10%.

  Since this PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) resin is a water-soluble resin, it can be easily diluted with pure water, ethanol, or the like, and the optimal viscosity and surface for filling depending on the size and depth of the recesses. The tension can be adjusted. The masking material is not limited to PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) resin, and may be any material that can be removed in a subsequent process.

  And after filling a recessed part with such an aqueous solution of PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) resin using a dispenser, it is made to dry at normal temperature. This filling and drying are repeated a plurality of times in order to completely mask the recesses, and are also applied to the upper surface of the electroformed layer 35 that does not require surface treatment, so that a reliable masking member 37 is formed. .

  Subsequently, in the fifth step shown in FIG. 5, the electroformed layer 35 and the masking member 37 and the mother die 30 are peeled off. Thereby, it becomes the electroformed layer 35 in which the masking member 37 remains inside the portion corresponding to the nozzle. And since the peeling surface with the mother die 30 is in a clean and active state, it is advantageous for the subsequent surface treatment. Note that when the mother die 30 is peeled off, a part of the masking member 37 may be removed together with the mother die 30, but even in this case, the surface of the inner wall corresponding to the nozzle Since the masking member 37 remains, the masking function in the subsequent surface treatment is not affected.

  In the subsequent sixth step, a liquid repellent layer 36 having a thickness of about 0.2 μm is formed on the peeling surface of the electroformed layer 35 and the masking member 37 from the mother die 30. The liquid repellent layer 36 is formed using a fluororesin coating agent (trade name “FH-2000 series” manufactured by Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.) as in the first embodiment. The masking member 37 is not dissolved.

  Then, the fluororesin coating agent is coated on the release surface by spin coating, and is left to stand at room temperature for 2 hours, followed by heat treatment at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to form the liquid repellent layer 36. In the fifth embodiment, since the masking member 37 is also formed on the upper surface of the electroformed layer 35, it is not necessary to apply a masking tape to the upper surface of the electroformed layer 35 as in the first embodiment. .

  In the final seventh step, the masking member 37 and the liquid repellent layer 36 formed on the masking member 37 are removed, and then cleaning and drying are performed. Here, pure water, ethanol, or the like may be used to remove the masking member 37. Thereby, the electroformed layer 35 becomes the nozzle sheet 17 and the selective liquid repellent layer 36 is formed on the nozzle sheet 17. In order to improve the durability of the liquid repellent layer 36 thus formed, an additional heat treatment is performed at 200 ° C. for 1 hour.

  Thus, since the manufacturing method (surface treatment method of a nozzle sheet) of the nozzle sheet of 5th Embodiment uses the aqueous solution of PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) resin as a masking material, when removing the masking member 37, In addition, a safe liquid such as pure water can be used. Therefore, there is an advantage that no special equipment is required without adversely affecting the electroformed layer 35.

  In the fifth embodiment, the electroformed layer 35 is kept in close contact with the mother die 30, that is, the periphery of the recess formed by removing the resist pattern 34 is masked by the upper surface of the mother die 30. The masking member 37 is filled with an aqueous solution of PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) resin and dried. Therefore, the masking member does not protrude around the concave portion on the side of the mother die 30, so that it is not necessary to remove the excess masking member 37. In addition, since the peeled surface, which is the surface on which the liquid repellent layer 36 is formed, is not contaminated and is kept clean and active, the liquid repellent layer 36 with high adhesion can be formed.

  In addition, the liquid repellent layer 36 of the perfluoro group-containing triazine thiol derivative is formed as in the second embodiment by the same steps as the nozzle sheet manufacturing method (nozzle sheet surface treatment method) of the fifth embodiment. It is possible to form a film, to form a liquid-repellent layer 36 of Ni-PTFE composite plating as in the third embodiment, or to form a corrosion-resistant layer as in the fourth embodiment.

(Sixth embodiment)
Drawing 6 is a figure showing the 1st process in the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet of a 6th embodiment.
In the first step shown in FIG. 6, a dummy layer 38 thinner than the thickness of the nozzle sheet is formed on the matrix 30. That is, in step 1-1, a metal substrate to be the mother die 30 is prepared. Similar to the first embodiment, the mother die 30 is a SUS (stainless steel) substrate having a thickness of 0.4 mm and a size of 400 mm × 400 mm.

  Then, in the next step 1-2, an electroplated film mainly composed of Ni (nickel) or Ni (nickel) is formed to a thickness of about 2 μm on the portion of the matrix 30 where the nozzle sheet is formed in at least a subsequent step. The dummy layer 38 is formed. The dummy layer 38 is a primary electroformed layer formed under the same pretreatment conditions and plating conditions as those used for forming a normal electroformed film. However, the dummy layer 38 has a thickness that can be easily peeled off in a subsequent process. .

Drawing 7 is a figure showing the 2nd process in a manufacturing method of a nozzle sheet of a 6th embodiment.
In the second step shown in FIG. 7, a resist pattern 34 corresponding to the nozzle is formed on the dummy layer 38. That is, in step 2-1, a resist layer 31 having a thickness of about 15 μm is formed on the dummy layer 38. The material resin of the resist layer 31 is a negative resist photosensitive resin, as in the first embodiment, and is applied, for example, by spin coating and then dried.

  In subsequent step 2-2, exposure is performed by an exposure machine (not shown). That is, as in the first embodiment, the resist layer 31 is irradiated with the ultraviolet rays 33 through the photomask 32 in which the pattern corresponding to the nozzle is formed so that the portion that becomes the nozzle hole remains selectively.

  Then, in the next step 2-3, similarly to the first embodiment, the resist layer 31 exposed in the step 2-2 is developed with a predetermined developer, and the unexposed portion is removed to remove the exposed portion 31 ′. A resist pattern 34 corresponding to the nozzle is formed by leaving selectively.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a third process to a seventh process in the nozzle sheet manufacturing method according to the sixth embodiment. In addition, the 5th process-7th process shown in FIG. 8 is also 6th Embodiment in the surface treatment method of the nozzle sheet of this invention.

  As shown in FIG. 8, in the third step, an electroformed layer 35 is formed on the dummy layer 38 and around the resist pattern 34. That is, as in the first embodiment, an electroplating layer mainly composed of Ni (nickel) or Ni (nickel) is formed with a thickness of about 13 μm, and then post-treatment such as cleaning and drying is performed to perform electric treatment. The cast layer 35 is used.

  Here, the thickness of the dummy layer 38 is formed in advance so as to be smaller than the thickness of the electroformed layer 35 to be formed in consideration of the thickness of the electroformed layer 35 formed in the third step. . The size of the dummy layer 38 is formed in advance so as to be larger than the size of the electroformed layer 35 to be formed in consideration of the size of the electroformed layer 35 formed in the third step.

  In the next fourth step, the dummy layer 38 and the mother die 30 are peeled off. At the time of this peeling, the peeling is caused between the dummy layer 38 and the mother die 30 so that the electroformed layer 35 and the dummy layer 38 are not peeled off. That is, as described above, since the size of the dummy layer 38 is formed wider than the electroformed layer 35, the dummy layer 38 and the mother die 30 are first formed in a portion outside the electroformed layer 35. A part of the interface is partially peeled off to create a trigger for peeling. Then, the dummy layer 38 and the mother die 30 are peeled off so that the entire mother die 30 is peeled while being bent.

  Subsequently, in the fifth step, the resist pattern 34, the electroformed layer 35, and the dummy layer 38 are peeled off. Here, the dummy layer 38 is a thin film having a thickness of about 2 μm. Therefore, as shown in the fifth step of FIG. 8, the dummy layer 38 can be easily peeled in a state such as 180 ° peel peeling.

  As described above, the sixth embodiment in which the dummy layer 38 is formed on the mother die 30 and the dummy layer 38 is peeled off is compared with the first embodiment in which the mother die 30 is peeled off in the resist pattern 34 inside the nozzle. The resist pattern 34 can be a more stable masking member. That is, the electroformed layer 35 can be obtained in which the resist pattern 34 remains cleanly inside the portion corresponding to the nozzle. Further, the peeled surface from the dummy layer 38 is in a clean and active state, which is advantageous for the subsequent surface treatment.

  In the subsequent sixth step, a liquid repellent layer 36 having a thickness of about 0.2 μm is formed on the surface of the resist pattern 34 and the electroformed layer 35 where the dummy layer 38 is peeled, as in the first embodiment. That is, using a fluororesin coating agent (trade name “FH-2000 series” manufactured by Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.), the coating is performed by spin coating, left at room temperature for 2 hours, and then heat-treated at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes. A liquid repellent layer 36 is formed. In the case of coating, a masking tape is pasted on the upper surface of the electroformed layer 35 as in the first embodiment.

  In the final seventh step, similarly to the first embodiment, the resist pattern 34 and the liquid repellent layer 36 formed on the resist pattern 34 are removed, and then cleaning and drying are performed. Thereby, the electroformed layer 35 becomes the nozzle sheet 17 and the selective liquid repellent layer 36 is formed on the nozzle sheet 17. Further, in order to improve the durability of the liquid repellent layer 36 thus formed, an additional heat treatment is performed at 200 ° C. for 1 hour.

  In addition, the liquid repellent layer 36 of the perfluoro group-containing triazine thiol derivative is formed as in the second embodiment by the same steps as the nozzle sheet manufacturing method (nozzle sheet surface treatment method) of the sixth embodiment. It is possible to form a film, to form a liquid-repellent layer 36 of Ni-PTFE composite plating as in the third embodiment, or to form a corrosion-resistant layer as in the fourth embodiment.

(Seventh embodiment)
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a third process to a fifth process in the nozzle sheet manufacturing method according to the seventh embodiment.
Moreover, FIG. 10 is a figure which shows from the 6th process to the 9th process in the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet of 7th Embodiment. The seventh to ninth steps shown in FIG. 10 are also the seventh embodiment of the surface treatment method for a nozzle sheet of the present invention.

  Here, FIG. 9 does not show the first step in the method of manufacturing the nozzle sheet of the seventh embodiment, but the first step is exactly the same as the first step of the sixth embodiment. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, in step 1-1, a metal substrate to be a mother die 30 is prepared, and in step 1-2, at least a part on the mother die 30 where a nozzle sheet is formed in a subsequent step. A primary electroformed layer containing Ni (nickel) or Ni (nickel) as a main component is formed to a thickness of about 2 μm to form a dummy layer 38.

  Further, the next second step is exactly the same as the second step of the sixth embodiment. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, in step 2-1, a resist layer 31 having a thickness of about 15 μm is formed on the dummy layer. In Step 2-2, the resist layer 31 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays 33 through a photomask 32 on which a pattern corresponding to the nozzle is formed. Further, in step 2-3, the resist layer 31 exposed in step 2-2 is developed with a predetermined developer, and the unexposed portion is removed, thereby selectively leaving an exposed portion 31 ′ and corresponding to the nozzle. A resist pattern 34 is formed.

  Then, in the third step shown in FIG. 9, the electroformed layer 35 is formed on the dummy layer 38 and around the resist pattern 34 as in the sixth embodiment. That is, by electroplating, an electroformed layer 35 having a thickness of about 13 μm mainly composed of Ni (nickel) or Ni (nickel) is formed, and then post-treatment such as cleaning and drying is performed.

  In the next fourth step, the resist pattern 34 is removed with an alkaline solution, an organic solvent, or the like in the same manner as in the fifth embodiment while the electroformed layer 35 is kept in close contact with the dummy layer 38. .

  In the subsequent fifth step, a masking material made of an aqueous solution of PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) resin is filled in the recesses formed on the dummy layer 38 and formed by removing the resist pattern 34 to form a masking member 37. . At this time, the masking material is also applied to the upper surface of the electroformed layer 35 so that the reliable masking member 37 is formed. The masking material is not limited to PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) resin, and may be any material that can be removed in a subsequent process.

  Subsequently, in the sixth step shown in FIG. 10, the dummy layer 38 and the mother die 30 are peeled in the same manner as in the sixth embodiment. That is, in order to prevent the electroformed layer 35 and the dummy layer 38 from being peeled off, a separation trigger is created between the dummy layer 38 and the mother die 30 and the whole mother die 30 is bent while being peeled off. Let

  In the subsequent seventh step, similarly to the sixth embodiment, the electroformed layer 35, the masking member 37, and the dummy layer 38 are peeled off. That is, since the dummy layer 38 is a thin film having a thickness of about 2 μm, the dummy layer 38 may be peeled in a state of 180 ° peel peeling as shown in the seventh step of FIG. Therefore, the seventh embodiment can reduce the adverse effect on the masking member 37 inside the nozzle as in the sixth embodiment. Further, the peeled surface from the dummy layer 38 is in a clean and active state, which is advantageous for the subsequent surface treatment.

  In the next eighth step, similarly to the fifth embodiment, a liquid repellent layer 36 having a thickness of about 0.2 μm is formed on the peeling surface of the electroformed layer 35 and the masking member 37 from the dummy layer 38. That is, coating is performed by spin coating using a fluororesin coating agent (trade name “FH-2000 series” manufactured by Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.) to form the liquid repellent layer 36. In addition, since the masking member 37 is also formed on the upper surface of the electroformed layer 35 in the seventh embodiment, it is not necessary to apply a masking tape on the upper surface of the electroformed layer 35 as in the fifth embodiment.

  In the last ninth step, the masking member 37 and the liquid repellent layer 36 formed on the masking member 37 are removed as in the fifth embodiment. That is, the masking member 37 is removed using pure water, ethanol, or the like, and then cleaning and drying are performed. Thereby, the electroformed layer 35 becomes the nozzle sheet 17 and the selective liquid repellent layer 36 is formed on the nozzle sheet 17. Further, in order to improve the durability of the liquid repellent layer 36 thus formed, an additional heat treatment is performed at 200 ° C. for 1 hour.

  The liquid repellent layer 36 of the perfluoro group-containing triazine thiol derivative is formed by the same process as the nozzle sheet manufacturing method (nozzle sheet surface treatment method) of the seventh embodiment as in the second embodiment. It is possible to form a film, to form a liquid-repellent layer 36 of Ni-PTFE composite plating as in the third embodiment, or to form a corrosion-resistant layer as in the fourth embodiment.

  The nozzle sheet manufacturing method, the nozzle sheet surface treatment method, and each embodiment of the nozzle sheet have been described above. However, according to the nozzle sheet manufacturing method of each embodiment, the liquid repellent layer 36 and the like can be obtained in a simple process. Can be produced. Moreover, according to the surface treatment method of the nozzle sheet of each embodiment, the liquid repellent layer 36 and the like can be formed on the nozzle sheet 17 without adversely affecting the nozzle 18. Furthermore, in the nozzle sheet of each embodiment, the liquid repellent layer 36 and the like are formed with high accuracy up to the edge portion of the nozzle 18, and the ink droplet ejection characteristics can be stably maintained.

  By the way, as shown in FIG. 1, the nozzle sheet 17 manufactured (surface treatment) by the method as in each embodiment is attached with the head chip 14 and the head frame 16 to form the printer head 10. When the printer head 10 is manufactured, the handling of the nozzle sheet 17 may be a problem.

  That is, when a relatively small printer head such as a serial head is manufactured, there is not much problem, but when a large printer head such as a line head is manufactured, the nozzle sheet 17 is thin and wide ( For example, for the A4 size, the thickness is about 13 μm and the size is about 50 mm × 240 mm), which makes handling difficult and causes problems such as breakage of the nozzle sheet 17 during manufacture of the printer head.

  Further, if the nozzle sheet 17 is heated when the head chip 14 or the head frame 16 is applied, curling and flatness may be disturbed, and accurate application with the head frame 16 may be difficult. In particular, when the liquid-repellent layer 36 or the corrosion-resistant layer is formed only on one surface of the thin and wide nozzle sheet 17, the influence of curling increases due to the difference in linear expansion coefficient, residual stress, and the like. Furthermore, the film stress at the time of electroforming may not stabilize the dimension in a state where it is peeled off from the mother die 30 and may adversely affect the dimensional accuracy after being attached.

As described above, the nozzle sheet 17 is a bottleneck in manufacturing the printer head. In particular, the handling of the thin and wide nozzle sheet 17 becomes a problem.
Therefore, next, a method for manufacturing a printer head that is simple in process even when the thin and wide nozzle sheet 17 is used, and a printer head that includes the high-precision nozzle sheet 17 will be described.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a second process to a fourth process in the printer head manufacturing method according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the fifth to sixth steps in the printer head manufacturing method according to the first embodiment.

  Here, FIG. 11 does not show the first step in the printer head manufacturing method of the first embodiment, but the first step is exactly the same as the first step in the nozzle sheet manufacturing method of the first embodiment. It is the same. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, in Step 1-1, a metal substrate to be a mother die 30 is prepared, and in Step 1-2, a resist layer 31 having a thickness of about 15 μm is formed on the mother die 30. In step 1-3, exposure is performed by an exposure machine. In step 1-4, the exposed resist layer 31 is developed with a predetermined developer, and an unexposed portion is removed to selectively leave an exposed portion 31 ′. Then, a resist pattern 34 is formed.

  Then, in the second step shown in FIG. 11, the electroformed layer 35 is formed on the mother die 30 and around the resist pattern 34 in the same manner as the second step in the nozzle sheet manufacturing method of the first embodiment. Form. That is, by electroplating, an electroformed layer 35 having a thickness of about 13 μm mainly composed of Ni (nickel) or Ni (nickel) is formed, and then post-treatment such as cleaning and drying is performed.

  Next, in the third embodiment of the printer head manufacturing method of the first embodiment, a ceramic head frame 16 (corresponding to a support member in the present invention) is pasted on the electroformed layer 35 in the third step shown in FIG. Match. Then, in the fourth step, the resist pattern 34 and the electroformed layer 35 and the mother die 30 are peeled off, and in the fifth step, the liquid-repellent surface is peeled off from the resist pattern 34 and the electroformed layer 35 from the mother die 30. A liquid repellent layer 36 which is a surface treatment layer is formed, and in the sixth step, the resist pattern 34 and the liquid repellent layer 36 formed on the resist pattern 34 are removed, and then the head chip 14 (see FIG. 1) and the like are The printer head of the first embodiment is manufactured by pasting.

  That is, in the third step shown in FIG. 11, the ceramic head frame 16 is bonded onto the electroformed layer 35. Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the head frame 16 supports the nozzle sheet 17 and is formed with an accommodation space for arranging the head chip 14 therein. In addition, the nozzle sheet 17 has a nozzle group (nozzle block) in which 320 nozzles 18 having a thickness of about 13 μm and a hole diameter of about 17 μm are continuously arranged at a pitch of about 42.3 μm for each color, Assume that they are for A4 full line in which four rows (64 blocks in total) are formed corresponding to each of the four colors.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the bonding of the head frame 16 in the third step is performed at a high temperature of about 150 ° C. using an adhesive to the electroformed layer 35 that is still attached to the mother die 30. This is done by attaching the head frame 16 from above. As described above, in the printer head manufacturing method of the first embodiment, since the head frame 16 is attached to the electroformed layer 35 with the mother die 30, the electroformed layer 35 is difficult to handle because it is thin and wide. However, flatness is not disturbed without bending or curling at the time of bonding. Therefore, the head frame 16 can be accurately bonded with high dimensional accuracy.

  Further, the linear expansion coefficients of the matrix 30 and the electroformed layer 35 are larger than the linear expansion coefficient of the head frame 16, and this third step is set to the maximum temperature of all the steps. For this reason, when bonding is performed using a thermosetting sheet adhesive (for example, an epoxy-based sheet adhesive) at a high temperature of about 150 ° C., the electroformed layer 35 and the head frame 16 are cured when the adhesive is cured. Are stretched according to their respective linear expansion coefficients. However, at the stage of the third step, the Ni (nickel) electroformed layer 35 follows the linear expansion coefficient of the SUS (stainless steel) matrix 30.

  And when it returns to room temperature, what was extended according to a linear expansion coefficient will also return, but since the adhesive has hardened in the extended state, the master mold 30 and the electroformed layer 35 are more suitable for the head frame 16. Try to shrink more than. Therefore, tension is applied to the mother die 30 and the electroformed layer 35 by the head frame 16 having sufficient rigidity, and as a result, the flatness of the electroformed layer 35 is maintained.

  In the next fourth step, the resist pattern 34 and the electroformed layer 35 are separated from the mother die 30. Then, an electroformed layer 35 in which the resist pattern 34 remains in the portion corresponding to the nozzle is formed, and the resist pattern 34 becomes a masking member filled in the nozzle of the nozzle sheet. Note that when the mother die 30 is peeled off, a part of the resist pattern 34 may be removed together with the mother die 30. Even in this case, the surface of the inner wall of the portion corresponding to the nozzle Since the resist pattern 34 remains, the masking function in the subsequent surface treatment is not affected.

  Further, since the electroformed layer 35 is fixed to the head frame 16, tension is applied to the electroformed layer 35 by the head frame 16 even after the mother die 30 is removed. Therefore, the electroformed layer 35 is not deformed and high dimensional accuracy is maintained. In addition, since the peeling surface with the mother die 30 is in a clean and active state, it is advantageous for subsequent surface treatment.

  In the subsequent fifth step, a liquid repellent layer 36 having a thickness of about 0.2 μm is formed on the surface of the resist pattern 34 and the electroformed layer 35 where the mold 30 is peeled off. For the formation of the liquid repellent layer 36, a fluororesin coating agent (trade name “FH-2000 series” manufactured by Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.) is used, as in the fourth step in the method of manufacturing the nozzle sheet of the first embodiment. ing. Then, coating is performed by spin coating, and after standing at room temperature for 2 hours, heat treatment is performed at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to form the liquid repellent layer 36. In the case of coating, a masking tape is pasted on the upper surface of the electroformed layer 35.

  In the next sixth step, the resist pattern 34 and the liquid repellent layer 36 formed on the resist pattern 34 are removed in the same manner as in the fifth step in the method for manufacturing the nozzle sheet of the first embodiment. Dry. Thereby, the electroformed layer 35 becomes the nozzle sheet 17 and the selective liquid repellent layer 36 is formed on the nozzle sheet 17. Further, in order to improve the durability of the liquid repellent layer 36 thus formed, an additional heat treatment is performed at 200 ° C. for 1 hour.

  In addition, as in the second embodiment of the nozzle sheet manufacturing method, the liquid repellent layer 36 of the perfluoro group-containing triazine thiol derivative is formed, or as in the third embodiment, the liquid repellent of Ni-PTFE composite plating is performed. The layer 36 may be formed, or a corrosion resistant layer may be formed as in the fourth embodiment.

  After forming the nozzle sheet 17 (electroformed layer 35) to which the head frame 16 is fixed in this manner, the head chip 14 is affixed on the nozzle sheet 17 (on the electroformed layer 35 avoiding the nozzles 18). That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the position of the nozzle 18 is precisely positioned so as to match the position of the heating resistor 13, and the head chip 14 is attached via the barrier layer 15 to obtain the printer head 10.

  Here, since the bonding of the head chip 14 is performed by thermosetting the barrier layer 15, the bonding temperature is set according to the photosensitive resin constituting the barrier layer 15. However, it is set to a temperature (for example, about 105 ° C.) lower than the temperature for pasting the electroformed layer 35 and the head frame 16. This is because tension is always applied to the electroformed layer 35 (nozzle sheet 17) after application by attaching the electroformed layer 35 and the head frame 16 to the highest temperature during the manufacturing process.

  That is, if the electroforming layer 35 (nozzle sheet 17) is thermally expanded by setting the temperature (about 105 ° C.) lower than about 150 ° C., which is the temperature at which the electroforming layer 35 and the head frame 16 are applied, the head frame The tension by 16 works effectively. Therefore, wrinkles or the like are not generated in the electroformed layer 35 (nozzle sheet 17), and flatness is maintained.

  As described above, according to the printer head manufacturing method of the first embodiment, the head frame 16 can be easily attached even to the electroformed layer 35 that is thin and wide and difficult to handle. Further, the electroformed layer 35 does not bend or curl during bonding, and the flatness is not disturbed. Therefore, even a large printer head such as a line head can be easily manufactured.

  Further, since the resist pattern 34 for forming the nozzle 18 is used as it is as the masking member of the nozzle 18, the masking member does not adhere to the periphery of the nozzle 18, and can easily be peeled from the mother die 30. The nozzle sheet 17 having the liquid repellent layer 36 formed thereon can be manufactured. Therefore, the manufacturing process of the printer head including the nozzle sheet 17 on which the liquid repellent layer 36 is formed becomes very simple.

  Further, the nozzle sheet 17 in the printer head manufactured by the method of the first embodiment has the liquid repellent layer 36 of fluororesin formed with high precision up to the edge portion of the nozzle 18, so that stable ink can be obtained. Droplet discharge characteristics can be obtained. Therefore, the beautiful print / printing capability of the printer head is continuously exhibited. The printer head including the nozzle sheet 17 in which the liquid repellent layer 36 is formed with high accuracy up to the edge portion of the nozzle 18 is also the printer head of the first embodiment.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a second process to a fifth process in the printer head manufacturing method according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the sixth to eighth steps in the printer head manufacturing method of the second embodiment.

  Here, FIG. 13 does not show the first step in the printer head manufacturing method of the second embodiment, but the first step is exactly the same as the first step of the first embodiment. That is, as shown in FIG. 2 (first step of the nozzle sheet manufacturing method), in step 1-1, a metal substrate to be the mother die 30 is prepared, and in step 1-2, a thickness is formed on the mother die 30. A resist layer 31 having a thickness of about 15 μm is formed. In step 1-3, exposure is performed by an exposure machine. In step 1-4, the exposed resist layer 31 is developed with a predetermined developer, and an unexposed portion is removed. As a result, the exposed portion 31 ′ is selectively left to form a resist pattern 34.

  In the second step shown in FIG. 13, as in the first embodiment, the electroformed layer 35 is formed on the mother die 30 and around the resist pattern 34. That is, by electroplating, an electroformed layer 35 having a thickness of about 13 μm mainly composed of Ni (nickel) or Ni (nickel) is formed, and then post-treatment such as cleaning and drying is performed.

  Next, in the second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, in the third step shown in FIG. 13, the electroformed layer 35 is kept in close contact with the matrix 30 with an alkaline solution, an organic solvent, or the like. The resist pattern 34 is removed.

  In the subsequent fourth step, the ceramic head frame 16 is bonded onto the electroformed layer 35 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. That is, as shown in the fourth step of FIG. 13, the head frame 16 is applied from the upper side to the electroformed layer 35 that is still attached to the mother die 30 using an adhesive at a high temperature of about 150 ° C. Paste.

  In the next fifth step, the masking material 37 is filled into the recesses formed on the mother die 30 and formed by removing the resist pattern 34 to form a masking member 37. Here, the masking material is an aqueous solution of PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) resin, and in the same manner as the fourth step in the nozzle sheet manufacturing method of the fifth embodiment, after filling the recess using a dispenser, it is dried at room temperature. Let This filling and drying are repeated a plurality of times in order to completely mask the recesses, and are also applied to the upper surface of the electroformed layer 35 that does not require surface treatment, so that a reliable masking member 37 is formed. . The masking material is not limited to PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) resin, and may be any material that can be removed in a subsequent process.

  Subsequently, in a sixth step shown in FIG. 14, the electroformed layer 35 and the masking member 37 and the mother die 30 are peeled off. Then, the electroformed layer 35 in which the masking member 37 remains in the portion corresponding to the nozzle is obtained. Note that when the mother die 30 is peeled off, a part of the masking member 37 may be removed together with the mother die 30, but even in this case, the surface of the inner wall corresponding to the nozzle Since the masking member 37 remains, the masking function in the subsequent surface treatment is not affected.

  Further, since the electroformed layer 35 is fixed to the head frame 16, tension is applied to the electroformed layer 35 by the head frame 16 even after the mother die 30 is removed, as in the first embodiment. . Therefore, the electroformed layer 35 is not deformed and high dimensional accuracy is maintained. And since the peeling surface with the mother die 30 is in a clean and active state, it is advantageous for the subsequent surface treatment.

  In a subsequent seventh step, a liquid repellent layer 36 having a thickness of about 0.2 μm is formed on the peeling surface of the electroformed layer 35 and the masking member 37 from the mother die 30. The liquid repellent layer 36 is formed using a fluororesin coating agent (trade name “FH-2000 series” manufactured by Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.) as in the first embodiment. The masking member 37 is not dissolved.

  Then, the fluororesin coating agent is coated on the release surface by spin coating, and is left to stand at room temperature for 2 hours, followed by heat treatment at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes to form the liquid repellent layer 36. In the second embodiment, since the masking member 37 is also formed on the upper surface of the electroformed layer 35, it is not necessary to apply a masking tape to the upper surface of the electroformed layer 35 as in the first embodiment. .

  In the next eighth step, the masking member 37 and the liquid repellent layer 36 formed on the masking member 37 are removed, and then cleaning and drying are performed. Here, pure water, ethanol, or the like may be used to remove the masking member 37. Thereby, the electroformed layer 35 becomes the nozzle sheet 17 and the selective liquid repellent layer 36 is formed on the nozzle sheet 17. Further, in order to improve the durability of the liquid repellent layer 36 thus formed, an additional heat treatment is performed at 200 ° C. for 1 hour.

  In addition, as in the second embodiment of the nozzle sheet manufacturing method, the liquid repellent layer 36 of the perfluoro group-containing triazine thiol derivative is formed, or as in the third embodiment, the liquid repellent of Ni-PTFE composite plating is performed. The layer 36 may be formed, or a corrosion resistant layer may be formed as in the fourth embodiment.

  After forming the nozzle sheet 17 (electroformed layer 35) to which the head frame 16 is fixed in this way, in the same manner as in the first embodiment, on the nozzle sheet 17 (on the electroformed layer 35 avoiding the nozzles 18). Then, the head chip 14 is attached. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the position of the nozzle 18 is precisely positioned so as to match the position of the heating resistor 13, and the head chip 14 is attached via the barrier layer 15 to obtain the printer head 10.

  As described above, according to the printer head manufacturing method of the second embodiment, since an aqueous solution of PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) resin is used as the masking material, when removing the masking member 37, pure water or the like is used. A safe liquid can be used. Therefore, there is an advantage that no special equipment is required without adversely affecting the electroformed layer 35.

  In the second embodiment, the electroformed layer 35 is kept in close contact with the mother die 30, that is, the periphery of the recess formed by removing the resist pattern 34 is masked by the upper surface of the mother die 30. The masking member 37 is filled with an aqueous solution of PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) resin and dried. Therefore, the masking member does not protrude around the concave portion on the side of the mother die 30, so that it is not necessary to remove the excess masking member 37. In addition, since the peeled surface, which is the surface on which the liquid repellent layer 36 is formed, is not contaminated and is kept clean and active, the liquid repellent layer 36 with high adhesion can be formed.

  Furthermore, even if the electroformed layer 35 is thin and wide and difficult to handle, the head frame 16 can be easily bonded. Further, the electroformed layer 35 does not bend or curl during bonding, and the flatness is not disturbed. Therefore, even a large printer head such as a line head can be easily manufactured.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating the third to fifth steps in the printer head manufacturing method according to the third embodiment.
FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the sixth to eighth steps in the printer head manufacturing method of the third embodiment.

  Here, FIG. 15 does not show the first step in the printer head manufacturing method of the third embodiment, but the first step is exactly the same as the first step in the nozzle sheet manufacturing method of the sixth embodiment. It is the same. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, in step 1-1, a metal substrate to be a mother die 30 is prepared, and in step 1-2, at least a part on the mother die 30 where a nozzle sheet is formed in a subsequent step. A primary electroformed layer containing Ni (nickel) or Ni (nickel) as a main component is formed to a thickness of about 2 μm to form a dummy layer 38.

  The next second step is also exactly the same as the second step in the nozzle sheet manufacturing method of the sixth embodiment. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, in step 2-1, a resist layer 31 having a thickness of about 15 μm is formed on the dummy layer. In Step 2-2, the resist layer 31 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays 33 through a photomask 32 on which a pattern corresponding to the nozzle is formed. Further, in step 2-3, the resist layer 31 exposed in step 2-2 is developed with a predetermined developer, and the unexposed portion is removed, thereby selectively leaving an exposed portion 31 ′ and corresponding to the nozzle. A resist pattern 34 is formed.

  In the third step shown in FIG. 15, the electroformed layer 35 is formed on the dummy layer 38 and around the resist pattern 34. That is, as in the first embodiment, an electroplating layer mainly composed of Ni (nickel) or Ni (nickel) is formed with a thickness of about 13 μm, and then post-treatment such as cleaning and drying is performed to perform electric treatment. The cast layer 35 is used.

  Here, the thickness of the dummy layer 38 is formed in advance so as to be smaller than the thickness of the electroformed layer 35 to be formed in consideration of the thickness of the electroformed layer 35 formed in the third step. . The size of the dummy layer 38 is formed in advance so as to be larger than the size of the electroformed layer 35 to be formed in consideration of the size of the electroformed layer 35 formed in the third step.

  In the next fourth step, the ceramic head frame 16 is bonded onto the electroformed layer 35 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. That is, as shown in the fourth step of FIG. 15, the head frame 16 is applied from the upper side at a high temperature of about 150 ° C. using an adhesive to the electroformed layer 35 that is still attached to the mother die 30. Paste.

  Then, in the fifth step, the dummy layer 38 and the mother die 30 are peeled off. At the time of this peeling, the peeling is caused between the dummy layer 38 and the mother die 30 so that the electroformed layer 35 and the dummy layer 38 are not peeled off. That is, as described above, since the size of the dummy layer 38 is formed wider than the electroformed layer 35, the dummy layer 38 and the mother die 30 are first formed in a portion outside the electroformed layer 35. A part of the interface is partially peeled off to create a trigger for peeling. Then, the dummy layer 38 and the mother die 30 are peeled off so that the entire mother die 30 is peeled while being bent.

  Here, since the electroformed layer 35 is fixed to the head frame 16, tension is applied to the electroformed layer 35 by the head frame 16 even after the mother die 30 is removed, as in the first embodiment. The Therefore, the electroformed layer 35 is not deformed and high dimensional accuracy is maintained.

  Subsequently, in the sixth step, the resist pattern 34, the electroformed layer 35, and the dummy layer 38 are peeled off. Here, the dummy layer 38 is a thin film having a thickness of about 2 μm. Therefore, as shown in the sixth step of FIG. 16, the dummy layer 38 can be easily peeled in a state like 180 ° peel peeling.

  As described above, the third embodiment in which the dummy layer 38 is formed on the mother die 30 and the dummy layer 38 is peeled off is compared with the first embodiment in which the mother die 30 is peeled off in the resist pattern 34 inside the nozzle. The resist pattern 34 can be a more stable masking member. That is, the electroformed layer 35 can be obtained in which the resist pattern 34 remains cleanly inside the portion corresponding to the nozzle.

  Further, when the mother die 30 is peeled off in a state where the electroformed layer 35 is fixed to the highly rigid head frame 16 as in the first embodiment, it is impossible to bend the head frame 16 side. Therefore, it is difficult to peel off the mother die 30 as compared with the case of the electroformed layer 35 alone. However, in the third embodiment, since the dummy layer 38 may be bent and peeled, the electroformed layer 35 fixed to the head frame 16 and the dummy layer 38 can be easily peeled off. In addition, the peeling surface from the dummy layer 38 is in a clean and active state, which is advantageous for the subsequent surface treatment.

  In the subsequent seventh step, a liquid repellent layer 36 having a thickness of about 0.2 μm is formed on the peeling surface of the resist pattern 34 and the electroformed layer 35 from the dummy layer 38 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. That is, using a fluororesin coating agent (trade name “FH-2000 series” manufactured by Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.), the coating is performed by spin coating, left at room temperature for 2 hours, and then heat-treated at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes. A liquid repellent layer 36 is formed. In the case of coating, a masking tape is pasted on the upper surface of the electroformed layer 35 as in the first embodiment.

  In the next eighth step, similarly to the first embodiment, the resist pattern 34 and the liquid repellent layer 36 formed on the resist pattern 34 are removed, and then cleaning and drying are performed. Thereby, the electroformed layer 35 becomes the nozzle sheet 17 and the selective liquid repellent layer 36 is formed on the nozzle sheet 17. Further, in order to improve the durability of the liquid repellent layer 36 thus formed, an additional heat treatment is performed at 200 ° C. for 1 hour.

  In addition, as in the second embodiment of the nozzle sheet manufacturing method, the liquid repellent layer 36 of the perfluoro group-containing triazine thiol derivative is formed, or as in the third embodiment, the liquid repellent of Ni-PTFE composite plating is performed. The layer 36 may be formed, or a corrosion resistant layer may be formed as in the fourth embodiment.

  After forming the nozzle sheet 17 (electroformed layer 35) to which the head frame 16 is fixed in this way, in the same manner as in the first embodiment, on the nozzle sheet 17 (on the electroformed layer 35 avoiding the nozzles 18). Then, the head chip 14 is attached. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the position of the nozzle 18 is precisely positioned so as to match the position of the heating resistor 13, and the head chip 14 is attached via the barrier layer 15 to obtain the printer head 10.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the third to sixth steps in the printer head manufacturing method according to the fourth embodiment.
FIG. 18 is a diagram showing the seventh to tenth steps in the printer head manufacturing method according to the fourth embodiment.

  Here, FIG. 17 does not show the first step in the method of manufacturing the printer head of the fourth embodiment, but the first step is exactly the same as the first step of the third embodiment. That is, as shown in FIG. 6 (first step of the nozzle sheet manufacturing method), a metal substrate to be the mother die 30 is prepared in the step 1-1, and at least on the mother die 30 in the step 1-2. A primary electroformed layer mainly composed of Ni (nickel) or Ni (nickel) is formed to a thickness of about 2 μm on the portion where the nozzle sheet is to be formed in a later process, and a dummy layer 38 is formed.

  Also, the next second step is exactly the same as the second step of the third embodiment. That is, as shown in FIG. 7 (second step of the nozzle sheet manufacturing method), in step 2-1, a resist layer 31 having a thickness of about 15 μm is formed on the dummy layer 38. In Step 2-2, the resist layer 31 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays 33 through a photomask 32 on which a pattern corresponding to the nozzle is formed. Further, in step 2-3, the resist layer 31 exposed in step 2-2 is developed with a predetermined developer, and the unexposed portion is removed, thereby selectively leaving an exposed portion 31 ′ and corresponding to the nozzle. A resist pattern 34 is formed.

  Then, in the third step shown in FIG. 17, the electroformed layer 35 is formed on the dummy layer 38 and around the resist pattern 34 as in the third embodiment. That is, by electroplating, an electroformed layer 35 having a thickness of about 13 μm mainly composed of Ni (nickel) or Ni (nickel) is formed, and then post-treatment such as cleaning and drying is performed.

  In the next fourth step, the resist pattern 34 is removed with an alkaline solution, an organic solvent or the like in the same manner as in the second embodiment while the electroformed layer 35 is kept in close contact with the dummy layer 38. .

  In the subsequent fifth step, the ceramic head frame 16 is bonded onto the electroformed layer 35 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. That is, as shown in the fifth step of FIG. 17, the head frame 16 is applied from the upper side at a high temperature of about 150 ° C. using an adhesive to the electroformed layer 35 that is still attached to the mother die 30. Paste.

  In the next sixth step, a masking material made of an aqueous solution of PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) resin is filled into the recesses formed on the dummy layer 38 and formed by removing the resist pattern 34 to form a masking member 37. At this time, the masking material is also applied to the upper surface of the electroformed layer 35 so that the reliable masking member 37 is formed. The masking material is not limited to PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) resin, and may be any material that can be removed in a subsequent process.

  Subsequently, in the seventh step shown in FIG. 18, the dummy layer 38 and the mother die 30 are peeled in the same manner as in the third embodiment. That is, in order to prevent the electroformed layer 35 and the dummy layer 38 from being peeled off, a separation trigger is created between the dummy layer 38 and the mother die 30 and the whole mother die 30 is bent while being peeled off. Let

  In the subsequent eighth step, similarly to the third embodiment, the electroformed layer 35, the masking member 37, and the dummy layer 38 are peeled off. That is, since the dummy layer 38 is a thin film having a thickness of about 2 μm, the dummy layer 38 may be peeled in a state of 180 ° peel peeling as shown in the eighth step of FIG. Therefore, the fourth embodiment can not only reduce the adverse effect on the masking member 37 inside the nozzle, but also the electroformed layer 35 and the dummy layer 38 fixed to the head frame 16, as in the third embodiment. Can be easily peeled off. In addition, the peeling surface from the dummy layer 38 is in a clean and active state, which is advantageous for the subsequent surface treatment.

  In the next ninth step, as in the second embodiment, a liquid repellent layer 36 having a thickness of about 0.2 μm is formed on the surface of the electroformed layer 35 and the masking member 37 where the dummy layer 38 is peeled. That is, coating is performed by spin coating using a fluororesin coating agent (trade name “FH-2000 series” manufactured by Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.) to form the liquid repellent layer 36. In the fourth embodiment, the masking member 37 is also formed on the upper surface of the electroformed layer 35 as in the second embodiment. Therefore, it is not necessary to apply a masking tape on the upper surface of the electroformed layer 35.

  In the next tenth step, the masking member 37 and the liquid repellent layer 36 formed on the masking member 37 are removed as in the second embodiment. That is, the masking member 37 is removed using pure water, ethanol, or the like, and then cleaning and drying are performed. Thereby, the electroformed layer 35 becomes the nozzle sheet 17 and the selective liquid repellent layer 36 is formed on the nozzle sheet 17. Further, in order to improve the durability of the liquid repellent layer 36 thus formed, an additional heat treatment is performed at 200 ° C. for 1 hour.

  In addition, as in the second embodiment of the nozzle sheet manufacturing method, the liquid repellent layer 36 of the perfluoro group-containing triazine thiol derivative is formed, or as in the third embodiment, the liquid repellent of Ni-PTFE composite plating is performed. The layer 36 may be formed, or a corrosion resistant layer may be formed as in the fourth embodiment.

  After forming the nozzle sheet 17 (electroformed layer 35) to which the head frame 16 is fixed in this way, in the same manner as in the first embodiment, on the nozzle sheet 17 (on the electroformed layer 35 avoiding the nozzles 18). Then, the head chip 14 is attached. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the position of the nozzle 18 is precisely positioned so as to match the position of the heating resistor 13, and the head chip 14 is attached via the barrier layer 15 to obtain the printer head 10.

  While the printer head manufacturing method and each embodiment of the printer head have been described above, according to the printer head manufacturing method of each embodiment, the nozzle sheet 17 having the liquid repellent layer 36 formed thereon is provided in a simple process. The printer head 10 can be manufactured. In the printer head of the embodiment, the liquid repellent layer 36 and the like are formed with high precision up to the edge portion of the nozzle 18 and the ink droplet ejection characteristics can be stably maintained. The printing ability is demonstrated continuously.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications such as the following can be made. That is,
(1) In the above embodiments, the nozzle sheet or the printer head of the ink jet printer is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the liquid repellent layer is formed on the nozzle sheet, the liquid repellent property can be exhibited not only in the ink but also in a liquid discharge head that discharges various liquids.

  (2) Although the negative resist photosensitive resin is used as the material resin for the resist layer in each of the above embodiments, a positive resist photosensitive resin can also be used. In the case of using a positive resist photosensitive resin, there is an advantage that the remaining amount of removal is reduced at the time of removal.

  (3) In each of the above embodiments, the nozzle sheet is formed of an electroformed layer containing Ni (nickel) as a main component, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a nozzle sheet may be formed of a resin such as polyimide and the nozzle processed using an excimer laser or the like.

  (4) In each of the above embodiments, the liquid repellent layer or the like is formed for the nozzle sheet alone or the head sheet attached to the nozzle sheet. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Absent. That is, as long as the surface of the nozzle sheet is exposed, a liquid repellent layer or the like can be formed even in a state where other members are attached.

  The nozzle sheet manufacturing method, nozzle sheet surface treatment method, nozzle sheet, liquid discharge head manufacturing method, and liquid discharge head of the present invention are particularly suitable when applied to an ink jet printer. The present invention can also be applied to a liquid discharge head that discharges dye. Further, it can be applied to a liquid discharge head for discharging a DNA-containing solution for detecting a biological sample.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view and a sectional view partially showing a printer head. It is a figure which shows the 1st process in the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows from the 2nd process to the 5th process in the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows from the 2nd process to the 4th process in the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet of 5th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows from the 5th process to the 7th process in the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet of 5th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the 1st process in the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet of 6th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the 2nd process in the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet of 6th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows from the 3rd process to the 7th process in the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet of 6th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows from the 3rd process to the 5th process in the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet of 7th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows from the 6th process to the 9th process in the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet of 7th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows from the 2nd process to the 4th process in the manufacturing method of the printer head of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows from the 5th process to the 6th process in the manufacturing method of the printer head of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows from the 2nd process to the 5th process in the manufacturing method of the printer head of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows from the 6th process to the 8th process in the manufacturing method of the printer head of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows from the 3rd process to the 5th process in the manufacturing method of the printer head of 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows from the 6th process to the 8th process in the manufacturing method of the printer head of 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows from the 3rd process to the 6th process in the manufacturing method of the printer head of 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows from the 7th process to the 10th process in the manufacturing method of the printer head of 4th Embodiment. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows a line head. It is a fragmentary perspective view which shows the head chip and nozzle sheet in a line head.

Explanation of symbols

10 Printer head (liquid discharge head)
11 Line head (liquid discharge head)
12 Ink liquid chamber (liquid chamber)
13 Heating resistor (energy generating element)
14 Head chip 15 Barrier layer (liquid chamber forming member)
16 Head frame (support member)
17 Nozzle sheet 18 Nozzle 30 Master mold 34 Resist pattern 35 Electroformed layer 36 Liquid repellent layer (surface treatment layer)
37 Masking member 38 Dummy layer

Claims (81)

A method of manufacturing a nozzle sheet in which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed,
Forming a resist pattern corresponding to an opening including at least the nozzle on the matrix; and
A second step of forming an electroformed layer on the matrix and around the resist pattern;
A third step of peeling the resist pattern and the electroformed layer from the matrix;
A fourth step of forming a surface treatment layer on the peeling surface of the resist pattern and the electroforming layer from the matrix;
A fifth step of removing the resist pattern and the surface treatment layer formed on the resist pattern portion. A method for producing a nozzle sheet, comprising: In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 1,
The said resist pattern consists of photosensitive resin. The manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet | seat characterized by the above-mentioned. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 1,
The method for producing a nozzle sheet, wherein the surface treatment layer has liquid repellency. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 1,
The said surface treatment layer has corrosion resistance. The manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet | seat characterized by the above-mentioned. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 1,
The method for producing a nozzle sheet, wherein the surface treatment layer is formed of a material that does not dissolve the resist pattern. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 1,
The surface treatment layer is formed by a dry film forming method. A method for producing a nozzle sheet, wherein: A method of manufacturing a nozzle sheet in which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed,
Forming a resist pattern corresponding to an opening including at least the nozzle on the matrix; and
A second step of forming an electroformed layer on the matrix and around the resist pattern;
A third step of removing the resist pattern;
A fourth step on the matrix and filling a masking material into a recess corresponding to at least the nozzle formed by removal of the resist pattern to form a masking member;
A fifth step of peeling the electroformed layer and the masking member from the matrix;
A sixth step of forming a surface treatment layer on a peel surface of the electroforming layer and the masking member from the matrix;
And a seventh step of removing the surface treatment layer formed on the masking member and the masking member. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 7,
The said resist pattern consists of photosensitive resin. The manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet | seat characterized by the above-mentioned. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 7,
The said masking material is water-soluble resin. The manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet | seat characterized by the above-mentioned. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 7,
The method for producing a nozzle sheet, wherein the surface treatment layer has liquid repellency. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 7,
The said surface treatment layer has corrosion resistance. The manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet | seat characterized by the above-mentioned. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 7,
The method for producing a nozzle sheet, wherein the surface treatment layer is formed of a material that does not dissolve the masking member. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 7,
The surface treatment layer is formed by a dry film forming method. A method for producing a nozzle sheet, wherein: A method of manufacturing a nozzle sheet in which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed,
A first step of forming a dummy layer thinner than the thickness of the nozzle sheet on the matrix;
Forming a resist pattern corresponding to at least the opening including the nozzle on the dummy layer; and
A third step of forming an electroformed layer on the dummy layer and around the resist pattern;
A fourth step of peeling the dummy layer and the matrix;
A fifth step of peeling the resist pattern and the electroformed layer from the dummy layer;
A sixth step of forming a surface treatment layer on a peeling surface of the resist pattern and the electroformed layer from the dummy layer;
A seventh step of removing the resist pattern and the surface treatment layer formed on the resist pattern portion. A method for manufacturing a nozzle sheet, comprising: In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 14,
The method for manufacturing a nozzle sheet, wherein the dummy layer is a primary electroformed layer. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 14,
The said resist pattern consists of photosensitive resin. The manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet | seat characterized by the above-mentioned. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 14,
The method for producing a nozzle sheet, wherein the surface treatment layer has liquid repellency. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 14,
The said surface treatment layer has corrosion resistance. The manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet | seat characterized by the above-mentioned. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 14,
The method for producing a nozzle sheet, wherein the surface treatment layer is formed of a material that does not dissolve the resist pattern. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 14,
The surface treatment layer is formed by a dry film forming method. A method for producing a nozzle sheet, wherein: A method of manufacturing a nozzle sheet in which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed,
A first step of forming a dummy layer thinner than the thickness of the nozzle sheet on the matrix;
Forming a resist pattern corresponding to at least the opening including the nozzle on the dummy layer; and
A third step of forming an electroformed layer on the dummy layer and around the resist pattern;
A fourth step of removing the resist pattern;
A fifth step on the dummy layer and filling a masking material into a recess corresponding to at least the nozzle formed by removing the resist pattern to form a masking member;
A sixth step of peeling the dummy layer and the matrix;
A seventh step of peeling the electroformed layer and the masking member from the dummy layer;
An eighth step of forming a surface treatment layer on the peeling surface of the electroforming layer and the masking member from the dummy layer;
And a ninth step of removing the surface treatment layer formed on the masking member and the masking member. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 21,
The method for manufacturing a nozzle sheet, wherein the dummy layer is a primary electroformed layer. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 21,
The said resist pattern consists of photosensitive resin. The manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet | seat characterized by the above-mentioned. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 21,
The said masking material is water-soluble resin. The manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet | seat characterized by the above-mentioned. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 21,
The method for producing a nozzle sheet, wherein the surface treatment layer has liquid repellency. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 21,
The said surface treatment layer has corrosion resistance. The manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet | seat characterized by the above-mentioned. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 21,
The method for producing a nozzle sheet, wherein the surface treatment layer is formed of a material that does not dissolve the masking member. In the manufacturing method of the nozzle sheet according to claim 21,
The surface treatment layer is formed by a dry film forming method. A method for producing a nozzle sheet, wherein: Surface treatment at a selective portion including at least the periphery of the nozzle on the surface of the flat plate side of a nozzle sheet produced by performing electroforming on a flat plate so that a nozzle for discharging droplets is formed. A surface treatment method of a nozzle sheet for forming a layer,
A first step of peeling the nozzle sheet and the masking member from the flat plate in a state where the nozzle of the nozzle sheet in close contact with the flat plate is filled with a masking member;
A second step of forming a surface treatment layer on a separation surface of the nozzle sheet and the masking member from the flat plate;
And a third step of removing the surface treatment layer formed on the masking member and the masking member. The surface treatment method for a nozzle sheet according to claim 29,
The surface treatment method for a nozzle sheet, wherein the masking member is a resist pattern formed on the flat plate so as to correspond to at least an opening including the nozzle. The surface treatment method for a nozzle sheet according to claim 29,
The masking member is a resist pattern formed on the flat plate so as to correspond to an opening including at least the nozzle,
The said resist pattern consists of photosensitive resin. The surface treatment method of the nozzle sheet | seat characterized by the above-mentioned. The surface treatment method for a nozzle sheet according to claim 29,
The said masking member is a masking material with which it filled in the said nozzle of the said nozzle sheet closely_contact | adhered with the said flat plate. The surface treatment method of the nozzle sheet characterized by the above-mentioned. The surface treatment method for a nozzle sheet according to claim 29,
The masking member is a masking material filled in the nozzle of the nozzle sheet in close contact with the flat plate,
The method for surface treatment of a nozzle sheet, wherein the masking material is a water-soluble resin. The surface treatment method for a nozzle sheet according to claim 29,
The surface treatment layer has a liquid repellency. A surface treatment method for a nozzle sheet. The surface treatment method for a nozzle sheet according to claim 29,
The surface treatment layer has corrosion resistance. A nozzle sheet surface treatment method, wherein: The surface treatment method for a nozzle sheet according to claim 29,
The surface treatment layer is formed of a material that does not dissolve the masking member. The surface treatment method for a nozzle sheet according to claim 29,
The surface treatment layer is formed by a dry film forming method. A nozzle sheet on which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed,
Forming a resist pattern corresponding to an opening including at least the nozzle on the matrix; and
A second step of forming an electroformed layer on the matrix and around the resist pattern;
A third step of peeling the resist pattern and the electroformed layer from the matrix;
A fourth step of forming a surface treatment layer on the peeling surface of the resist pattern and the electroforming layer from the matrix;
A nozzle sheet produced by a process including: a fifth process of removing the resist pattern and the surface treatment layer formed on the resist pattern portion. The nozzle sheet according to claim 38,
The said resist pattern consists of photosensitive resin. The nozzle sheet | seat characterized by the above-mentioned. The nozzle sheet according to claim 38,
The surface treatment layer has liquid repellency. A nozzle sheet, wherein: The nozzle sheet according to claim 38,
The said surface treatment layer has corrosion resistance. The nozzle sheet | seat characterized by the above-mentioned. The nozzle sheet according to claim 38,
The surface treatment layer is formed of a material that does not dissolve the resist pattern. The nozzle sheet according to claim 38,
The surface treatment layer is formed by a dry film forming method. A nozzle sheet on which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed,
Forming a resist pattern corresponding to an opening including at least the nozzle on the matrix; and
A second step of forming an electroformed layer on the matrix and around the resist pattern;
A third step of removing the resist pattern;
A fourth step on the matrix and filling a masking material into a recess corresponding to at least the nozzle formed by removal of the resist pattern to form a masking member;
A fifth step of peeling the electroformed layer and the masking member from the matrix;
A sixth step of forming a surface treatment layer on a peel surface of the electroforming layer and the masking member from the matrix;
A nozzle sheet produced by a process including the masking member and a seventh process of removing the surface treatment layer formed on the masking member. The nozzle sheet according to claim 44,
The said resist pattern consists of photosensitive resin. The nozzle sheet | seat characterized by the above-mentioned. The nozzle sheet according to claim 44,
The nozzle sheet, wherein the masking material is a water-soluble resin. The nozzle sheet according to claim 44,
The surface treatment layer has liquid repellency. A nozzle sheet, wherein: The nozzle sheet according to claim 44,
The said surface treatment layer has corrosion resistance. The nozzle sheet | seat characterized by the above-mentioned. The nozzle sheet according to claim 44,
The surface treatment layer is formed of a material that does not dissolve the masking member. The nozzle sheet according to claim 44,
The surface treatment layer is formed by a dry film forming method. A nozzle sheet on which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed,
A first step of forming a dummy layer thinner than the thickness of the nozzle sheet on the matrix;
Forming a resist pattern corresponding to at least the opening including the nozzle on the dummy layer; and
A third step of forming an electroformed layer on the dummy layer and around the resist pattern;
A fourth step of peeling the dummy layer and the matrix;
A fifth step of peeling the resist pattern and the electroformed layer from the dummy layer;
A sixth step of forming a surface treatment layer on a peeling surface of the resist pattern and the electroformed layer from the dummy layer;
A nozzle sheet produced by a process including: a seventh process of removing the resist pattern and the surface treatment layer formed on the resist pattern portion. The nozzle sheet according to claim 51,
The nozzle sheet, wherein the dummy layer is a primary electroformed layer. The nozzle sheet according to claim 51,
The said resist pattern consists of photosensitive resin. The nozzle sheet | seat characterized by the above-mentioned. The nozzle sheet according to claim 51,
The surface treatment layer has liquid repellency. A nozzle sheet, wherein: The nozzle sheet according to claim 51,
The said surface treatment layer has corrosion resistance. The nozzle sheet | seat characterized by the above-mentioned. The nozzle sheet according to claim 51,
The surface treatment layer is formed of a material that does not dissolve the resist pattern. The nozzle sheet according to claim 51,
The surface treatment layer is formed by a dry film forming method. A nozzle sheet on which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed,
A first step of forming a dummy layer thinner than the thickness of the nozzle sheet on the matrix;
Forming a resist pattern corresponding to at least the opening including the nozzle on the dummy layer; and
A third step of forming an electroformed layer on the dummy layer and around the resist pattern;
A fourth step of removing the resist pattern;
A fifth step on the dummy layer and filling a masking material into a recess corresponding to at least the nozzle formed by removing the resist pattern to form a masking member;
A sixth step of peeling the dummy layer and the matrix;
A seventh step of peeling the electroformed layer and the masking member from the dummy layer;
An eighth step of forming a surface treatment layer on the peeling surface of the electroforming layer and the masking member from the dummy layer;
A nozzle sheet, comprising: a masking member and a ninth step of removing the surface treatment layer formed on the masking member. The nozzle sheet according to claim 58,
The nozzle sheet, wherein the dummy layer is a primary electroformed layer. The nozzle sheet according to claim 58,
The said resist pattern consists of photosensitive resin. The nozzle sheet | seat characterized by the above-mentioned. The nozzle sheet according to claim 58,
The nozzle sheet, wherein the masking material is a water-soluble resin. The nozzle sheet according to claim 58,
The surface treatment layer has liquid repellency. A nozzle sheet, wherein: The nozzle sheet according to claim 58,
The said surface treatment layer has corrosion resistance. The nozzle sheet | seat characterized by the above-mentioned. The nozzle sheet according to claim 58,
The surface treatment layer is formed of a material that does not dissolve the masking member. The nozzle sheet according to claim 58,
The surface treatment layer is formed by a dry film forming method. A head chip in which a plurality of energy generating elements are arranged;
A nozzle sheet on which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed;
A liquid chamber forming member that is laminated between the formation surface of the energy generation element of the head chip and the nozzle sheet, and that forms a liquid chamber between the energy generation element and the nozzle. ,
A method of manufacturing a liquid discharge head that discharges liquid in the liquid chamber as droplets from the nozzle by the energy generating element,
Forming a resist pattern corresponding to an opening including at least the nozzle on the matrix; and
A second step of forming an electroformed layer on the matrix and around the resist pattern;
A third step of adhering a support member on which the nozzle sheet is supported and an accommodation space for arranging the head chip is formed on the electroformed layer;
A fourth step of peeling the resist pattern and the electroformed layer from the matrix;
A fifth step of forming a surface treatment layer on a peel surface of the resist pattern and the electroforming layer from the matrix;
A sixth step of removing the resist pattern and the surface treatment layer formed on the resist pattern portion. A method of manufacturing a liquid discharge head, comprising: The method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head according to claim 66,
The liquid chamber forming member is laminated on the electroformed layer of the nozzle sheet. A method of manufacturing a liquid discharge head, comprising: A head chip in which a plurality of energy generating elements are arranged;
A nozzle sheet on which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed;
A liquid chamber forming member that is laminated between the formation surface of the energy generation element of the head chip and the nozzle sheet, and that forms a liquid chamber between the energy generation element and the nozzle. ,
A method of manufacturing a liquid discharge head that discharges liquid in the liquid chamber as droplets from the nozzle by the energy generating element,
Forming a resist pattern corresponding to an opening including at least the nozzle on the matrix; and
A second step of forming an electroformed layer on the matrix and around the resist pattern;
A third step of removing the resist pattern;
A fourth step of bonding a support member on which the nozzle sheet is supported and an accommodation space for arranging the head chip is formed on the electroformed layer; and
A fifth step on the matrix and filling a masking material into a recess corresponding to at least the nozzle formed by removing the resist pattern to form a masking member;
A sixth step of peeling the electroformed layer and the masking member from the matrix;
A seventh step of forming a surface treatment layer on the peeling surface of the electroforming layer and the masking member from the matrix;
An eighth step of removing the masking member and the surface treatment layer formed on the masking member. A method of manufacturing a liquid discharge head, comprising: The method for manufacturing a liquid ejection head according to claim 68,
The liquid chamber forming member is laminated on the electroformed layer of the nozzle sheet. A method of manufacturing a liquid discharge head, comprising: A head chip in which a plurality of energy generating elements are arranged;
A nozzle sheet on which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed;
A liquid chamber forming member that is laminated between the formation surface of the energy generation element of the head chip and the nozzle sheet, and that forms a liquid chamber between the energy generation element and the nozzle. ,
A method of manufacturing a liquid discharge head that discharges liquid in the liquid chamber as droplets from the nozzle by the energy generating element,
A first step of forming a dummy layer thinner than the thickness of the nozzle sheet on the matrix;
Forming a resist pattern corresponding to at least the opening including the nozzle on the dummy layer; and
A third step of forming an electroformed layer on the dummy layer and around the resist pattern;
A fourth step of bonding a support member on which the nozzle sheet is supported and an accommodation space for arranging the head chip is formed on the electroformed layer; and
A fifth step of peeling the dummy layer and the matrix;
A sixth step of peeling the resist pattern and the electroformed layer from the dummy layer;
A seventh step of forming a surface treatment layer on the peeling surface of the resist pattern and the electroformed layer from the dummy layer;
An eighth step of removing the resist pattern and the surface treatment layer formed on the resist pattern portion. A method of manufacturing a liquid discharge head, comprising: In the manufacturing method of the liquid discharge head according to claim 70,
The liquid chamber forming member is laminated on the electroformed layer of the nozzle sheet. A method of manufacturing a liquid discharge head, comprising: A head chip in which a plurality of energy generating elements are arranged;
A nozzle sheet on which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed;
A liquid chamber forming member that is laminated between the formation surface of the energy generation element of the head chip and the nozzle sheet, and that forms a liquid chamber between the energy generation element and the nozzle. ,
A method of manufacturing a liquid discharge head that discharges liquid in the liquid chamber as droplets from the nozzle by the energy generating element,
A first step of forming a dummy layer thinner than the thickness of the nozzle sheet on the matrix;
Forming a resist pattern corresponding to at least the opening including the nozzle on the dummy layer; and
A third step of forming an electroformed layer on the dummy layer and around the resist pattern;
A fourth step of removing the resist pattern;
A fifth step of attaching a support member on which the nozzle sheet is supported and an accommodation space for arranging the head chip is formed on the electroformed layer; and
A sixth step of filling a masking material into a recess corresponding to at least the nozzle formed by removing the resist pattern on the dummy layer to form a masking member;
A seventh step of peeling the dummy layer and the matrix;
An eighth step of peeling the electroformed layer and the masking member from the dummy layer;
A ninth step of forming a surface treatment layer on the peeling surface of the electroformed layer and the masking member from the dummy layer;
And a tenth step of removing the surface treatment layer formed on the masking member and the masking member. In the manufacturing method of the liquid discharge head according to claim 72,
The liquid chamber forming member is laminated on the electroformed layer of the nozzle sheet. A method of manufacturing a liquid discharge head, comprising: A head chip in which a plurality of energy generating elements are arranged;
A nozzle sheet on which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed;
A liquid chamber forming member that is laminated between the formation surface of the energy generation element of the head chip and the nozzle sheet, and that forms a liquid chamber between the energy generation element and the nozzle. ,
A liquid discharge head for discharging the liquid in the liquid chamber as droplets from the nozzle by the energy generating element;
Forming a resist pattern corresponding to an opening including at least the nozzle on the matrix; and
A second step of forming an electroformed layer on the matrix and around the resist pattern;
A third step of adhering a support member on which the nozzle sheet is supported and an accommodation space for arranging the head chip is formed on the electroformed layer;
A fourth step of peeling the resist pattern and the electroformed layer from the matrix;
A fifth step of forming a surface treatment layer on a peel surface of the resist pattern and the electroforming layer from the matrix;
A liquid ejection head, comprising: a step including a sixth step of removing the resist pattern and the surface treatment layer formed on the resist pattern portion. The liquid ejection head according to claim 74, wherein
The liquid chamber forming member is laminated on the electroformed layer of the nozzle sheet. A head chip in which a plurality of energy generating elements are arranged;
A nozzle sheet on which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed;
A liquid chamber forming member that is laminated between the formation surface of the energy generation element of the head chip and the nozzle sheet, and that forms a liquid chamber between the energy generation element and the nozzle. ,
A liquid discharge head for discharging the liquid in the liquid chamber as droplets from the nozzle by the energy generating element;
Forming a resist pattern corresponding to an opening including at least the nozzle on the matrix; and
A second step of forming an electroformed layer on the matrix and around the resist pattern;
A third step of removing the resist pattern;
A fourth step of bonding a support member on which the nozzle sheet is supported and an accommodation space for arranging the head chip is formed on the electroformed layer; and
A fifth step on the matrix and filling a masking material into a recess corresponding to at least the nozzle formed by removing the resist pattern to form a masking member;
A sixth step of peeling the electroformed layer and the masking member from the matrix;
A seventh step of forming a surface treatment layer on the peeling surface of the electroforming layer and the masking member from the matrix;
A liquid discharge head produced by a process including the masking member and an eighth process of removing the surface treatment layer formed on the masking member. The liquid ejection head according to claim 76, wherein
The liquid chamber forming member is laminated on the electroformed layer of the nozzle sheet. A head chip in which a plurality of energy generating elements are arranged;
A nozzle sheet on which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed;
A liquid chamber forming member that is laminated between the formation surface of the energy generation element of the head chip and the nozzle sheet, and that forms a liquid chamber between the energy generation element and the nozzle. ,
A liquid discharge head for discharging the liquid in the liquid chamber as droplets from the nozzle by the energy generating element;
A first step of forming a dummy layer thinner than the thickness of the nozzle sheet on the matrix;
Forming a resist pattern corresponding to at least the opening including the nozzle on the dummy layer; and
A third step of forming an electroformed layer on the dummy layer and around the resist pattern;
A fourth step of bonding a support member on which the nozzle sheet is supported and an accommodation space for arranging the head chip is formed on the electroformed layer; and
A fifth step of peeling the dummy layer and the matrix;
A sixth step of peeling the resist pattern and the electroformed layer from the dummy layer;
A seventh step of forming a surface treatment layer on the peeling surface of the resist pattern and the electroformed layer from the dummy layer;
A liquid ejection head, comprising: a step including an eighth step of removing the resist pattern and the surface treatment layer formed on the resist pattern portion. The liquid ejection head according to claim 78, wherein
The liquid chamber forming member is laminated on the electroformed layer of the nozzle sheet. A head chip in which a plurality of energy generating elements are arranged;
A nozzle sheet on which nozzles for discharging droplets are formed;
A liquid chamber forming member that is laminated between the formation surface of the energy generation element of the head chip and the nozzle sheet, and that forms a liquid chamber between the energy generation element and the nozzle. ,
A liquid discharge head for discharging the liquid in the liquid chamber as droplets from the nozzle by the energy generating element;
A first step of forming a dummy layer thinner than the thickness of the nozzle sheet on the matrix;
Forming a resist pattern corresponding to at least the opening including the nozzle on the dummy layer; and
A third step of forming an electroformed layer on the dummy layer and around the resist pattern;
A fourth step of removing the resist pattern;
A fifth step of attaching a support member on which the nozzle sheet is supported and an accommodation space for arranging the head chip is formed on the electroformed layer; and
A sixth step of filling a masking material into a recess corresponding to at least the nozzle formed by removing the resist pattern on the dummy layer to form a masking member;
A seventh step of peeling the dummy layer and the matrix;
An eighth step of peeling the electroformed layer and the masking member from the dummy layer;
A ninth step of forming a surface treatment layer on the peeling surface of the electroformed layer and the masking member from the dummy layer;
A liquid ejection head, comprising: a masking member and a tenth step of removing the surface treatment layer formed on the masking member. The liquid discharge head according to claim 80,
The liquid chamber forming member is laminated on the electroformed layer of the nozzle sheet.

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