JP2006272884A - Liquid jetting head - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid jetting head whose arrangement at a base of a passage forming substrate can be individually discriminated without depending on a position number described on a surface of the passage forming substrate. <P>SOLUTION: The passage forming substrate 24 is obtained by dividing along a cutting scheduled line composed of a plurality of break patterns formed on the surface 37. A plurality of ruptured phases of the break patterns are formed on a side face of the passage forming substrate 24. A shape of at least a part of a plurality of the ruptured phases is made different for each passage forming substrate 24 obtained by dividing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  In the present invention, for example, a planned cutting line is set on a base material such as a silicon wafer, the base material is cut along the planned cutting line and divided into a plurality of flow path forming substrates, and the flow path forming substrate is provided. The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting head.

  In a liquid ejecting head represented by an ink jet recording head (hereinafter simply referred to as a recording head), high processing accuracy is required because it is necessary to accurately form a fine liquid flow path and a pressure generating chamber. Therefore, as these substrates, silicon or the like that can form a fine shape with high dimensional accuracy by etching is preferably used.

For example, when creating the flow path forming substrate of the recording head, a plurality of regions that become the flow path forming substrate are set on the substantially circular silicon wafer as the base material by setting the planned cutting lines vertically and horizontally. A break pattern is formed by opening a plurality of small through holes on the planned cutting line by etching. A portion separating adjacent through holes in the break pattern becomes a fragile portion. By breaking the fragile portion, the silicon wafer is cut along a planned cutting line and divided into a plurality of flow path forming substrates. And a flow path unit is comprised by joining a nozzle formation member to the one surface of this flow path formation board | substrate, and an elastic board to the other surface, respectively.
As a method of dividing the silicon wafer, a sheet member (dicing tape) having extensibility is attached to the surface of the silicon wafer, and this sheet member is radially expanded in the surface direction of the silicon wafer to cut with a break pattern. There is a so-called expanded break method (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2004-181947 A

By the way, the plurality of flow path forming substrates divided by the above-described expanded break and the like are numbered on the surface of each flow path forming substrate so that the arrangement on the silicon wafer before the division can be identified even after the division. Is common.
However, if a defect due to the arrangement on the silicon wafer occurs on this flow path forming substrate due to a manufacturing problem, etc., only the recording head configured with the flow path forming substrate having the defective arrangement is identified. Even if the recording head is removed, the position number cannot be confirmed unless the recording head is disassembled.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and the object thereof is to independently arrange the arrangement of the flow path forming substrate on the base material without depending on the position number marked on the surface of the flow path forming substrate. An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejecting head that can be identified.

The present invention has been proposed in order to achieve the above object, and includes a pressure generating element and a pressure generating chamber communicating with a nozzle opening through which droplets are discharged in accordance with the operation of the pressure generating element. A flow path forming substrate,
The flow path forming substrate is obtained by dividing the base material along a planned cutting line composed of a plurality of break patterns formed on the base material surface,
A plurality of fracture surfaces of the break pattern are formed on the side surface of the flow path forming substrate,
In the liquid ejecting head, at least a part of a shape of the fracture surface is different for each flow path forming substrate obtained by dividing.

  According to the above configuration, at least a part of the shape in the fractured surface differs for each flow path forming substrate obtained by dividing, so that the flow is divided based on the shape of the fractured surface after being divided from the base material. It is possible to individually identify the arrangement of the path forming substrate on the base material. That is, by forming the break pattern, the arrangement of the flow path forming substrate on the base material can be individually identified at the same time, and there is no need to form a position number on the surface of the flow path forming substrate. In addition, even if the position number is formed on the surface of the flow path forming substrate for convenience during the manufacturing process, if the arrangement of the flow path forming substrate on the base material is individually identified after the finished product, There is no need to identify the position number on the surface of the path forming substrate.

In the above configuration, it is desirable that the break pattern is made different at an intersection with another scheduled cutting line.
In addition, it is desirable that the width of the fragile portion in the break line direction in the break pattern outside the intersection is shorter than the width of the fragile portion in the break pattern on the center side of the intersection.

  According to this configuration, since the break pattern is different at the intersection with another planned cutting line, the base of the flow path forming substrate is based on the difference in the width of the fracture surface of the break pattern formed on the side surface. The arrangement in the material can be specified.

  The said structure WHEREIN: It is desirable to vary the width | variety of the cutting part line direction of the weak part in the said break pattern according to the position in the said base material of the said cutting line.

  According to this configuration, the width in the planned cutting line direction of the fragile portion in the break pattern is different depending on the position on the base material, so the width of the fracture surface is also different depending on the width of the fragile portion. The arrangement of the flow path forming substrate on the base material can be more accurately and easily identified based on the difference in the width of the fracture surface.

  The said structure WHEREIN: It is desirable to make the width | variety of a weak part shorter than the planned cutting line located inside the said base material rather than the planned cutting line located inside the base material.

  According to this configuration, since the width of the fragile portion is shorter in the planned cutting line positioned outside the base material than the planned cutting line positioned inside the base material, the flow path is based on the difference in the width of the fracture surface. It becomes easy to specify the arrangement of the formation substrate on the base material from the inside to the outside.

  The said structure WHEREIN: You may vary the shape of the through-hole in the said break pattern according to the position in the said base material of the said cutting planned line.

  According to this configuration, since the shape of the through hole in the break pattern differs depending on the position on the base material, the through holes formed on the side surfaces after the division even between the flow path forming substrates having the same fracture surface shape Based on the difference in shape due to, it is possible to individually identify the arrangement on the substrate.

  The said structure WHEREIN: You may vary the formation interval of the through-hole in the said break pattern according to the position in the said base material of the said cutting planned line.

  According to this configuration, since the formation interval of the through hole in the break pattern varies depending on the position of the planned cutting line in the base material, the width of the fracture surface also varies depending on the formation interval of the through hole. Therefore, the arrangement of the flow path forming substrate on the base material can be more accurately and easily identified based on the difference in the width of the fracture surface.

In the above configuration, a head cover that is attached to the flow path unit is provided in a state in which the nozzle opening is exposed and the other part is covered,
It is desirable that the head cover is provided with an exposed window portion that can expose the fracture surface of the break pattern at a position corresponding to the side surface of the flow path forming substrate.

  According to this configuration, the head cover has an exposed window portion that can expose the fracture surface of the break pattern at a position corresponding to the side surface of the flow path forming substrate. Even in a state where the liquid jet head is completed by assembling, it is possible to visually recognize the shape of the fractured surface of the flow path forming substrate from the exposed window portion. Therefore, it is possible to individually identify the arrangement of the flow path forming substrate on the base material based on the shape of the fracture surface without disassembling the liquid jet head. In addition, when it is desired to assign a position number to the surface of the flow path forming substrate, for example, the surface on the nozzle forming member side so that the arrangement of the flow path forming substrate on the base material can be individually identified, the flow is formed on the nozzle forming member. Although it is conceivable to form an exposed window for exposing the position number of the surface of the path forming substrate, when such a window is formed in the nozzle forming member, droplets discharged from the nozzle opening from the portion are formed. The mist is infiltrated. Therefore, with the above configuration, since it is not necessary to form such a window on the nozzle forming member, the arrangement of the flow path forming substrate on the base material can be individually identified while suppressing the intrusion of mist. ing.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the embodiments described below, various limitations are made as preferred specific examples of the present invention. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following description unless otherwise specified. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. In the following description, an ink jet recording head (hereinafter simply referred to as a recording head) mounted on an ink jet recording apparatus (a type of liquid ejecting apparatus; hereinafter simply referred to as a printer) is taken as an example of the liquid ejecting head of the present invention. To do.

  FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the recording head 1 in the present embodiment, and FIG. The illustrated recording head 1 includes a cartridge base 2 (hereinafter referred to as “base”), a driving substrate 3, a case 4, a flow path unit 5, and an actuator unit 6 as main components. The base 2 is molded from, for example, a synthetic resin such as an epoxy resin, and a plurality of ink introduction needles 8 are attached to the upper surface of the base 2 with a filter 7 interposed therebetween. An ink cartridge (not shown) storing ink is attached to these ink introduction needles 8.

  The drive substrate 3 is provided with a wiring pattern for supplying a drive signal from the printer main body (not shown) to the piezoelectric vibrator 9 and a connector 10 for connection with the printer main body, a resistor, a capacitor, and the like. The electronic parts 11 and the like are mounted. A wiring member such as an FFC (flexible flat cable) is connected to the connector 10, and the drive substrate 3 receives a drive signal from the printer main body side via the FFC. The driving substrate 3 is disposed on the bottom side of the base 2 opposite to the ink introduction needle 8 with the sheet 12 functioning as a packing interposed.

  The case 4 is a hollow box-shaped member made of synthetic resin, the flow path unit 5 is joined to the front end surface (lower surface), and the actuator unit 6 is accommodated in the accommodating space 13 formed inside, A drive substrate 35 is attached to the substrate attachment surface 14 opposite to the flow path unit 5 side. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a head cover 16 made of a metal thin plate member is attached to the front end surface side of the case 4 so as to surround the peripheral edge portion from the outside of the flow path unit 5. The head cover 16 is provided with two exposed window portions 17 at portions located on the respective side surfaces in the longitudinal direction of the flow path unit 5. You can see the place. The head cover 16 protects the flow path unit 5 and the case 4 and adjusts the nozzle plate 18 that is a nozzle forming member of the flow path unit 5 to the ground potential so that noise caused by static electricity generated from the recording paper or the like is reduced. It serves to prevent obstacles.

  The actuator unit 6 includes a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators 9 (a kind of pressure generating elements) arranged in a comb shape, a fixed plate 19 to which the piezoelectric vibrators 9 are joined, and driving from the driving substrate 3. It is composed of a wiring member such as a TCP (tape carrier package) for transmitting a signal to the piezoelectric vibrator 9. Each piezoelectric vibrator 9 is bonded to the fixed plate 19 on the fixed end side, and protrudes outward from the tip surface of the fixed plate 19 on the free end side. That is, each piezoelectric vibrator 9 is mounted on the fixed plate 19 in a so-called cantilever state. The fixing plate 19 that supports each piezoelectric vibrator 9 is made of, for example, stainless steel having a thickness of about 1 mm. The actuator unit 6 is housed and fixed in the housing space by bonding the back surface of the fixed plate 19 to the inner wall surface of the case 4 that partitions the housing space.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the flow path unit 5 is manufactured by joining and integrating with an adhesive or the like in a state where the elastic plate 20, the flow path forming substrate 24, and the nozzle plate 18 are laminated. A member in which a series of ink flow paths from the ink chamber 27 to the nozzle opening 30 through the ink supply port 25 and the pressure generation chamber 26 is formed. The flow path forming substrate 24 divides a portion that becomes an ink flow path, specifically, an empty portion that becomes a common ink chamber 27, a groove portion that becomes an ink supply port 25, and an empty portion that becomes a pressure generation chamber 26 by partition walls. In this state, a plurality of plate-like members are formed corresponding to the nozzle openings 30 established in the nozzle plate 18. In the present embodiment, the flow path forming substrate 24 is produced by etching a silicon wafer 35 as a base material, as will be described later.

  The pressure generation chamber 26 is formed as an elongated chamber in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the nozzle openings 30 are arranged (nozzle row direction). The common ink chamber 27 is a chamber into which ink is introduced from the side of the ink introduction needle 8 inserted into the ink cartridge. The ink introduced into the common ink chamber 27 is supplied to each pressure generating chamber 26 through the ink supply port 25. The elastic plate 20 is a composite plate material having a double structure in which an elastic film is laminated on a metal support plate such as stainless steel. An island 38 for joining the tip of the free end of the piezoelectric vibrator 9 is formed at a portion corresponding to the pressure generating chamber 26 of the elastic plate 20, and this portion functions as a diaphragm portion. Further, the elastic plate 20 seals one opening surface of the empty portion that becomes the common ink chamber 27 and also functions as a compliance portion. Only the elastic film is used for the portion corresponding to the compliance portion.

  In the recording head 1, when a driving signal is supplied from the driving substrate 3 through the wiring member, the piezoelectric vibrator 9 expands and contracts in the longitudinal direction of the element, and accordingly, the island portion 38 approaches the pressure generating chamber 26. Move in the direction of moving or moving away. As a result, the volume of the pressure generation chamber 26 changes, and the pressure in the ink in the pressure generation chamber 26 varies. An ink droplet (a kind of droplet) is ejected from the nozzle opening 30 by this pressure fluctuation.

  FIG. 3A is a plan view of a silicon wafer 35 serving as a base material of the flow path forming substrate 24. The silicon wafer 35 is a silicon single crystal substrate having a surface 37 set to a crystal orientation plane (110) plane and a thickness set to 400 μm, which is equal to the thickness of the flow path forming substrate 24. On the surface 37 of the silicon wafer 35, a plurality (10 in this embodiment) of substrate regions 24 ′ to be the flow path forming substrate 24 are partitioned, and the portions to be the ink flow paths are formed in each region by etching. Similarly, a plurality of elongated and small through-holes 39 (see FIG. 4A) are formed on the cut line L1 in the lateral direction by etching to form a break pattern. Also, a break pattern is formed by arranging a plurality of through holes 39 in the same manner on the vertical cutting line L2 orthogonal to the horizontal cutting line L1.

  The planned cutting line L1 in FIG. 3 (a) is set on the (110) plane and in the plane direction of the first (111) plane orthogonal to the (110) plane. In the present embodiment, the planned cutting line L1 is a first cutting planned line L1a located on the outermost side of the silicon wafer 35, parallel to the first cutting planned line L1a and one inside (the center of the silicon wafer 35). The second planned cutting line L1b located near the second cutting planned line L1b, the third planned cutting line L1c located on the end side (outside) on the extended line of the second planned cutting line L1b, and the innermost side, that is, the silicon wafer 35 It is composed of a fourth planned cutting line L1d that passes through the center O and is parallel to the planned cutting lines L1a, L1b. Further, the planned cutting line L2 in the vertical direction is set in the axial direction perpendicular to the first (111) plane. Note that the first (111) plane constitutes an orientation flat (so-called orientation flat) OF which serves as a reference plane in the etching process.

  Then, the substrate region 24 ′ partitioned by these planned cutting lines L 1 and L 2 is given a position number indicating the arrangement in the silicon wafer 35 (# 1-# 10 in FIG. 3A). Corresponding to the position number). The position number is generally printed in a size that can be viewed with a microscope in each substrate region 24 ′. Thus, after dividing from the silicon wafer 35, the flow path forming substrate 24 is arranged in any position. Can be identified individually.

FIG. 4A is a partial enlarged view illustrating the configuration of the break pattern formed on the planned cutting line L1 in the silicon wafer 35. FIG.
In this embodiment, the thin portion 40 thinner than the other portions is provided by etching the periphery of the break pattern halfway in the thickness direction of the silicon wafer 35 (so-called half-etching). And the part which separates the adjacent through-holes 39 in the cutting projected line L1 becomes the weak part 41, and this break part 41 and the through-hole 39 are alternately arranged in multiple numbers, and the break pattern is comprised. The through hole 39 in this break pattern has a first (111) surface 46 as a long side, a second (111) surface 47 that intersects the first (111) surface 46 and is orthogonal to the (110) surface. Is formed into an elongated parallelogram shape with a short side. The second (111) plane 47 intersects the first (111) plane 46 on the (110) plane (surface 37) at an angle of about 70 °. The shape of the through hole 39 is an example, and is not limited to the illustrated one.

When the external force is applied to the silicon wafer 35 on which such a break pattern is formed, the fragile portion 41 is broken. Thereby, the silicon wafer 35 is cut along the planned cutting line, and is divided into individual parts, that is, the flow path forming substrate 24. When the fragile portion 41 is broken, a fracture surface 42 corresponding to the shape of the fragile portion 41 of the break pattern is formed on the side surface of the flow path forming substrate 24 (see FIG. 4B).
As a method of dividing the silicon wafer 35, a sheet member (dicing tape) having extensibility is stuck to the surface 37 of the silicon wafer 35 before the division, and the sheet member is radially expanded in the surface direction of the silicon wafer 35. Thus, a so-called expanded break that breaks the break pattern is employed.

  By the way, the nozzle plate 18 is bonded to one surface and the elastic plate 20 is bonded to the other surface to the flow path forming substrate 24 divided from the silicon wafer 35 by the expanded break, so that The position number cannot be confirmed. That is, when the recording head 1 is completed by assembling other members to the flow path forming substrate 24 as described above, there arises a problem that the arrangement of the flow path forming substrate 24 on the silicon wafer 35 cannot be identified.

  Therefore, according to the position on the silicon wafer 35, the width W in the planned cutting line direction of the fragile portion 41 in the break pattern is set differently. Specifically, the width W in the planned cutting line direction of the fragile portion 41 is set shorter for the planned cutting line located on the outer side of the silicon wafer 35 than for the inner planned cutting line.

  In the present embodiment, the width W of the fragile portion 41 is adjusted by devising the shape of the through hole 39 in the planned cutting line L1 as shown in FIG. Specifically, the width W of the fragile portion 41 is adjusted by adjusting the width in the longitudinal direction of the through hole 39 formed by erosion by etching. In this case, the width in the longitudinal direction of the through hole 39 can be adjusted by adjusting the etching time or the concentration and temperature of the etching solution. It is also possible to adjust the shape of the through hole 39 itself by adjusting the shape of the mask pattern for etching. In the following description, the horizontal cutting planned line L1 will be described as an example, but the vertical cutting planned line L2 can be basically adjusted in the same manner.

  FIG. 4B is a partial enlarged view of the side surface of the flow path forming substrate 24 divided by the planned cutting line L1 in FIG. Then, using the above-described etching, for example, the width W of the fragile portion 41 is set to 350 μm in the second planned cutting line L1b, and the first planned cutting line L1a located outside the second planned cutting line L1b, The width W of the fragile portion 41 is set to the shortest 250 μm. In the fourth planned cutting line L1d located inside the second planned cutting line L1b, the width W of the fragile portion 41 is set to 400 μm, which is the longest, and the third planned cutting line described later is set to 300 μm. . Further, when the width W in the direction of the cutting line L1 of the fragile portion 41 of the silicon wafer 35 is adjusted in this way, the width w of the fracture surface 42 formed on the side surface of the flow path forming substrate 24 after the division is reduced. It can be adjusted according to the width W. That is, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the width w (distance in the direction of the planned cutting line L1) of the fracture surface 42 of the break pattern after division is substantially equal to the width W of the fragile portion 41.

  Here, FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of the flow path forming substrate 24 divided from the silicon wafer 35 of FIG. Each long side in this flow path forming substrate 24 is virtually divided into two equal parts, and the side part located in the right half of the upper long side in FIG. Is the side C, and the right half of the lower long side (the side located opposite the side A) is the side B, and similarly the left half of the lower long (opposite the side C) The side surface portion) is defined as a side surface D portion. As described above, the reason why the four regions of the side surfaces A to D are divided is that, in the present embodiment, an intersection is provided in the middle of the long side, and the types of break patterns are different on the left and right of the intersection. Hereinafter, the side surface of each flow path forming substrate 24 will be described based on the side surfaces A to D described above.

  In the present embodiment, at least one of the fracture surfaces 42 formed on the side surfaces A to D of each flow path forming substrate 24 by looking through the exposed window 17 of the head cover 16 with the naked eye even when the recording head 1 is completed. The arrangement (# 1 to # 10) in the silicon wafer 35 can be identified based on the difference in the width W of the part. For example, in the silicon wafer 35 shown in FIG. 3A, when the width w of the fracture surface 42 of the side surface A portion is 250 μm, the flow path forming substrate 24 of # 1 and # 2 is formed, and the fracture surface 42 of the side surface B portion. When the width w is 250 μm, the flow path forming substrate 24 is # 9 and # 10, and when the width w of the fracture surface 42 of both the side surface A and the C portion is 350 μm, the flow path # 4 Only the formation substrate 24 and the width w of the fracture surface 42 of both the side B part and the D part are 350 μm is the # 7 flow path formation substrate 24 only. As described above, when the width of the fragile portion 41 in the planned cutting line direction is set shorter than the inner cutting line, the cutting line positioned outside the silicon wafer 35 is positioned outside the silicon wafer 35 before the division. Based on the width of the fragile portion 41 appearing on the fracture surface 42 formed on the side surface of the flow path forming substrate 24 even after the flow path forming substrate 24 and the flow path forming substrate 24 located on the center side are divided, It becomes possible to identify accurately and easily.

  Furthermore, if the width of the cut portion line direction of the fragile portion 41 is set to be shorter for the planned cutting line located on the outer side of the silicon wafer 35 in this way than the inner cutting planned line, the outer cutting planned line is more fragile. become. Thereby, in the case of an expanded break, it can be made to cut | disconnect preferentially from an outer cutting planned line. Thereby, it can cut | leave without leaving all the cutting planned lines, and it becomes possible to divide | segment the silicon wafer 35 into each flow-path formation board | substrate more reliably.

  In the present embodiment, the width W of the outer fragile portion 41 with respect to the intersection of the planned cutting line L1 with the planned cutting line L2 is determined from the width W of the fragile portion 41 on the center side of the planned cutting line L1. Also set short.

  Here, FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the region S in FIG. For example, the width W of the fragile portion 41 is set to 300 μm at the third scheduled cutting line L1c on the outer side (right side in the drawing) with respect to the intersection P1 with the vertical cutting planned line L2 illustrated in FIG. In the second planned cutting line L1b on the center side (left side in the drawing) from P1, the width W of the fragile portion 41 is set to 350 μm.

  In the present embodiment, the intersection point P1 is a midpoint that bisects the upper long side of the # 3 flow path forming substrate 24, and therefore the side surface of the # 3 flow path forming substrate 24 corresponding to the planned cutting line L1c. Is the side surface A, the side surface of the # 3 flow path forming substrate 24 corresponding to the planned cutting line L1b is the side surface C portion, and the side surface of the # 1 flow path forming substrate 24 is the side surface B portion. In addition, at the intersection points P2 to P4, the width W of the outer fragile portion 41 at the intersection with the other planned cutting line in the planned cutting line is set as the boundary of the fragile portion 41 on the center side of the planned cutting line. It is shorter than the width W. Thereby, the arrangement of the flow path forming substrate 24 in the silicon wafer 35 can be individually specified based on the difference in the width W of at least a part of the fracture surface 42 formed on the side surface of the flow path forming substrate 24. it can. For example, the width w of the fracture surface 42 of the side surface A is 300 μm only in the # 3 flow path forming substrate 24, and the width w of the fracture surface 42 of the side surface B is 300 μm. Only the flow path forming substrate 24 and the width w of the fracture surface 42 of the side surface D portion is 300 μm, only the # 8 flow path formation substrate 24 and the width w of the fracture surface 42 of the side surface C portion is 300 μm. This is only the # 5 flow path forming substrate 24. As described above, when the width of the fragile portion 41 in the outer break pattern is made shorter than the width of the fragile portion 41 in the break pattern on the center side with the intersection as a boundary, the fracture surface 42 of the side surface of the flow path forming substrate 24 after the division is obtained. Since the width is also formed according to the width of the fragile portion 41, the arrangement of the flow path forming substrate 24 in the silicon wafer 35 can be individually specified based on the width of the fracture surface 42.

  Further, when the width of the fragile portion 41 is set in this manner, the fragile portion 41 on the outer side becomes more fragile, and therefore, when the silicon wafer 35 is divided by the expanded break, the fragile portion 41 on the outer side of the planned cutting line is sequentially broken. I will do it. As a result, even with a relatively long planned cutting line, the outer fragile portion 41 is first broken, and thereafter, stress can be concentrated on the inner fragile portion 41, so that the same length of the planned cutting line can be drawn at once. It becomes possible to cut more reliably than when cutting.

  In addition to the above embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the width W of the fragile portion 41 is adjusted by changing the formation interval of the through holes 39 in the break pattern. But it is possible. In this case as well, the break pattern formed on the side surface of the flow path forming substrate 24 since the width of the fracture surface 42 also changes according to the interval between the through holes 39, that is, the width of the fragile portion 41, as in the above embodiment. The arrangement of the flow path forming substrate 24 in the silicon wafer 35 can be individually identified based on the width of the fracture surface 42.

  Moreover, in said embodiment, although arrangement | positioning in the silicon wafer 35 of the flow-path formation board | substrate 24 is identifiable separately based on the difference in the shape of the torn surface 42, this invention is not limited to this. For example, the shape of the through hole of the break pattern may be varied according to the position of the planned cutting line L1 on the silicon wafer 35. For example, you may use the through-hole 49 of a break pattern as shown to Fig.7 (a). This break pattern is generally used, and its fracture surface 42 is as shown in FIG. In the etching process, the through holes 49 are formed by forming two parallelogram-shaped through holes in a zigzag pattern as shown in FIG. 4A and further connecting the through holes by etching. (Not shown). The connecting surfaces formed at the time of connection are called pedestals 50, and two connecting surfaces are formed facing one through hole. Then, as shown in FIG. 7B, the pedestal 50 can be visually recognized on the side surface of the flow path forming substrate 24 in addition to the fracture surface 42. Therefore, if the shape of the through hole in the break pattern is changed according to the position of the planned cutting line in the silicon wafer 35, the width of the fracture surface 42 formed on the side surface of the flow path forming substrate 24 is the same. In addition, the arrangement of the flow path forming substrate 24 in the silicon wafer 35 can be individually identified based on the difference in the shape of the through hole, that is, the presence or absence of the pedestal 50.

  Further, the fragile portion 41 formed by the through-hole 49 has a characteristic that the fragile portion 41 is easily broken even when they are the same width as the fragile portion 41 in the above embodiment. Using this characteristic, for example, the through hole of the break pattern of the planned cutting lines L1a to L1c of the above embodiment is formed by using this through hole 49, and only the planned cutting line L1d is formed as the through hole 39 of the above embodiment. The same effect as that of the above-described embodiment can be obtained even if the break pattern formed in step S1 and the width W of the fragile portion 41 in the planned cutting lines L1b and L1d are both 350 μm. That is, even in the # 4 and # 7 flow path forming substrate 24 where the width w of the fracture portion is 350 μm in all of the side surfaces A to D, the pedestal 50 is provided on the side surface A portion of the # 4 flow path forming substrate 24. The pedestal 50 is not present in the B portion, the pedestal 50 is present in the side B portion of the # 7 flow path forming substrate 24, and the pedestal 50 is absent in the side A portion. In addition, since the planned cutting lines (L1a to L1c) located outside the silicon wafer 35 are more likely to break than the inner planned cutting line (L1d), the expanded cutting line has priority from the outer planned cutting line. Can be cut into pieces. Thereby, it can cut | leave without leaving all the cutting planned lines, and it becomes possible to divide | segment the silicon wafer 35 into each flow-path formation board | substrate more reliably.

  That is, in these embodiments, by forming a break pattern, the arrangement of the flow path forming substrate on the silicon wafer 35 can be individually identified at the same time, and the position number is formed on the surface of the flow path forming substrate. There is no need. In addition, for convenience during the manufacturing process, even if the position number is formed on the surface of the flow path forming substrate, when the arrangement of the flow path forming substrate in the silicon wafer 35 is individually identified after the finished product, There is no need to identify the position number on the surface of the flow path forming substrate.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the head cover 16 in these embodiments is attached to the flow path unit 5 so as to expose the nozzle openings 30 and cover other portions. Four exposure window portions 17 capable of exposing the fracture surface 42 of the break pattern are provided at positions corresponding to the A to D portions. As a result, the shapes of the four fracture surfaces 42 on the side surfaces A to D of the flow path forming substrate 24 can be viewed from the exposed window portion 17 even when the head cover 16 is attached. That is, the flow path forming substrate is assembled on the basis of the fracture surface 42 of the break pattern as in the above embodiment without disassembling the recording head 1 even when the recording head 1 is completed by assembling other members to the flow path forming substrate 24. The arrangement of the 24 silicon wafers 35 can be individually identified. Further, when it is desired to assign a position number to the surface of the flow path forming substrate 24, for example, the surface on the nozzle plate 18 side, so that the arrangement of the flow path forming substrate 24 in the silicon wafer 35 can be individually identified, the nozzle plate 18 It is conceivable to form an exposure window (not shown) for exposing the position number of the surface of the flow path forming substrate 24 on the top, but when such an exposure window is formed on the nozzle plate 18, that portion The ink droplets discharged from the nozzle openings 30 become mist and enter. Therefore, with the above configuration, since it is not necessary to form such an exposed window on the nozzle plate 18, the arrangement of the flow path forming substrate 24 on the silicon wafer 35 is individually identified while suppressing the intrusion of mist. Is possible.

  By the way, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made based on the description of the scope of claims.

In the above, the example in which the flow path forming substrate 24 of the recording head 1 is configured by the flow path forming substrate obtained by dividing the silicon wafer 35 is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to the case where a semiconductor element or the like is manufactured by using.
Further, the base material of the flow path forming substrate 24 is not limited to the silicon wafer 35, and other base materials can be used.

  In the above description, the ink jet recording head has been described as an example of the liquid ejecting head. However, the present invention can also be applied to other liquid ejecting heads. For example, a color material ejecting head used for manufacturing a color filter such as a liquid crystal display, an electrode material ejecting head used for forming an electrode such as an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, an FED (surface emitting display), a biochip (biochemical element) The present invention can also be applied to bioorganic matter ejecting heads and the like used in the production of

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a configuration of a recording head. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part for explaining the configuration of a recording head. (A) is a top view of the silicon wafer used as the base material of a flow path formation board | substrate, (b) is an enlarged view of the flow path formation board | substrate divided | segmented from the silicon wafer of (a). (A) is the elements on larger scale explaining the structure of the break pattern formed along the planned cutting line, (b) is A of the flow path formation board | substrate divided | segmented by the cutting planned line L1 in (a). It is the elements on larger scale of the side seen from -A direction FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a region S in FIG. It is the elements on larger scale explaining the difference in the formation interval of the through-hole in a break pattern. (A) is the elements on larger scale explaining the structure of the break pattern formed along the planned cutting line, (b) is A of the flow path formation board | substrate divided | segmented into the cutting planned line L1 in (a). It is the elements on larger scale of the side seen from the -A direction. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a recording head in a state where a head cover is attached to a case.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Recording head, 2 ... Cartridge base, 3 ... Drive board, 4 ... Case, 5 ... Flow path unit, 6 ... Actuator unit, 7 ... Filter, 8 ... Ink introduction needle, 9 ... Piezoelectric vibrator, 10 ... Connector, 11 ... Electronic component, 12 ... Sheet, 13 ... Housing space, 14 ... Board mounting surface, 16 ... Head cover, 17 ... Exposed window, 18 ... Nozzle plate, 19 ... Fixed plate, 20 ... Elastic plate, 24 ... 25 ... Ink supply port, 26 ... Pressure generating chamber, 27 ... Common ink chamber, 30 ... Nozzle opening, 35 ... Silicon wafer, 37 ... Surface, 38 ... Island part, 39 ... Through hole, 40 ... Thin wall , 41 ... weak part, 42 ... fracture surface, 46 ... first (111) face, 47 ... second (111) face, 49 ... through hole, 50 ... pedestal

Claims (8)

A pressure generating element, and a flow path forming substrate in which a pressure generating chamber communicating with a nozzle opening through which droplets are discharged in response to the operation of the pressure generating element is formed,
The flow path forming substrate is obtained by dividing the base material along a planned cutting line composed of a plurality of break patterns formed on the base material surface,
A plurality of fracture surfaces of the break pattern are formed on the side surface of the flow path forming substrate,
A liquid ejecting head, wherein a shape of at least a part of the fractured surface is different for each flow path forming substrate obtained by division.   2. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein the break pattern is different between the planned cutting line and an intersection with another planned cutting line.   In the planned cutting line, the width in the planned cutting line direction of the fragile portion in the break pattern outside the intersection point is shorter than the width of the fragile portion in the break pattern on the center side from the intersection point. 2. A liquid jet head according to 2.   4. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein a width of the fragile portion in the break pattern in a direction of the planned cutting line varies depending on a position of the planned cutting line on the base material. 5. .   The liquid ejecting head according to claim 4, wherein the width of the fragile portion is shorter in the planned cutting line located outside the base material than in the planned cutting line positioned inside the base material.   The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the through hole in the break pattern is different depending on a position of the planned cutting line on the base material.   3. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein a formation interval of the through holes in the break pattern is different depending on a position of the planned cutting line on the base material. Provide a head cover that is attached to the flow path unit in a state in which the nozzle opening is exposed and other parts are covered
8. The head cover is provided with an exposure window portion that can expose a fracture surface of the break pattern at a position corresponding to a side surface of the flow path forming substrate. The liquid ejecting head described.

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