JP2012096406A - Inkjet head manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of manufacturing an inkjet head, which can prevent liquid from intruding into a coating forbidden region due to capillary phenomenon.SOLUTION: The method of manufacturing the inkjet head includes: a base material having a coating region and a coating forbidden region; and a protective film formed in the coating region and for protecting the base material from ink. A mask member including a frame surrounding the coat forbidden region to abut with the base material, and a covered region provided inside of the frame to cover the coating forbidden region through a space is installed on the base material before formation of the protective film. The liquid for forming the protective film is coated in the coating region of the base material while the mask member is placed on the base material. The mask member is removed from the base material in which the liquid is coated in the coating region.

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a method for manufacturing an inkjet head.

  The ink jet printer includes an ink jet head having a piezoelectric element. The inkjet head includes, for example, a ceramic substrate, a piezoelectric element attached to the substrate, a wiring provided on the substrate and connected to the piezoelectric element, and a nozzle plate provided with a plurality of nozzle holes. ing. This type of inkjet head performs printing by ejecting ink in an ink chamber formed between a substrate and a nozzle plate from a nozzle hole by a piezoelectric element.

  In order to prevent the substrate from being defective due to the ink supplied to the ink chamber, a protective film for protecting the substrate from the ink is provided on the surface of the substrate. This protective film is formed, for example, by spraying diluted adhesive on the substrate.

  On the other hand, since an IC for driving the piezoelectric element is connected to the wiring, the wiring is covered with, for example, a masking tape when spraying the adhesive. This prevents the wiring from being coated with the protective film.

JP 2009-202473 A

  In the portion of the substrate where the wiring is provided, fine irregularities are formed by, for example, laser patterning. For this reason, even if the wiring is covered with the masking tape, the adhesive enters under the masking tape due to capillary action. The infiltrated adhesive is wiped and washed with an organic solvent, but the yield of the inkjet head may be deteriorated due to poor cleaning and the remaining adhesive.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing an ink jet head that can prevent liquid from entering a coating prohibited area due to capillary action.

An ink jet head manufacturing method according to an embodiment includes:
An inkjet head manufacturing method comprising: a base material having an application region and an application prohibition region; and a protective film formed in the application region to protect the base material from ink. The protective film includes a mask member that includes a frame portion that surrounds the coating prohibited region and abuts against the base material, and a covering portion that covers the coating prohibited region via a space provided inside the frame portion. It mounts on the said base material before forming. In a state where the mask member is placed on the base material, a liquid for forming the protective film is applied to the application region of the base material. The mask member is removed from the base material on which the liquid is applied to the application region.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the disassembled inkjet head and the manifold in the first embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the inkjet head and manifold of 1st Embodiment along the F2-F2 line | wire of FIG. The top view which shows the base material of 1st Embodiment. The perspective view which shows the mask member of 1st Embodiment. The perspective view which shows roughly the method of forming a protective film in the base material of 1st Embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the base material and mask member of 1st Embodiment along the F6-F6 line | wire of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the base material and mask member of 1st Embodiment. The perspective view which shows the inkjet head which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The perspective view which shows schematically the method of forming a protective film in the base material of 2nd Embodiment. Sectional drawing of the base material and mask member of 2nd Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment of an ink jet head manufacturing method will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an exploded ink jet head 10 and a manifold 11. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the inkjet head 10 and the manifold 11 along the line F2-F2 of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ink jet head 10 is a so-called side shooter type ink jet head, and includes a base material 13, a frame member 14, and a nozzle plate 15. The base material 13 includes a base material body 16 and a pair of piezoelectric members 17. As shown in FIG. 2, an ink chamber 19 is formed inside the base material 13, the frame member 14, and the nozzle plate 15. The pair of piezoelectric members 17 are located inside the ink chamber 19.

  The base body 16 is formed in a rectangular plate shape using ceramics such as alumina. The base body 16 has a flat first surface 21 and a second surface 22 located on the opposite side of the first surface 21. The second surface 22 is attached to the manifold 11. The substrate body 16 is provided with a plurality of supply ports 23, a plurality of first discharge ports 24, and a plurality of second discharge ports 25.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the plurality of supply ports 23 are provided in the central portion of the base body 16. The plurality of supply ports 23 are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the base body 16. The plurality of supply ports 23 are open to the ink chamber 19.

  The supply port 23 is connected to the ink tank via the manifold 11 when the inkjet head 10 is attached to the manifold 11. The ink in the ink tank is supplied from the supply port 23 to the ink chamber 19.

  The plurality of first discharge ports 24 are provided side by side along one side edge 16 a of the base body 16. The plurality of second discharge ports 25 are provided side by side along the other side edge 16 b of the base body 16. A supply port 23 is sandwiched between the first discharge port 24 and the second discharge port 25. The first discharge port 24 and the second discharge port 25 are open to the ink chamber 19.

  The first discharge port 24 and the second discharge port 25 are connected to the ink tank via the manifold 11 when the inkjet head 10 is attached to the manifold 11. The ink in the ink chamber 19 is returned to the ink tank from the first discharge port 24 and the second discharge port 25.

  The frame member 14 is attached to the first surface 21 of the base body 16 with no gap, for example, by adhesion. The frame member 14 surrounds the pair of piezoelectric members 17, the supply port 23, the first discharge port 24, and the second discharge port 25.

  The nozzle plate 15 is formed of a rectangular film made of polyimide. The nozzle plate 15 is attached to the frame member 14 without a gap, for example, by adhesion. The nozzle plate 15 faces the first surface 21 of the base body 16.

  A plurality of nozzles 28 that are holes are provided in the nozzle plate 15. The plurality of nozzles 28 correspond to the pair of piezoelectric members 17 and are arranged in two rows along the longitudinal direction of the base body 16.

  The pair of piezoelectric members 17 are respectively attached to the first surface 21 of the base body 16 and extend parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction of the base body 16. One piezoelectric member 17 is disposed between the supply port 23 and the first discharge port 24. The other piezoelectric member 17 is disposed between the supply port 23 and the second discharge port 25.

  The pair of piezoelectric members 17 are formed by, for example, bonding two piezoelectric plates made of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) so that their polarization directions are opposed to each other. As shown in FIG. 1, the pair of piezoelectric members 17 are each formed in a rod shape having a trapezoidal cross section.

  A plurality of pressure chambers 31 are respectively formed in the pair of piezoelectric members 17. The plurality of pressure chambers 31 are grooves that respectively intersect the direction in which the piezoelectric member 17 extends. The plurality of pressure chambers 31 are provided side by side corresponding to the plurality of nozzles 28.

  As shown in FIG. 2, electrodes 32 are respectively formed in the plurality of pressure chambers 31. The electrode 32 is formed on the side surface and the bottom surface of the pressure chamber 31. When a voltage is applied to the electrode 32, the piezoelectric member 17 is deformed, and the volume of the pressure chamber 31 expands or contracts.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of wirings 34 are provided on the first surface 21 of the base body 16. The plurality of wirings 34 are formed by, for example, laser patterning a nickel thin film formed on the first surface 21.

  Several wirings 34 form a first wiring group 35. The plurality of wirings 34 included in the first wiring group 35 are provided between one side edge 16 a of the base body 16 and the one piezoelectric member 17, and the plurality of electrodes 32 of the one piezoelectric member 17. It is connected to the.

  The surplus wiring 34 forms a second wiring group 36. The plurality of wirings 34 included in the second wiring group 36 are provided between the other side edge 16 b of the base body 16 and the other piezoelectric member 17, and the plurality of electrodes 32 of the one piezoelectric member 17. It is connected to the.

  An IC for driving the pair of piezoelectric members 17 is connected to the plurality of wirings 34. This IC applies a voltage to the electrode 32 via the wiring 34 based on a signal input from the control unit of the inkjet printer, and deforms the piezoelectric member 17.

  FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the base material 13. As shown in FIG. 3, the base material 13 has an application region 41 and a pair of application prohibition regions 42. The application region 41 includes a part of the first surface 21 of the base body 16 and a pair of piezoelectric members 17. The pair of application prohibited areas 42 includes a part of the first surface 21 of the base body 16, a part of the first wiring group 35, and a part of the second wiring group 36. As shown in FIG. 2, a protective film 43 is formed in the application region 41.

  The protective film 43 is formed of, for example, an epoxy adhesive diluted with thinner. The protective film 43 covers the application region 41 to protect the base material 13 from the ink supplied to the ink chamber 19.

  Below, the manufacturing method of the inkjet head 10 of the said structure is demonstrated. First, the supply port 23, the 1st discharge port 24, and the 2nd discharge port 25 are formed in the base-material main body 16 comprised with the ceramic sheet (ceramics green sheet) before baking by press molding. Subsequently, the base body 16 is fired.

  Next, the pair of piezoelectric members 17 are bonded to the base body 16. At this time, the distance between the pair of piezoelectric members 17 is kept constant by the jig. The pair of piezoelectric members 17 are positioned on the base body 16 via the jig and attached to the base body 16. Subsequently, so-called taper processing is performed on each corner of the pair of piezoelectric members 17 bonded to the base body 16. Thereby, each cross section of the pair of piezoelectric members 17 has a trapezoidal shape.

  Next, a plurality of pressure chambers 31 are formed in the pair of piezoelectric members 17. The plurality of pressure chambers 31 are formed by, for example, a diamond wheel of a dicing saw used for cutting an IC wafer.

  Next, the electrodes 32 are formed on the inner surfaces of the plurality of pressure chambers 31. Further, the wiring 34 is formed on the first surface 21 of the base body 16. The electrode 32 and the wiring 34 are formed by, for example, a nickel thin film using an electroless plating method. Next, patterning is performed by laser irradiation to remove the nickel thin film from portions other than the electrode 32 and the wiring 34.

Next, the protective film 43 is formed on the base material 13. Below, the process of forming the protective film 43 on the base material 13 will be described in detail.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a mask member 45 used when the protective film 43 is formed. The mask member 45 has a frame portion 46 and a covering portion 47. The frame portion 46 is made of, for example, natural rubber and has a size that can surround the application region 41. The frame portion 46 is not limited to this, and may be formed of other materials such as synthetic rubber. The covering portion 47 is formed in a rectangular plate shape by, for example, metal, and is attached to the frame portion 46 by, for example, adhesion.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing a method of forming the protective film 43 on the base material 13. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the base material 13 and the mask member 45 shown along line F6-F6 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the two mask members 45 are placed on the application prohibited area 42 of the base material 13 before the protective film 43 is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the frame portion 46 of the mask member 45 surrounds the application prohibited region 42 and abuts on the first surface 21 of the base body 16. The frame portion 46 may overlap with a part of the application prohibited area 42. A space 50 is provided inside the frame portion 46. The height H of the space 50 is the same as the thickness of the frame portion 46, and is 0.5 to 1.0 mm, for example. The height H of the space 50 is not limited to this, and may be any height that does not cause capillary action between the covering portion 47 and the first surface 21. The covering portion 47 faces the first surface 21. The covering portion 47 covers the application prohibited area 42 via the space 50.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the two mask members 45 are fixed to the base material 13 by, for example, four jigs 51. The jig 51 is in contact with the end 45 a of the mask member 45 and presses the mask member 45 toward the base material 13. In addition, the method of fixing the mask member 45 to the base material 13 is not restricted to this, For example, the mask member 45 may be fixed on the base material 13 with dead weight.

  In a state where the two mask members 45 are placed on the application prohibited area 42, the diluted adhesive is sprayed from the application nozzle 52 toward the base material 13. The diluted adhesive is an example of a liquid that forms a protective film, and is applied to the application region 41. Since the mask member 45 is placed on the application prohibited area 42, no adhesive is applied to the application prohibited area 42.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the base material 13 and the mask member 45 after the adhesive is applied. As shown in FIG. 7, the protective film 43 is formed by applying the adhesive to the application region 41.

  Irregularities are formed in the coating prohibited area 42 by the wiring 34 and the groove 55 formed by laser patterning. For this reason, a gap is formed between the frame portion 46 of the mask member 45 and the base material 13. The adhesive 57 enters the gap by capillary action.

  A space 50 is provided inside the frame portion 46. The space 50 has a height at which capillary action does not occur. For this reason, the adhesive 57 stays in the gap between the frame portion 46 and the base material 13 and does not enter the application prohibited region 42 located below the space 50.

  When the application of the adhesive by the application nozzle 52 is completed, the jig 51 is removed from the mask member 45 and the mask member 45 is removed from the base material 13. If necessary, the adhesive 57 that has entered the gap between the frame portion 46 and the base material 13 is cleaned by wiping. From the above steps, the protective film 43 is formed in the application region 41 of the base material 13.

  When the protective film 43 is formed, the frame member 14 is bonded to the base body 16. Next, the nozzle plate 15 is bonded to the frame member 14. Next, the nozzle plate 15 is irradiated with a laser to form a plurality of nozzles 28. Next, the IC is fixed to the first surface 21 of the base body 16 and connected to the wiring 34. Since the wiring 34 included in the application prohibited area 42 is exposed without being coated on the protective film 43, an IC can be connected. Thus, the manufacturing process of the inkjet head 10 is completed.

  Further, the mask member 45 removed from the base material 13 is wiped and washed with an organic solvent such as acetone to remove the adhered adhesive. The cleaned mask member 45 is reused when the protective film 43 is formed on the other base material 13. The cleaning method for the mask member 45 is not limited to wiping cleaning.

  According to the manufacturing method of the inkjet head 10 having the above-described configuration, the coating prohibited area 42 is covered by the mask member 45 when the adhesive is applied to the base material 13. This prevents the adhesive from adhering to the application prohibited area 42.

  The covering portion 47 of the mask member 45 covers the application prohibited region 42 via the space 50 inside the frame portion 46. As a result, the adhesive 57 that enters due to capillary action remains in the gap between the frame portion 46 and the base material 13, and the adhesive 57 can be prevented from entering the application prohibited area 42. Therefore, the yield of the inkjet head 10 can be improved.

  Even if the adhesive 57 in the gap between the frame portion 46 and the base material 13 enters the application prohibited area 42, the adhesive 57 remains on the outer periphery of the application prohibited area 42. For this reason, the range in which the adhesive 57 is removed by wiping cleaning is narrower than that in the case where the coating prohibited area 42 is covered with the masking tape, and the yield of the inkjet head 10 can be prevented from being lowered.

  The mask member 45 is fixed to the base material 13 by the jig 51. For this reason, the adhesive for fixing the mask member 45 becomes unnecessary, and it becomes easy to remove the mask member 45 from the base material 13. Furthermore, the work of removing the remaining adhesive material becomes unnecessary, and the work process is shortened.

  Further, the mask member 45 is reused when the protective film 43 is formed on the other base material 13 through the cleaning process. Thereby, the manufacturing cost of the inkjet head 10 is reduced.

  Next, a second embodiment of a method for manufacturing an ink jet head will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that components having the same functions as those of the inkjet head 10 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an inkjet head 60 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the ink jet head 60 is a so-called end shooter type ink jet head, and includes a base 63, a lid member 66, and a nozzle plate 15.

  The base material 63 is formed, for example, by bonding two PZT piezoelectric plates so that their polarization directions are opposed to each other. A lid member 66 is attached to the upper surface 63 a of the base material 63. The nozzle plate 15 is attached to the front surface 63 b of the base material 63. A plurality of pressure chambers 31 are formed in the base material 63.

  The pressure chamber 31 is a groove that opens in the upper surface 63a and the front surface 63b of the base 63, respectively. The pressure chamber 31 is closed by the lid member 66 and the nozzle plate 15. The plurality of pressure chambers 31 correspond to the plurality of nozzles 28 of the nozzle plate 15 and are provided side by side in the longitudinal direction of the substrate 63.

  Electrodes 32 are respectively formed in the plurality of pressure chambers 31. When a voltage is applied to the electrode 32, the base material 63 is deformed, and the volume of the pressure chamber 31 is expanded or reduced. A plurality of wirings 34 are provided on the upper surface 63 a of the substrate 63. The plurality of wirings 34 are respectively provided between the rear end portion 63 c of the base material 63 and the plurality of pressure chambers 31.

  The lid member 66 has an ink supply path 68. The ink supply path 68 opens to each of the plurality of pressure chambers 31 and is connected to the ink tank. The ink in the ink tank is supplied to the pressure chamber 31 via the ink supply path 68.

  The base material 63 has an application region 41 and an application prohibition region 42. The application region 41 includes a part of the upper surface 63 a of the substrate 63 and the pressure chamber 31. The application prohibited area 42 includes a part of the upper surface 63 a and a plurality of wirings 34. A protective film is formed in the application region 41. This protective film covers the application region 41 to protect the base material 63 from the ink supplied to the pressure chamber 31.

  Below, the manufacturing method of the inkjet head 10 of the said structure is demonstrated. First, a plurality of pressure chambers 31 are formed on a base material 63 formed of two piezoelectric plates. The plurality of pressure chambers 31 are formed by, for example, a diamond wheel of a dicing saw used for cutting an IC wafer.

  Next, the electrodes 32 are formed on the inner surfaces of the plurality of pressure chambers 31. Further, the wiring 34 is formed on the upper surface 63 a of the base material 63. Next, patterning is performed by laser irradiation to remove the nickel thin film from portions other than the electrode 32 and the wiring 34.

  Next, a protective film is formed on the substrate 63. FIG. 9 is a perspective view schematically showing a method of forming a protective film on the substrate 63. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the base member 63 and the mask member 45 shown along line F10-F10 shown in FIG. Similar to the first embodiment, the mask member 45 is placed on the application prohibited area 42 of the base 63 before the protective film 43 is formed. As a result, the adhesive sprayed by the application nozzle 52 stays in the gap between the frame portion 46 and the base material 63 and does not enter the application prohibited area 42.

  When the application of the adhesive by the application nozzle 52 is completed, the jig 51 is removed from the mask member 45 and the mask member 45 is removed from the base material 63. If necessary, the adhesive 57 that has entered the gap between the frame 46 and the base 63 is cleaned by wiping. From the above steps, the protective film 43 is formed in the application region 41 of the base material 63.

  When the protective film 43 is formed, the lid member 66 is bonded to the upper surface 63 a of the base material 63. Next, the nozzle plate 15 is bonded to the front surface 63 b of the base material 63. Next, the nozzle plate 15 is irradiated with a laser to form a plurality of nozzles 28. Next, the IC is fixed to the upper surface 63 a of the substrate 63 and connected to the wiring 34. Thus, the manufacturing process of the inkjet head 10 is completed.

  As described above, even when the inkjet head 60 of a method different from that of the inkjet head 10 of the first embodiment is manufactured, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. For example, a manufacturing method using the mask member 45 can be applied even to an ink jet head of another type that ejects ink using bubbles, for example.

  In the above embodiment, the protective film 43 is formed by a diluted adhesive, but the liquid for forming the protective film is not limited to this. Further, the diluted adhesive is applied by spraying from the application nozzle 52, but the method of applying the liquid is not limited to this.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10,60 ... Inkjet head, 13,63 ... Base material, 41 ... Application | coating area | region, 42 ... Application | coating prohibition area | region, 43 ... Protective film, 45 ... Mask member, 46 ... Frame part, 47 ... Cover part, 50 ... Space.

Claims (4)

A method for manufacturing an inkjet head comprising: a base material having a coating region and a coating prohibition region; and a protective film that is formed in the coating region and protects the base material from ink,
The protective film includes a mask member that includes a frame portion that surrounds the coating prohibited region and abuts against the base material, and a covering portion that covers the coating prohibited region via a space provided inside the frame portion. Placed on the substrate before being formed,
In a state where the mask member is placed on the base material, a liquid for forming the protective film is applied to the application region of the base material,
A method of manufacturing an ink jet head, comprising: removing the mask member from the base material on which the liquid is applied to the application region. The frame is formed of rubber;
The method of manufacturing an ink jet head according to claim 1, wherein the covering portion is attached to the frame portion. The application region includes a pressure chamber formed in the base material, and an electrode formed in the pressure chamber,
The method for manufacturing an ink-jet head according to claim 2, wherein a wiring connected to the electrode is provided in the application-prohibited region.   2. The method of manufacturing an ink jet head according to claim 1, wherein after the mask member is removed from the base material, the liquid adhering to the mask member is removed.

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