JP2017087512A - Liquid ejection head, liquid ejection unit, device for ejecting liquid and manufacturing method for liquid ejection head - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid ejection head in which residual liquid on an ejection surface of a liquid ejection member can be easily wiped out and removed, and which therefore enables its ejection stability and durability to be improved.SOLUTION: The liquid ejection head comprises a liquid ejection member having a liquid ejection portion through which liquid is ejected, an individual liquid chamber which is in communication with the liquid ejection portion and is filled with liquid, a vibration member which transmits pressure to the individual chamber, and pressure generation means that displaces the vibration member. A region in the vicinity of the liquid ejection portion, on the ejection surface through which liquid is ejected, of the liquid ejection member, is set as a liquid ejection region, and a region other than the liquid ejection region on the ejection surface is set as a non-liquid ejection region. On the ejection surface, a metal oxide film containing Si and metal A and a liquid repellent film are formed. A ratio of the metal A of the metal oxide film formed in the non-liquid ejection region is higher than a ratio of the metal A of the metal oxide film formed in the liquid ejection region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid discharge head, a liquid discharge unit, an apparatus for discharging liquid, and a method for manufacturing a liquid discharge head.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an apparatus for outputting an image from a computer or a workstation, an ink jet type image recording apparatus that forms an image by discharging a liquid onto a recording medium is known.

This image recording apparatus includes a liquid discharge member having a plurality of liquid discharge portions that discharge liquid (sometimes referred to as droplets, ink droplets, and the like), and a liquid flow path (pressurization) that communicates with each liquid discharge portion. Chamber, pressurized liquid chamber, pressure chamber, liquid chamber, ink chamber, discharge chamber, etc.) and a deformable vibration member that forms at least one wall surface of the liquid channel And an electromechanical conversion element such as a pressure generation element that generates pressure for pressurizing the ink in each flow path to discharge ink droplets from the liquid discharge portion, or an electrothermal conversion element such as a heater, or an electrode. It is known to mount a liquid discharge head provided with energy generation means (actuator element) including electrostatic force generation means.
By driving the actuator element of the liquid discharge head according to image information, liquid is discharged from the liquid discharge member to record an image.

  The liquid discharge member has a plurality of liquid discharge portions for discharging liquid. Also, on the discharge surface of the liquid discharge member, the liquid repellent film for repelling liquid, the adhesion film for enhancing the adhesion between the discharge surface of the liquid discharge member and the liquid repellent film, or the durability against liquid is improved. An alloy film may be formed.

However, the liquid remaining when the liquid is discharged (also referred to as residual liquid) adheres to the discharge surface of the liquid discharge member, mainly around the liquid discharge portion. For this reason, problems such as contamination of other liquid discharge portions due to the residual liquid and unstable discharge due to the residual liquid sticking occur.
In the prior art, the remaining liquid is removed by wiping with a wiper, and the discharge surface of the liquid discharge member is kept clean. However, the removal with only the wiper is not sufficient. As a result, the wiping performance is degraded.
Further improvement has been demanded for keeping the discharge surface of the liquid discharge member clean.

  In Patent Document 1, a smooth surface portion and a rough surface portion having different surface roughness are provided on the discharge surface of a liquid discharge member, the smooth surface portion is made liquid-repellent, the rough surface portion is made lyophilic, and the rough surface portion is made lower than the smooth surface portion (grooves). In other words, a method has been proposed in which the ink adhering to the vicinity of the liquid ejection portion is accumulated on the rough surface portion. However, in the method proposed in Patent Document 1, since the groove of the rough surface portion is in a direction against gravity, ink accumulated in the rough surface portion may leak and contaminate the discharge surface of the liquid discharge member.

  In Patent Document 2, a liquid-repellent region and a non-liquid-repellent region are formed on the ejection surface of a liquid ejection member, and a voltage is applied so that the liquid-repellent region and the non-liquid-repellent region have a potential difference. The ink is guided to the liquid region to prevent the ink from flowing into the liquid discharge portion. However, in the method proposed in Patent Document 2, since ink is accumulated in the non-liquid-repellent region of the liquid ejection member, the liquid ejection member and the head may be contaminated by the accumulated ink, and ejection failure due to contamination may occur. There is sex.

  In Patent Document 3, an inclination is formed around the liquid ejection part in the liquid ejection member, and the liquid repellency of the inclined surface is made lower than the liquid repellency near the liquid ejection part, whereby the ink adhering to the vicinity of the liquid ejection part is formed. There has been proposed a method for smooth movement and effective wiping of ink by wiping. However, in the method proposed in Patent Document 3, the structure of the liquid ejection member is complicated, and an inclined surface is formed around the liquid ejection portion, and different liquid repellency is provided between the inclined surface and the liquid ejection portion. Processing steps for processing the discharge surface of the liquid discharge member, such as formation of a liquid film, are required.

  As described above, there is a need for a liquid discharge head that improves the discharge stability and durability of the liquid discharge head by facilitating wiping and removing the residual liquid on the discharge surface of the liquid discharge member with a wiper, and requires less processing steps. It was.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and is capable of easily wiping and removing residual liquid on the discharge surface of a liquid discharge member, and improving liquid discharge stability and durability. The object is to provide a head.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a liquid discharge member having a liquid discharge portion from which liquid is discharged, an individual liquid chamber communicating with the liquid discharge portion and filled with liquid, and the individual liquid chamber. A liquid discharge head having a vibration member for transmitting pressure and a pressure generating means for displacing the vibration member, wherein the liquid discharge portion discharges a region in the vicinity of the liquid discharge portion on the discharge surface from which the liquid is discharged. A region excluding the liquid discharge region on the discharge surface is defined as a non-liquid discharge region, and a metal oxide film containing Si and metal A and a liquid repellent film are formed on the discharge surface, and the non-liquid The metal A ratio of the metal oxide film formed in the discharge region is higher than the metal A ratio of the metal oxide film formed in the liquid discharge region.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the liquid discharge head which can perform the wiping and removal of the residual liquid in the discharge surface of a liquid discharge member easily, and can improve discharge stability and durability can be provided.

It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an example of the liquid discharge head which concerns on this invention. FIG. 6A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part of a liquid discharge head according to a conventional example, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic top view (a) and a schematic cross-sectional view (b) of a liquid discharge member in an example of a liquid discharge head according to the present invention. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram (a) and (b) of a liquid discharge member in a liquid discharge head according to a conventional example. 4A and 4B are schematic cross-sectional views (a) and (b) of a liquid discharge member in an example of a liquid discharge head according to the present invention. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the liquid ejection member in another example of the liquid ejection head according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view (a) and (b) of a liquid discharge member in another example of a liquid discharge head according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view (a) and (b) of a liquid discharge member in another example of a liquid discharge head according to the present invention. 4A and 4B are schematic top views (a) and (b) and schematic cross-sectional views (c) and (d) for explaining a film forming method in an example of a liquid discharge head according to the present invention. 10A and 10B are schematic cross-sectional views (a) and (b) for explaining a film formation method in another example of the liquid discharge head according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view (a) to (c) for explaining a film formation method in another example of the liquid ejection head according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view (a) to (c) for explaining a film formation method in another example of the liquid ejection head according to the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the liquid discharge unit which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the other example of the liquid discharge unit which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the other example of the liquid discharge unit which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view showing typically the composition of an example of the device which discharges the liquid concerning the present invention. It is a side view which shows typically the structure of an example of the apparatus which discharges the liquid which concerns on this invention.

  Hereinafter, a liquid discharge head, a liquid discharge unit, an apparatus for discharging liquid, and a method for manufacturing a liquid discharge head according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and other embodiments, additions, modifications, deletions, and the like can be changed within a range that can be conceived by those skilled in the art, and any aspect is possible. As long as the functions and effects of the present invention are exhibited, the scope of the present invention is included.

  The present invention includes a liquid discharge member having a liquid discharge portion from which liquid is discharged, an individual liquid chamber that communicates with the liquid discharge portion and is filled with liquid, a vibration member that transmits pressure to the individual liquid chamber, A liquid discharge head having pressure generating means for displacing the vibration member, wherein a region in the vicinity of the liquid discharge portion on the discharge surface from which the liquid is discharged of the liquid discharge member is defined as a liquid discharge region, A region excluding the liquid discharge region is defined as a non-liquid discharge region, and a metal oxide film containing Si and metal A and a liquid repellent film are formed on the discharge surface, and the metal oxide formed in the non-liquid discharge region The ratio of the metal A in the film is higher than the ratio of the metal A in the metal oxide film formed in the liquid discharge region.

(Basic configuration of liquid discharge head)
First, the basic configuration of the liquid discharge head according to the present invention will be described. Although the configuration can be appropriately changed as necessary, one embodiment will be described below.

A main configuration of the liquid discharge head according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view in the present embodiment.
In FIG. 1, the flow path unit 31 and the actuator unit 32 are integrally fixed via a frame 33. The flow path unit 31 includes a liquid discharge member 22, a chamber plate 35, and a vibration member 36, and a pressure chamber 38 (pressure generation unit) that is a pressure generation unit of the actuator unit 32 is expanded and contracted. The individual liquid chamber) is reduced and expanded to discharge the liquid.
The liquid discharge member 22 is provided with a liquid discharge portion 2 communicating with the pressure chamber 38, and the pressure chamber 38 and the fluid resistance 34 are formed in the chamber plate 35. As the liquid discharge member 22, for example, a Ni plate, a SUS plate, or the like can be used.

  The vibration member 36 is provided so as to face the convex portion 42 that contacts the tip of the pressure generating element 37, the elastically deformable diaphragm portion 43, and each pressure chamber 38. Further, a liquid supply port 45 from the common liquid chamber 11 provided in the frame 33 is formed. A diaphragm portion 44 similar to the above-described diaphragm portion 43 is also formed in the area facing the common liquid chamber 11.

  The flow path unit 31 is obtained by joining a chamber plate 35 made of stainless steel (SUS), the liquid discharge member 22 described above, and a vibration member 36. The vibrating member 36 can be elastically deformed by the displacement of the pressure generating element 37 on the rolled metal plate 48, and has a polymer film 49 such as polyimide (PI) or polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resin having corrosion resistance to ink. Are laminated. Positioning holes made of through holes are formed at important points, and regions 42 where the diaphragm portions 43 and 44 are to be formed are etched to form the convex portions 42 by the rolled metal plate 48.

  The liquid ejection part 2 is formed to have a diameter of, for example, 10 to 30 μm corresponding to the pressure chamber 38. Further, a liquid repellent film 4 is formed on the liquid discharge member surface (surface in the discharge direction, that is, the discharge surface) in order to ensure liquid repellency with the liquid (details of the liquid repellent film 4 will be described later).

  A pressure generating element 37 as a pressure generating unit is joined to the outer side of the vibration member 36 (on the side opposite to the pressure chamber 38) corresponding to each pressure chamber 38. These vibrating member 36 and pressure generating element 37 constitute a piezoelectric actuator that deforms the diaphragm portion 43 that is a movable part of the vibrating member 36.

  In the liquid discharge head, the pressure generating element 37 is formed without being divided by groove processing (slit processing). Further, an FPC (Flexible printed circuits) cable 50 for applying a driving waveform to each pressure generating element 37 a is connected to one end face of the pressure generating element 37.

  The pressure generating element 37 may be configured to pressurize the liquid in the pressure chamber 38 using the displacement in the d33 direction as the piezoelectric direction of the pressure generating element 37, or may be configured to use the displacement in the d31 direction as the piezoelectric direction of the pressure generating element 37. It can also be set as the structure which pressurizes a liquid. In the present embodiment, a configuration using displacement in the d33 direction is adopted.

  The base member 51 is preferably formed of a metal material. If the material (material) of the base member 51 is a metal, heat storage due to self-heating of the pressure generating element 37 can be prevented. The pressure generating element 37 and the base member 51 are adhesively bonded with an adhesive. However, when the number of channels increases, the temperature increases to nearly 100 ° C. due to self-heating of the pressure generating element 37, and the bonding strength decreases significantly. Become.

  In addition, the temperature inside the head increases due to self-heating, and the liquid temperature rises. However, when the temperature of the liquid rises, the liquid viscosity decreases and the ejection characteristics are greatly affected. Therefore, by forming the base member 51 with a metal material and preventing heat storage due to self-heating of the pressure generating element 37, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the jetting characteristics due to the decrease in the bonding strength and the liquid viscosity.

  The FPC cable 50 is equipped with a plurality of driver ICs 52 for applying drive waveforms (electric signals) for driving each channel (corresponding to each pressure chamber 38).

  Further, the frame 33 is joined around the vibration member 36 with an adhesive. The frame 33 is formed with a common liquid chamber 11 for supplying a liquid from the outside to the pressure chamber 38 so as to be disposed on the opposite side of the driver IC 52 and at least the base member 51.

  The common liquid chamber 11 communicates with the fluid resistance portion 34 and the pressure chamber 38 via the liquid supply port 45 of the vibration member 36. In the common liquid chamber 11, a damper chamber 53 is formed by the diaphragm portion 44, and a pressure wave generated in the common liquid chamber 11 by liquid discharge is attenuated to stabilize liquid discharge.

  In the pressure generating element 37, the piezoelectric layers (piezoelectric material layers) 54, the internal electrodes 55A and the internal electrodes 55B are alternately stacked, and the common external electrodes 56 and the individual external electrodes 57 are provided on both end faces. A plurality of pressure generating elements are formed by slitting (grooving) and inserting grooves.

  In the liquid discharge head configured as described above, by selectively applying a driving pulse voltage of, for example, 20 to 550 V to the driving unit of the pressure generating element 37, the driving unit to which the pulse voltage is applied is arranged in the stacking direction. The diaphragm portion is extended and deformed in the direction of the liquid ejection member, the liquid in the pressure chamber 38 is pressurized by the volume / volume change of the pressure chamber 38, and the liquid is ejected from the liquid ejection portion 2.

  Next, an enlarged schematic view of the main part of the liquid ejection member 22 is shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view for enlarging and explaining one liquid ejection part 2 in the liquid ejection member 22. FIG. 2A shows a conventional example, and FIG. 2B shows an example of an embodiment included in the present invention. 2A is the same as FIG. 4A, and FIG. 2B is the same as FIG. 3B.

In the example of the liquid discharge head shown in FIG. 2, the liquid discharge member 22 in which a plurality of liquid discharge portions 2 are formed, and the chamber plate 35 and the vibration member 36 having a pressure chamber 38 with which each liquid discharge portion 2 communicates. It is joined. In addition, some illustrations, such as an adhesive agent, are abbreviate | omitted. Further, although the pressure chamber 38 (individual liquid chamber) is illustrated in FIG. 2, it is a schematic diagram for explanation only, and the shape and size do not necessarily match the actual ones.
The water repellent film 4 is made of perfluoropolyether, for example, as will be described in detail later.

In FIG. 2A, the adhesion film 3 and the liquid repellent film 4 are formed on the ejection surface 5 of the liquid ejection member 22, and the liquid repellent film 4 formed on the adhesion film 3 of the liquid ejection member 22 is ejected. Since there is no difference in liquid repellency depending on the position of the surface 5, the liquid repellency is uniform.
On the other hand, FIG. 2B shows a metal oxide film 6a formed in a region (liquid discharge region) 5a near the liquid discharge portion 2 and a non-liquid discharge region 5b on the discharge surface 5 of the liquid discharge member 22. A metal oxide film 6b is formed. A liquid repellent film 4a and a liquid repellent film 4b are formed on the metal oxide film 6a and the metal oxide film 6b, respectively. Although details will be described in each embodiment, the liquid repellency of the liquid repellent film 4a is higher than the liquid repellency of the liquid repellent film 4b.

(Each embodiment of the liquid discharge head)
Next, embodiments of the liquid discharge head according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the formation method of the metal oxide film and the liquid repellent film in each embodiment will be described later.

<First Embodiment>
3A and 3B are schematic views for explaining a liquid discharge member used in the liquid discharge head according to the present embodiment, FIG. 3A is a top view of the liquid discharge member, and FIG. 3B is a cross-section of the liquid discharge member. It is a figure which shows a figure typically.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the liquid ejection units 2 are formed in four rows, and the two rows are formed in the vicinity. A region in the vicinity of the liquid ejection portion 2 on the ejection surface 5 from which the liquid of the liquid ejection member 22 is ejected is defined as a liquid ejection region 5a, and a region on the ejection surface 5 excluding the liquid ejection region 5a is defined as a non-liquid ejection region 5b. As shown in the drawing, both ends of the liquid ejection member 22 when viewed from above are liquid ejection areas 5a, and are non-ejection areas 5b so as to sandwich them. Although other forms will be described later, the present invention is not limited to this configuration.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, on the ejection surface 5 of the liquid ejection member 22, the metal oxide film 6a formed in the vicinity area (liquid ejection area) 5a of the liquid ejection section 2 and the non-liquid ejection area 5b are formed. The formed metal oxide film 6b is formed. 3B, for the sake of explanation, the discharge region 5a and the non-discharge region 5b are illustrated below the liquid discharge member 22, but both are formed on the discharge surface 5 of the liquid discharge member 22. (The same applies to other embodiments below).

  In FIG. 3B, a liquid repellent film 4a and a liquid repellent film 4b are formed on the metal oxide film 6a and the metal oxide film 6b, respectively. In the present invention, the metal oxide film 6a and the metal oxide film 6b are metal oxide films containing Si and metal A, and the ratio of metal A in the metal oxide film 6b is higher than the ratio of metal A in the metal oxide film 6a. . That is, the ratio of the metal A of the metal oxide film 6b formed in the non-liquid discharge region 5b is higher than the ratio of the metal A of the metal oxide film 6b formed in the liquid discharge region 5a.

  Next, based on FIGS. 4 and 5, the residual liquid movement on the ejection surface 5 of the liquid ejection member 22 will be schematically described. FIG. 4 illustrates a conventional example not included in the present invention, and FIG. 5 illustrates the present embodiment.

  FIG. 4 shows a configuration in which the adhesion film 3 and the liquid repellent film 4 are formed on the ejection surface 5 of the liquid ejection member 22. In the state of FIG. 4A, the liquid repellent film 4 formed on the adhesion film 3 of the liquid ejection member 22 has no difference in liquid repellency depending on the position of the ejection surface 5, and the liquid repellency becomes uniform. Yes. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4B, the residual liquid 9 attached to the ejection surface does not move due to the liquid ejection. Accordingly, since the residual liquid 9 is removed only by wiping, the liquid repellency of the liquid repellent film 4 is deteriorated by repeating the number of wiping operations, and the discharge surface 5 is contaminated by the residual liquid 9 as the wiping performance is lowered. Will be.

  On the other hand, FIG. 5 relates to the present embodiment. In FIG. 5A, on the ejection surface 5 of the liquid ejection member 22, a metal oxide film 6a is formed in the liquid ejection area 5a, and a metal oxide film 6b is formed in the non-liquid ejection area 5b. A liquid repellent film 4a and a liquid repellent film 4b are formed on the metal oxide film 6a and the metal oxide film 6b, respectively. In this embodiment, the liquid repellent film 4a and the liquid repellent film 4b are the same liquid repellent film material. It is.

  In FIG. 5A, the metal oxide film 6a and the metal oxide film 6b are made of Si and metal A, and the ratio of metal A in the metal oxide film 6b is higher than the ratio of metal A in the metal oxide film 6a. As a result, the metal oxide film 6a has a higher functional group density for bonding to the liquid repellent film than the metal oxide film 6b, and is bonded to the metal oxide film on the metal oxide film 6a and the metal oxide film 6b. The density of the liquid repellent film is different. As a result, the liquid repellent film 4a on the metal oxide film 6a has a higher liquid repellent film density and higher liquid repellency than the liquid repellent film 4b on the metal oxide film 6b. Therefore, due to the difference in liquid repellency between the liquid repellent film 4a and the liquid repellent film 4b, the remaining liquid 9 moves to the non-liquid ejection area 5b as shown in FIG. 5B. For this reason, the removability of the residual liquid 9 by wiping the liquid discharge area 5a is improved, and the discharge surface 5 is kept clean, so that the liquid discharge is stabilized.

  In addition, the number of wiping operations can be reduced by improving the wiping function. Thereby, deterioration of the liquid repellent film 4a and the liquid repellent film 4b accompanying wiping can also be suppressed. Further, by forming a difference in liquid repellency between the liquid repellent film 4 a and the liquid repellent film 4 b using the same liquid repellent film material, it is possible to reduce the number of processing steps for the liquid ejection member 22. In addition, since the ratio of the metal A is higher in the metal oxide film 6b than in the metal oxide film 6a, the non-liquid discharge region 5b becomes higher in liquid contact. Therefore, in the non-liquid ejection area 5b, durability against the residual liquid 9 that has moved from the liquid ejection area 5a is improved.

  The ratio of metal A in the metal oxide film 6b formed in the non-liquid discharge region 5b is preferably 20% or more higher than the ratio of metal A in the metal oxide film 6a formed in the liquid discharge region 5a. Thereby, the difference of liquid repellency arises more and the said effect is exhibited more.

The metal A can be appropriately changed, and examples thereof include Zr, Ti, and Ta.
The method for measuring the ratio of the metal A is not particularly limited, but for example, it can be measured by elemental analysis of XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy).

  In addition, the liquid ejection area 5a and the non-liquid ejection area 5b can be changed as appropriate. For example, the liquid ejection area 5a can be an area 150 to 250 μm from the end of the liquid ejection section 2. In addition, the ratio of the metal A in the metal oxide film 6a and the metal oxide film 6b formed in the liquid discharge area 5a and the non-liquid discharge area 5b may be discretely different, or the ratio of the metal A may be continuously. There may be places to change.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 6, on the ejection surface 5 of the liquid ejection member 22, an alloy film 7a is formed in the liquid ejection area 5a, and an alloy film 7b is formed in the non-liquid ejection area 5b. A liquid repellent film 4a and a liquid repellent film 4b are formed on the alloy film 7a and the alloy film 7b, respectively. The metal oxide film in this embodiment is an alloy film of Si and a transition metal that forms a passivated film by bonding to Si through oxygen. Therefore, corrosion by liquid is prevented and liquid resistance is improved.
Although details will be described later, the transition metal is preferably at least one selected from Zr, Ti, and Ta.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 7A, the surface flatness of the liquid discharge region 5a of the liquid discharge member 22 is formed to be higher than the surface flatness of the non-liquid discharge region 5b. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, the metal oxide film 6a and the liquid repellent film 10a are formed in the liquid discharge area 5a, and the metal oxide film 6b and the liquid repellent film 10b are formed in the non-liquid discharge area 5b. Yes.

  As described above, the difference in surface flatness between the liquid discharge region 5a and the non-liquid discharge region 5b is generated, so that the liquid discharge region 5a is more sensitive to bonding with the liquid repellent film than the non-liquid discharge region 5b. The number of groups increases, and the density of the liquid repellent film to be combined differs between the liquid discharge region 5a and the non-liquid discharge region 5b. Therefore, in this embodiment, the liquid repellent film 10a and the liquid repellent film 10b are the same liquid repellent film material, but the liquid repellent film density of the liquid repellent film 10a on the liquid discharge area 5a is the same as that of the non-liquid discharge area 5b. The liquid repellent film density becomes higher than the liquid repellent film density of the liquid film 10b, and the liquid repellent film 10a has higher liquid repellency than the liquid repellent film 10b.

  Since the difference in the liquid repellent film density due to the difference in the ratio of the metal A in the metal oxide film 6a and the metal oxide film 6b adds a difference in the liquid repellent film density to the surface flatness of the liquid discharge region 5a and the non-liquid discharge region 5b. The difference in liquid repellency between the liquid repellent film 10a and the liquid repellent film 10b is larger than the difference in liquid repellency between the liquid repellent film 4a and the liquid repellent film 4b in the first embodiment. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7B, the movement of the remaining liquid 9 from the liquid discharge region 5a to the non-liquid discharge region 5b due to the difference in liquid repellency between the liquid repellent film 10a and the liquid repellent film 10b becomes easier. Since the wiping function is improved and the discharge surface 5 is in a clean state, the liquid discharge is more stable.

  Further, the surface flatness of the liquid discharge region 5a is made higher than the surface flatness of the non-liquid discharge region 5b, and the liquid repellent film density of the liquid repellent film 10a is made higher than the liquid repellent film density of the liquid repellent film 10b. The deterioration rate of the liquid repellent film 10a due to wiping is slower than the deterioration rate of the liquid repellent film 10b. In addition, since the number of wiping operations can be reduced by improving the wiping function, deterioration of the liquid repellent film 10a and the liquid repellent film 10b due to wiping can be suppressed. Due to these effects, ejection defects due to deterioration of the liquid repellent film in the vicinity of the liquid ejection portion are reduced.

  The surface flatness of the liquid ejection area 5a and the non-liquid ejection area 5b is not particularly limited, but can be obtained by measuring the surface roughness using, for example, an AFM (atomic force microscope). In this case, the surface roughness of the liquid ejection region 5a is preferably smaller than the surface roughness of the non-liquid ejection region 5b and 1 μm or less.

<Fourth Embodiment>
Next, this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 8A, the metal oxide film 6a and the liquid repellent film 12 are formed in the liquid discharge region 5a of the liquid discharge member 22, and the metal oxide film 6b and the liquid repellent film 13 are formed in the non-liquid discharge region 5b. Is formed. In this embodiment, the liquid repellent film 12 and the liquid repellent film 13 are different liquid repellent film materials, and the materials are selected so that the liquid repellent property of the liquid repellent film 12 is higher than the liquid repellent property of the liquid repellent film 13. Yes.

  Further, since the ratio of the metal A in the metal oxide film 6 b is higher than the ratio of the metal A in the metal oxide film 6 a, the liquid repellent film 12 has a higher liquid repellent film density than the liquid repellent film 13. As a result, the difference in liquid repellency between the liquid repellent film 12 and the liquid repellent film 13 increases due to the difference in liquid repellency due to the liquid repellent film material and the difference in liquid repellency due to the liquid repellent film density. ), The movement of the remaining liquid 9 from the liquid ejection area 5a to the non-liquid ejection area 5b is facilitated. Therefore, the wiping function is improved. Further, the wiping function is improved, so that the number of wiping operations can be reduced, and the deterioration of the liquid repellent film 12 and the liquid repellent film 13 can be prevented. Thereby, discharge stability can be improved more.

<Method of forming metal oxide film and liquid repellent film>
Next, a method for forming a metal oxide film and a liquid repellent film will be described.
Formation of a thin film such as an adhesion film or an alloy film includes a method of vigorously attaching and depositing thin film atoms on an adherend, and a method of attaching and adhering and depositing an adherend in a thin film atom atmosphere. In the former, for example, an adhesion film or an alloy film can be formed by applying target atoms having energy by sputtering to an adherend. As for the latter, for example, vapor deposition or sublimation by CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) or ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) in vacuum, or depositing a plasma thin film material on the adherend to form an adhesion film or an alloy film Can do.

  On the other hand, formation of the liquid repellent film includes a method of vapor deposition under vacuum and a method of dissolving and applying in a suitable solvent. The former can form a lyophobic film by, for example, evacuating the inside of the vacuum chamber to a predetermined degree of vacuum with a vacuum evacuation pump, then evaporating the liquid repellent material, introducing it into the vacuum chamber, and depositing it. As for the latter, for example, a liquid repellent material can be dissolved in an organic solvent and coated with a jig such as a wire bar or a doctor blade, or can be spin-coated with a spin coater. It can also be applied by spraying or can be dip coated (dipped) in a container filled with a coating solution. In the above embodiment, sputtering is used as the method for forming the metal oxide film, and dip coating is used as the method for forming the liquid repellent film.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method of forming the metal oxide film 6 and the liquid repellent film 4 on the liquid discharge member 22. 9A and 9B schematically show a top view of the liquid ejection member, and FIG. 9A has the same configuration as FIG. 3A. FIG. 9B is different from FIG. 9A in that the liquid discharge portions 2 are formed in the vicinity of two rows, and both ends of the liquid discharge member 22 when viewed from above are non-liquid discharge regions 5b. The liquid discharge region 5a is formed so as to sandwich them.

  In the liquid discharge member 22 of FIG. 9A, the metal oxide film 6 is formed by sputtering. Sputtering is performed by placing the liquid ejection member 22 on the sputtering jig such that the ejection surface 5 does not contact the sputtering jig and physically irradiating the ejection surface 5 of the liquid ejection member 22 with the components of the sputtering target.

  First, the liquid ejection area 5a is masked and sputtered onto the non-liquid ejection area 5b. Thereafter, the liquid discharge area 5a is masked, the non-liquid discharge area 5b is masked, and the sputter target in which the ratio of metal A is lower than the ratio of metal A of the sputter target used when sputtering the non-liquid discharge area 5b is performed. Sputter with As a result, as shown in FIG. 9C, a metal oxide film 6a and a metal oxide film 6b are formed.

  In the liquid ejection member 22 as shown in FIG. 9B, the liquid ejection area 5a is first masked and sputtered onto the non-liquid ejection area 5b. Thereafter, the liquid discharge area 5a is masked, the non-liquid discharge area 5b is masked, and the sputter target in which the ratio of metal A is lower than the ratio of metal A of the sputter target used when sputtering the non-liquid discharge area 5b is performed. Sputter with As a result, as shown in FIG. 9C, a metal oxide film 6a and a metal oxide film 6b are formed.

  Here, the ratio of the metal A of the sputter target used at the time of sputtering to the liquid discharge region 5a is 5 to 10%, and the ratio of the metal A of the sputter target to be used at the time of sputtering to the non-liquid discharge region 5b is 26 to 33%. Then, the metal oxide film 6a has a metal A ratio of about 5 to 10%, and the metal oxide film 6b has a metal A ratio of about 26 to 33%.

  Next, after the metal oxide film 6 is formed on the liquid discharge member 22, the liquid discharge member 22 is immersed in the material of the liquid repellent film 4, so that the metal in the liquid discharge region 5a is shown in FIG. A liquid repellent film 4a is formed on the oxide film 6a, and a liquid repellent film 4b is formed on the metal oxide film 6b in the non-liquid discharge region 5b. Since the metal oxide film 6b has a higher ratio of metal A than the metal oxide film 6a, the liquid repellent film 4a has a higher liquid repellent film density than the liquid repellent film 4b. For this reason, the liquid repellent film 4a has higher liquid repellency than the liquid repellent film 4b, and the same liquid repellent film material causes a difference in liquid repellency. Thereby, the liquid discharge member which is the said 1st Embodiment is obtained. As described above, in the present embodiment, even when the same liquid repellent film material is used, a difference in liquid repellency can be provided, and therefore, it has an excellent effect for reducing the number of processing steps.

  Next, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the second embodiment, for example, a transition metal that forms a passive film by bonding with Si via oxygen is Zr, and an alloy film of Si and Zr is SiZrOx. In that case, a target for forming SiZrOx is used as a sputtering target for sputtering, and the same method as in the first embodiment is performed. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10A, the alloy film 7a is formed in the liquid discharge region 5a, and the alloy film 7b is formed in the non-liquid discharge region 5b, so that the second film shown in FIG. The liquid ejection member according to the embodiment is obtained.

  Examples of the transition metal that forms a passive film by bonding to Si via oxygen include Ti and Ta, and at least one selected from Zr, Ti, and Ta is preferable. In the case of Ti or Ta, the passive films are SiTiOx and SiTaOx, respectively. However, the transition metal and alloy film that form a passive film by oxygen bonding are not limited to Zr, Ti, Ta, SiZrOx, SiTiOx, and SiTaOx, respectively.

  Subsequently, the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. With respect to the third embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 11A, the liquid discharge region 5a of the liquid discharge member 22 is polished, and the surface flatness of the liquid discharge region 5a is the surface flatness of the non-liquid discharge region 5b. It is formed so as to be higher than the property. Examples of the polishing method include tape polishing and electrolytic polishing, and the polishing is preferably performed in a state where the non-liquid discharge region 5b is masked.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 11B and 11C, a metal oxide film 6 and a liquid repellent film 10 are formed by the same method as in the first embodiment. Due to the difference in the ratio of metal A between the metal oxide film 6a and the metal oxide film 6b and the difference in surface flatness between the liquid discharge region 5a and the non-liquid discharge region 5b, the liquid repellent film 10a and the liquid repellent film 10a are repelled under the same liquid repellent film material. Since a difference in liquid repellency occurs in the liquid film 10b, the liquid ejection member according to the third embodiment is obtained as shown in FIG.

  Next, the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. With respect to the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12A, the same process as in the first embodiment is performed until the metal oxide film 6 is formed. Next, the liquid ejection region 5a of the liquid ejection member 22 is masked, and the liquid ejection member 22 is immersed in the material of the liquid repellent film 13, thereby repelling the non-liquid ejection region 5b as shown in FIG. A liquid film 13 is formed.

  Thereafter, the liquid ejection region 5a is masked, and the liquid ejection member 22 is immersed in the material of the liquid repellent film 12 in a state where the non-liquid ejection region 5b is masked to form the liquid repellent film 12 in the liquid ejection region 5a. Finally, by masking the non-liquid ejection region 5b, the liquid ejection member according to the fourth embodiment is obtained as shown in FIG. As described above, when the material of the liquid repellent film is different as in this embodiment, the material of the liquid repellent film is different due to the difference in liquid repellency due to the liquid repellent film material and the difference in liquid repellency due to the liquid repellent film density. Since the difference in liquid repellency is greater than in the case of the same type, the ejection stability and durability are further improved.

  In this embodiment, the liquid repellent film 12 is a perfluoropolyether liquid repellent film, and the liquid repellent film 13 is a silicone liquid repellent film. However, the liquid repellent film 12 and the liquid repellent film 13 are not limited to this.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the manufacturing method of the liquid discharge head which can wipe off and remove the residual liquid in the discharge surface of a liquid discharge member easily, and can improve discharge stability and durability is provided. A method for manufacturing a liquid discharge head according to the present invention is a method for manufacturing the liquid discharge head according to the present invention, wherein an area in the vicinity of the liquid discharge portion on the discharge surface from which the liquid is discharged of the liquid discharge member is defined as a liquid discharge area. The region of the discharge surface excluding the liquid discharge region is a non-liquid discharge region, and the metal oxide formed in the non-liquid discharge region when forming a metal oxide film containing Si and metal A on the discharge surface The metal oxide film is formed so that the ratio of the metal A of the film is higher than the ratio of the metal A of the metal oxide film formed in the liquid discharge region, and then the repellent property formed in the liquid discharge region. A liquid repellent film is formed on the metal oxide film so that the liquid repellency of the liquid film is higher than that of the liquid repellent film formed in the non-liquid ejection region.

In the present invention, the “liquid ejection head” is a functional component that ejects and ejects liquid from a nozzle. The liquid to be ejected is not particularly limited as long as it has a viscosity and surface tension that can be ejected from the head, and the viscosity is 30 mPa · s or less at room temperature, normal pressure, or by heating and cooling. It is preferable. More specifically, solvents such as water and organic solvents, colorants such as dyes and pigments, functional materials such as polymerizable compounds, resins, and surfactants, and biocompatible materials such as DNA, amino acids, proteins, and calcium. , Edible materials such as natural pigments, solutions, suspensions, emulsions, and the like. These include, for example, inkjet inks, surface treatment liquids, components of electronic devices and light emitting devices, and formation of electronic circuit resist patterns. It can be used in applications such as liquids for use, three-dimensional modeling material liquids, and the like.
As energy generation sources for discharging liquid, piezoelectric actuators (laminated piezoelectric elements and thin film piezoelectric elements), thermal actuators using electrothermal transducers such as heating resistors, electrostatic actuators consisting of a diaphragm and counter electrode are used. To be included.
In the present invention, image formation, recording, printing, printing, printing, modeling, etc. are all synonymous.

(Liquid discharge unit)
A “liquid ejection unit” is a unit in which functional parts and mechanisms are integrated with a liquid ejection head, and is an assembly of parts related to liquid ejection. For example, the “liquid discharge unit” includes a combination of at least one of a head tank, a carriage, a supply mechanism, a maintenance / recovery mechanism, and a main scanning movement mechanism with a liquid discharge head.

  Here, the term “integrated” refers to, for example, a liquid discharge head, a functional component, and a mechanism that are fixed to each other by fastening, adhesion, engagement, etc., and one that is held movably with respect to the other. Including. Further, the liquid discharge head, the functional component, and the mechanism may be configured to be detachable from each other.

  For example, there is a liquid discharge unit in which a liquid discharge head and a head tank are integrated. An example is shown in FIG. Also, there are some in which the liquid discharge head and the head tank are integrated by being connected to each other by a tube or the like. Here, a unit including a filter may be added between the head tank and the liquid discharge head of these liquid discharge units.

  In addition, there is a liquid discharge unit in which a liquid discharge head and a carriage are integrated.

  In addition, there is a liquid discharge unit in which the liquid discharge head and the scanning movement mechanism are integrated by holding the liquid discharge head movably on a guide member that constitutes a part of the scanning movement mechanism. An example is shown in FIG. In some cases, a liquid discharge head, a carriage, and a main scanning movement mechanism are integrated.

  Also, there is a liquid discharge unit in which a cap member that is a part of the maintenance / recovery mechanism is fixed to a carriage to which the liquid discharge head is attached, and the liquid discharge head, the carriage, and the maintenance / recovery mechanism are integrated. .

  In addition, there is a liquid discharge unit in which a tube is connected to a liquid discharge head to which a head tank or a flow path component is attached, and the liquid discharge head and a supply mechanism are integrated. An example is shown in FIG. The liquid from the liquid storage source is supplied to the liquid discharge head via this tube.

  The main scanning movement mechanism includes a guide member alone. The supply mechanism includes a single tube and a single loading unit.

(Device for discharging liquid)
Next, an apparatus for ejecting liquid according to the present invention will be described. In the present invention, the “apparatus for ejecting liquid” is an apparatus that includes a liquid ejection head or a liquid ejection unit and that drives the liquid ejection head to eject liquid. The apparatus for ejecting liquid includes not only an apparatus capable of ejecting liquid to an object to which liquid can adhere, but also an apparatus for ejecting liquid toward the air or liquid.

  This “apparatus for discharging liquid” may include means for feeding, transporting, and discharging a liquid to which liquid can adhere, as well as a pre-processing apparatus and a post-processing apparatus.

  For example, as a “liquid ejecting device”, an image forming device that forms an image on paper by ejecting ink, a powder is formed in layers to form a three-dimensional model (three-dimensional model) There is a three-dimensional modeling apparatus (three-dimensional modeling apparatus) that discharges a modeling liquid onto the powder layer.

  Further, the “apparatus for ejecting liquid” is not limited to an apparatus in which significant images such as characters and figures are visualized by the ejected liquid. For example, what forms a pattern etc. which does not have a meaning in itself, and what forms a three-dimensional image are also included.

  The above-mentioned “applicable liquid” means that the liquid can be attached at least temporarily and adheres and adheres, or adheres and penetrates. Specific examples include recording media such as paper, recording paper, recording paper, film, and cloth, electronic parts such as electronic substrates and piezoelectric elements, powder layers (powder layers), organ models, and test cells. Yes, unless specifically limited, includes everything that the liquid adheres to.

  The material of the above-mentioned “material to which liquid can adhere” is not limited as long as liquid such as paper, thread, fiber, fabric, leather, metal, plastic, glass, wood, ceramics can be adhered even temporarily.

  The “liquid” is not particularly limited as long as it has a viscosity and surface tension that can be ejected from the head, and the viscosity is 30 mPa · s or less at room temperature, normal pressure, or by heating and cooling. Preferably there is. More specifically, solvents such as water and organic solvents, colorants such as dyes and pigments, functional materials such as polymerizable compounds, resins, and surfactants, and biocompatible materials such as DNA, amino acids, proteins, and calcium. , Edible materials such as natural pigments, solutions, suspensions, emulsions, and the like. These include, for example, inkjet inks, surface treatment liquids, components of electronic devices and light emitting devices, and formation of electronic circuit resist patterns It can be used in applications such as liquids for use, three-dimensional modeling material liquids, and the like.

  In addition, the “device for ejecting liquid” includes a device in which the liquid ejection head and the device to which the liquid can adhere move relatively, but is not limited thereto. Specific examples include a serial type apparatus that moves the liquid discharge head, a line type apparatus that does not move the liquid discharge head, and the like.

  In addition to the “device for discharging liquid”, a processing liquid coating apparatus for discharging a processing liquid onto a sheet for applying a processing liquid to the surface of the sheet for the purpose of modifying the surface of the sheet, or a raw material There is an injection granulator for granulating raw material fine particles by spraying a composition liquid dispersed in a solution through a nozzle.

  Next, an example of an apparatus for discharging a liquid according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 16 is an explanatory perspective view of the apparatus, and FIG. 17 is an explanatory side view of a mechanism portion of the apparatus. Hereinafter, an ink jet recording apparatus will be described as an example, but the apparatus for ejecting liquid is not limited to this.

  The ink jet recording apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a carriage 93 that can move in the main scanning direction inside the recording apparatus main body 81, a recording head that is mounted on the carriage 93 and includes the ink jet head that embodies the present invention, and ink is supplied to the recording head. A printing mechanism portion 82 and the like configured by an ink cartridge to be supplied are accommodated.

  A paper feed cassette (or a paper feed tray) 84 on which a large number of sheets 83 can be stacked from the front side can be detachably attached to the lower part of the recording apparatus main body 81. Further, the manual feed tray 85 for manually feeding the paper 83 can be opened, the paper 83 fed from the paper feed cassette 84 or the manual feed tray 85 is taken in, and a required image is displayed by the printing mechanism unit 82. After recording, the paper is discharged to a paper discharge tray 86 mounted on the rear side.

The printing mechanism 82 holds a carriage 93 slidably in the main scanning direction by a main guide rod 91 and a sub guide rod 92 which are guide members horizontally mounted on left and right side plates (not shown).
The carriage 93 has a plurality of ink discharge ports of the liquid discharge head 1 including the ink jet head according to the present invention that discharges ink droplets of yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (Bk). (Liquid ejection member 22) is arranged in a direction crossing the main scanning direction, and is mounted with the ink droplet ejection direction facing downward. In addition, each ink cartridge 95 for supplying ink of each color to the liquid ejection head 1 is replaceably mounted on the carriage 93.

  The ink cartridge 95 has an air port that communicates with the atmosphere upward, a supply port that supplies ink to the inkjet head below, and a porous body filled with ink inside. The ink supplied to the inkjet head is maintained at a slight negative pressure by the capillary force of the porous body. Further, although the liquid discharge heads 1 of the respective colors are used here as the recording heads, one head having the liquid discharge member 22 that discharges ink droplets of the respective colors may be used.

Here, the carriage 93 is slidably fitted to the main guide rod 91 on the rear side (downstream side in the paper conveyance direction), and is slidably mounted on the sub guide rod 92 on the front side (upstream side in the paper conveyance direction). doing.
In order to move and scan the carriage 93 in the main scanning direction, a timing belt 100 is stretched between a driving pulley 98 and a driven pulley 99 that are rotationally driven by a main scanning motor 97, and the timing belt 100 is moved to the carriage 93. The carriage 93 is driven to reciprocate by forward and reverse rotation of the main scanning motor 97.

  On the other hand, in order to convey the paper 83 set in the paper feed cassette 84 to the lower side of the liquid ejection head 1, the paper feed roller 101 and the friction pad 102 for separating and feeding the paper 83 from the paper feed cassette 84, and the paper 83 A guide member 103 for guiding, a conveyance roller 104 for reversing and conveying the fed paper 83, a conveyance roller 105 pressed against the peripheral surface of the conveyance roller 104, and a feed angle of the sheet 83 from the conveyance roller 104 are defined. A leading end roller 106 is provided. The transport roller 104 is rotationally driven by a sub-scanning motor 107 through a gear train.

  Corresponding to the range of movement of the carriage 93 in the main scanning direction, there is provided a printing receiving member 109 which is a sheet guide member for guiding the sheet 83 fed from the transport roller 104 on the lower side of the liquid ejection head 1.

  A conveyance roller 111 and a spur 112 that are rotationally driven to send the paper 83 in the paper discharge direction are provided on the downstream side of the printing receiving member 109 in the paper conveyance direction, and the paper 83 is further delivered to the paper discharge tray 86. A roller 113 and a spur 114, and guide members 115 and 116 that form a paper discharge path are disposed.

At the time of recording, the liquid discharge head 1 is driven according to the image signal while moving the carriage 93 to discharge ink onto the stopped paper 83 to record one line, and after the paper 83 is conveyed by a predetermined amount Record the next line. Upon receiving a recording end signal or a signal that the trailing end of the paper 83 reaches the recording area, the recording operation is terminated and the paper 83 is discharged.
Further, a recovery device 117 for recovering the ejection failure of the liquid ejection head 1 is disposed at a position outside the recording area on the right end side in the movement direction of the carriage 93. The recovery device 117 includes a cap unit, a suction unit, and a cleaning unit (not shown).

  The carriage 93 is moved to the recovery device 117 side during printing standby, and the liquid ejection head 1 is capped by the capping unit, and the liquid ejection member is kept in a wet state to prevent ejection failure due to ink drying. Further, by ejecting ink not related to recording during recording or the like, the ink viscosity of all the liquid ejecting members is made constant, and stable ejection performance is maintained.

  When a discharge failure occurs, the liquid discharge member of the liquid discharge head 1 is sealed with a capping unit, and bubbles and the like are sucked out together with ink from the discharge port through the tube with a suction unit. Etc. are removed by the wiping means, and the ejection failure is recovered. The sucked ink is discharged to a waste ink reservoir installed at the lower part of the main body, and is absorbed and held by an ink absorber inside the waste ink reservoir.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Liquid discharge head 2 Liquid discharge part 3 Adhesion film | membrane 4, 10 Liquid repellent film 4a, 10a, 12 Liquid repellent film (liquid discharge area | region)
4b, 10b, 13 Liquid repellent film (non-liquid discharge area)
5 Discharge surface 5a Liquid discharge area 5b Non-liquid discharge area 6 Metal oxide film 6a Metal oxide film (liquid discharge area)
6b Metal oxide film (non-liquid discharge area)
7 Alloy film 7a Alloy film (liquid discharge area)
7b Alloy film (non-liquid discharge area)
9 Residual liquid 11 Common liquid chamber 22 Liquid discharge member 24 SiO ₂ film 25 Channel member 31 Channel unit 32 Actuator unit 33 Frame 34 Fluid resistance 35 Chamber plate 36 Vibrating member 37 Pressure generating element 38 Pressure chamber 42 Protruding portion 43, 44 Diaphragm section 45 Liquid supply port 48 Rolled metal plate 49 Polymer film 50 FPC cable 51 Base member 52 Driver IC
54 Piezoelectric layer 55A, 55B Internal electrode 56 Common-side external electrode 57 Individual-side external electrode 81 Recording device body 82 Printing mechanism 83 Paper 84 Paper feed cassette 85 Manual feed tray 86 Paper discharge tray 91 Main guide rod 92 Sub-guide rod 93 Carriage 95 Ink cartridge 97 Main scanning motor 98 Drive pulley 99 Driven pulley 100 Timing belt 101 Feed roller 102 Friction pad 103 Guide member 104 Conveying roller 105 Conveying roller 106 Leading roller 107 Sub scanning motor 109 Printing receiving member 111 Conveying roller 112, 114 Spur 113 discharge rollers 115, 116 guide member 117 recovery device 401 guide member 403 carriage 404 liquid discharge head 405 main scanning motor 406 driving pulley 407 driven pulley 4 8 timing belt 412 conveyor belt 413 conveyor roller 414 tension roller 440 the liquid discharge unit 441 head tank 442 cover 443 connector 444 the channel part 456 tubes 491A, 491B plate 491C backplate 493 main scanning movement mechanism

JP 2005-271299 A JP 2007-331127 A JP 2008-80797 A

Claims (11)

A liquid discharge member having a liquid discharge portion from which liquid is discharged, an individual liquid chamber that communicates with the liquid discharge portion and is filled with liquid, a vibration member that transmits pressure to the individual liquid chamber, and a displacement of the vibration member A liquid discharge head having pressure generating means for causing
An area in the vicinity of the liquid ejection portion on the ejection surface from which the liquid is ejected of the liquid ejection member is a liquid ejection area, and an area excluding the liquid ejection area on the ejection surface is a non-liquid ejection area,
A metal oxide film containing Si and metal A and a liquid repellent film are formed on the discharge surface, and the ratio of metal A in the metal oxide film formed in the non-liquid discharge region is formed in the liquid discharge region. A liquid discharge head characterized by being higher than the ratio of metal A in the formed metal oxide film.   The ratio of the metal A in the metal oxide film formed in the non-liquid discharge region is 20% or more higher than the ratio of the metal A in the metal oxide film formed in the liquid discharge region. The liquid discharge head described.   3. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the liquid discharge area is an area of 150 to 250 μm from an end of the liquid discharge portion.   The liquid ejection according to claim 1, wherein the metal oxide film is an alloy film of Si and a transition metal that forms a passivated film by combining with Si via oxygen. head.   The liquid ejection head according to claim 1, wherein the metal A is at least one selected from Zr, Ti, and Ta.   The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the surface flatness of the liquid discharge region is higher than the surface flatness of the non-liquid discharge region. The liquid repellent film formed in the liquid discharge region and the liquid repellent film formed in the non-liquid discharge region are made of different materials.
The liquid repellency of the liquid repellent film formed in the liquid discharge region is higher than the liquid repellency of the liquid repellent film formed in the non-liquid discharge region. The liquid discharge head described.   8. The liquid discharge head according to claim 7, wherein the liquid repellent film formed in the liquid discharge area is made of perfluoropolyether, and the liquid repellent film formed in the non-liquid discharge area is made of silicone.   A liquid discharge unit comprising the liquid discharge head according to claim 1.   An apparatus for ejecting liquid, comprising the liquid ejection head according to claim 1 or the liquid ejection unit according to claim 9. A liquid discharge member having a liquid discharge portion from which liquid is discharged, an individual liquid chamber that communicates with the liquid discharge portion and is filled with liquid, a vibration member that transmits pressure to the individual liquid chamber, and a displacement of the vibration member A pressure generating element for producing a liquid ejection head comprising:
An area in the vicinity of the liquid ejection portion on the ejection surface from which the liquid is ejected of the liquid ejection member is a liquid ejection area, and an area excluding the liquid ejection area on the ejection surface is a non-liquid ejection area,
When the metal oxide film containing Si and metal A is formed on the ejection surface, the ratio of the metal A of the metal oxide film formed in the non-liquid ejection region is set to the ratio of the metal oxide film formed in the liquid ejection region. Forming the metal oxide film to be higher than the ratio of metal A;
Subsequently, the liquid repellency of the liquid repellent film formed in the liquid discharge region is higher than the liquid repellency of the liquid repellent film formed in the non-liquid discharge region. A method of manufacturing a liquid discharge head, comprising forming a film.