JP2017202689A - Ink jet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing method of an ink jet type recording head which can prevent dot omission by preventing air bubbles inside a pressure chamber from flowing in a nozzle.SOLUTION: A silicon substrate 14, a nozzle plate 12, a piezoelectric element 13, and a back plate 16 are included. The silicon substrate 14 has a pressure chamber 14a from one end surface to the other end surface. The nozzle plate 12 is arranged on the one end surface of the silicon substrate 14, and has a diaphragm 30 and a nozzle hole 12a. The silicon substrate 14 is integrally formed with the end surface on a back plate 12 side, and has a partitioning wall 18 for partitioning an inside of the pressure chamber 14a into a plurality of parts. A first connection port 16a is arranged on one end of the pressure chamber 14a, and a second connection port 16b is arranged on the other end of the pressure chamber 14a. The partitioning wall 18 is arranged between the first connection port 16a and the second connection port 16b from one side wall surface to the other side wall surface which are opposite to each other in the pressure chamber 14a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a method for manufacturing an ink jet recording head.

  In an ink jet recording apparatus used as an image recording apparatus (image forming apparatus) such as a printer, a facsimile machine, a copying apparatus, or a plotter, an ink jet recording head that is a droplet discharge head including a microactuator is used. An ink jet recording head includes a nozzle that discharges ink droplets, a pressure chamber (also referred to as a pressurizing chamber, a liquid chamber, a pressurized liquid chamber, an ink flow path, and a discharge chamber) that communicates with the nozzle, and the pressure Pressure generating means (actuator means) for pressurizing the ink in the chamber. Then, the actuator means is driven to pressurize the ink in the pressure chamber and eject ink droplets from the nozzles.

  Conventional ink jet recording heads are roughly classified into piezoelectric type and bubble type in terms of the type of actuator means. The piezoelectric actuator means ejects ink droplets by deforming and displacing a diaphragm that forms the wall surface of the pressure chamber using a piezoelectric element. The bubble-type actuator means uses a heating resistor disposed in the pressure chamber to generate bubbles by ink film boiling and eject ink droplets.

  Among the ink jet recording heads described above, in the piezoelectric type, the piezoelectric element does not directly contact the ink, and the heat generation of the piezoelectric element can be ignored. Therefore, there is an advantage that there is no restriction on the type of ink to be used. On the other hand, when heat treatment (PZT firing) of piezoelectric elements and multilayer piezoelectric elements are used, mechanical and thermal technical problems such as division and alignment of individual piezoelectric elements are large, and complicated processes and apparatuses Will increase the cost.

  Also, the bubble type has the advantage that the head can be highly integrated and miniaturized easily because the heater can be made very small by application of semiconductor technology. On the other hand, the heater surface temperature increases to 400 to 450 ° C. in order to generate bubbles. For this reason, since an extremely high heat is applied to the ink, the ink composition changes, and kogation occurs at the ink contact portion of the heater. For this reason, the selection of the ink dye is important, it is difficult to use the pigment ink, and there is a limit to the improvement of the image quality of the color image. In addition, defects such as bubble generation due to deterioration of the heater due to kogation or failure of the heater protective film due to high heat and breakage of the heater due to cracks are likely to occur.

  Therefore, a so-called piezoelectric MEMS type ink jet recording head in which a semiconductor process technology is applied to the piezoelectric type has attracted attention.

JP 2011-56939 A JP 2009-160822 A

  In an ink jet recording head, bubbles are generated in a pressure chamber that is a liquid chamber communicating with a nozzle during driving. One problem with ink jet recording heads is that when bubbles are generated in the pressure chamber, ink ejection is hindered, so-called dot dropout.

  As an example of a piezoelectric MEMS ink jet recording head, there is an apparatus having a structure in which a piezoelectric element is formed in contact with a nozzle on a diaphragm, for example. In this piezoelectric MEMS type ink jet recording head, a certain size is required as the thickness of the substrate forming the pressure chamber. For example, when the thickness of the substrate is 300 μm, the length of the pressure chamber in the direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the substrate is about 100 μm. Therefore, a single space having a relatively large volume is formed inside the pressure chamber. In this case, bubbles may be generated anywhere in the single space inside the pressure chamber during the driving of the ink jet recording head. Bubbles are likely to be generated in places where the pressure fluctuation is large inside the pressure chamber. And when the pressure chamber of the single space which is a simple 1 chamber structure is formed in the board | substrate, it is difficult to control the flow of the bubble inside a pressure chamber. For this reason, bubbles may accumulate in the pressure chamber, and it is difficult to cope with the above-described problem of missing dots.

  In view of such circumstances, the embodiment has an object to provide a method for manufacturing an ink jet recording head that can prevent bubbles from being accumulated in a pressure chamber and prevent dot dropout.

  An ink jet recording head manufacturing method according to an embodiment includes forming a ring-shaped groove on one end surface of a silicon substrate, and thermally oxidizing the silicon substrate from the one end surface side to form a diaphragm made of a silicon oxide film Forming a wall corresponding to the groove continuously from the end surface of the diaphragm by thermal oxidation of the silicon substrate, and forming a lower portion on the end surface of the diaphragm opposite to the wall. Forming a piezoelectric element by sequentially laminating an electrode, a piezoelectric film, and an upper electrode; forming a nozzle opening for ejecting ink on an end face of the diaphragm; and the one end face of the silicon substrate; Creating two resist patterns having an area smaller than the area between the walls of the diaphragm on the opposite end face side; and creating the two resist patterns of the silicon substrate The silicon substrate is etched and side-passivation is repeated, and the pressure chambers are created on both sides of the nozzle opening by partially removing the silicon substrate from the silicon substrate while leaving a vertical outer peripheral side wall and a partition wall between the side walls. And after the etching tip for creating the pressure chamber reaches the depth of the wall of the diaphragm, etching is performed under the condition that the side diameter is weakened and the outer diameter is gradually increased, and the diaphragm Exposing the wall body and the diaphragm, and exposing the wall body and the diaphragm of the diaphragm, and at the same time, thinning the partition wall from both sides to combine the parts on both sides of the partition wall Thus, an ink flow path is formed in the pressure chamber, and a first contact for supplying ink to the pressure chamber on the other end surface of the silicon substrate is formed. Has a mouth, and a providing a backplate having a second connection port which ink flows out from the pressure chamber. The first connection port is disposed at one end of the pressure chamber, and the second connection port is disposed at the other end of the pressure chamber. The silicon substrate has a partition wall that is integrally formed on an end surface on the back plate side and divides the pressure chamber into a plurality of portions excluding a communication passage in the vicinity of the nozzle. The partition wall is provided between the first connection port and the second connection port from one side wall surface to the other side wall surface of the pressure chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an entire inkjet printer according to a first embodiment. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall schematic configuration of an inkjet printer according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged plan view of the ink jet head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line F4-F4 of FIG. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the principal part which shows the state which formed the ring-shaped groove | channel in the wafer surface of the silicon single crystal substrate in the manufacturing method of the inkjet head of 1st Embodiment. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the principal part which shows the state which formed simultaneously the diaphragm which consists of a silicon oxide film, and the silicon oxide film side wall by thermal oxidation on the wafer surface of FIG. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the principal part which shows the state which formed the piezoelectric element which has a lower electrode, a piezoelectric film, and an upper electrode on the diaphragm of FIG. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the principal part which shows the state which patterned the diaphragm of FIG. 7 and formed the nozzle opening part. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the principal part which shows the state which formed the pressure chamber by back surface photolithography and D-RIE from the back surface side of the flow-path formation board | substrate of FIG. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the principal part which shows the state which adhere | attached the backplate on the back surface of the flow-path formation board | substrate of FIG. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged plan view of an ink jet head according to a first modification of the first embodiment. F12-F12 sectional view taken on the line of FIG. The partial enlarged plan view of the inkjet head of the 2nd modification of 1st Embodiment. F14-F14 sectional view taken on the line of FIG. The partial enlarged plan view of the inkjet head of 2nd Embodiment. F16-F16 sectional view taken on the line of FIG. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the principal part which shows the state which formed the outer ring-shaped groove | channel and the inner ring-shaped groove | channel on the wafer surface of the silicon single crystal substrate in the manufacturing method of the inkjet head of 2nd Embodiment. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the principal part which shows the state in which the silicon oxide film side wall and the silicon oxide film nozzle wall were simultaneously formed in the wafer surface of FIG. 17 by thermal oxidation. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the principal part which shows the state which formed the piezoelectric element which has a lower electrode, a piezoelectric film, and an upper electrode on the diaphragm of FIG. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the principal part which shows the state which patterned the diaphragm of FIG. 19 and formed the nozzle opening part. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the principal part which shows the state which formed the pressure chamber by back surface photolithography and D-RIE from the back surface side of the flow-path formation board | substrate of FIG. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the principal part which shows the state which adhere | attached the backplate on the back surface of the flow-path formation board | substrate of FIG. FIG. 6 is a top view of an ink jet head according to a third embodiment. F24-F24 sectional view taken on the line of FIG. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the inkjet head of 4th Embodiment. FIG. 10 is a top view of an ink jet head according to a fifth embodiment. F27-F27 sectional view taken on the line of FIG. F28-F28 sectional view taken on the line of FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an inkjet printer 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as a printer 100) according to an embodiment.
The printer 100 has a housing 101. A holding roller 2 is provided in the housing 101 so as to be rotatable in the direction of the arrow. Below the holding roller 2, a paper feed cassette 3 that stores paper P is provided. A paper discharge tray 102 is provided at the upper end of the housing 101.

  The paper P taken out from the paper feed cassette 3 by the pickup roller 3a is transported to the holding roller 2 by two pairs of transport rollers 4a and 4b. The sheet P conveyed to the holding roller 2 is pressed against the surface of the holding roller 2 by the pressing roller 5a, is charged by the charging roller 5b, and is electrostatically attracted to the surface of the holding roller 2. The sheet P adsorbed on the surface of the holding roller 2 is further conveyed by the rotation of the holding roller 2. The holding roller 2 is formed of cylindrical aluminum and is grounded.

  The sheet P conveyed by the rotation of the holding roller 2 passes through a plurality of colors (here, four colors are shown as an example) ink jet recording heads (hereinafter referred to as ink jet heads) 6C, 6M, 6Y, 6K. Is done. The ink jet heads 6C, 6M, 6Y, and 6K for the respective colors discharge the inks of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, respectively, and form the images of the respective colors on the paper P. Since the inkjet heads 6C, 6M, 6Y, and 6K have the same structure, they may be simply referred to as the inkjet head 6 in the following description.

  The paper P on which the color image is formed by passing through the ink jet heads 6C, 6M, 6Y, and 6K for each color is discharged by the charge removal charger 7a and peeled from the surface of the holding roller 2 by the peeling claw 7b. The paper P peeled off from the holding roller 2 is discharged to the paper discharge tray 102 through the three pairs of paper discharge rollers 8a, 8b, and 8c.

  Alternatively, when images are formed on both sides of the paper P, the paper P peeled off from the holding roller 2 is sent to the reversing unit 9 via the paper discharge roller pair 8a. The reversing unit 9 reverses the paper P by reversing the transport direction of the paper P and feeding it to the transport roller pair 4b. The conveyance roller pair 4 b re-feeds the reversed paper P to the holding roller 2. The holding roller 2 after the paper P is peeled off is cleaned by the cleaning roller 10.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the inkjet head 6. The inkjet head 6 is a piezoelectric MEMS type head.
The ink jet head 6 includes a nozzle plate 12, a silicon substrate 14, a back plate 16, and an ink flow path block 300. The inkjet head 6 is attached in such a posture that the first surface (the upper surface in the drawing) of the nozzle plate 12 faces the surface of the holding roller 2. As will be described later, the nozzle plate 12 is formed integrally with the silicon substrate 14 and is not actually separated as illustrated. Here, in order to make the explanation easy to understand, they are illustrated separately.

  The nozzle plate 12 has a plurality of nozzle holes 12a for ejecting ink. Each nozzle hole 12a is a through-hole extending through the nozzle plate 12 so as to connect the first surface (illustrated upper surface) and the second surface (not illustrated) of the nozzle plate 12. FIG. 2 shows a state in which 14 nozzle holes 12a are arranged in two rows, but actually, a larger number of nozzle holes 12a are provided in a plurality of rows. That is, in order to make the explanation easy to understand, the number of nozzle holes 12a is smaller than the actual number.

  The silicon substrate 14 includes a plurality of ink pressure chambers 14a that face the nozzle holes 12a. Each ink pressure chamber 14 a extends through the silicon substrate 14. The back plate 16 has a plurality of ink circulation holes 16a and 16b (not shown) corresponding to the plurality of ink pressure chambers 14a (see FIG. 4). In the present embodiment, the back plate 16 has two ink circulation holes 16a and 16b corresponding to one ink pressure chamber 14a. Here, one ink circulation hole 16a is a first connection port that supplies ink to the ink pressure chamber 14a, and the other ink circulation hole 16b is a second connection port through which ink flows out from the ink pressure chamber 14a. It is.

  The ink circulation holes 16 a and 16 b also extend through the back plate 16. The ink channel block 300 includes a fixed surface 301, an ink supply port 302, an ink recovery port 303, a pair of ink supply channels 304, and an ink recovery channel 305. The ink recovery channel 305 is an example of an ink discharge channel.

  The ink supply port 302 is at one end of the ink flow path block 300 in the X direction in FIG. The ink supply port 302 is a circular hole extending in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the ink flow path block 300. The ink supply port 302 opens on the fixed surface 301. The back plate 16 closes the ink supply port 302 opened in the fixed surface 301.

  The ink supply port 302 is connected to the ink tank 23 through a path such as a tube. The ink stored in the ink tank 23 is supplied to the ink supply port 302 by, for example, pressure control.

  The ink recovery port 303 is a circular hole extending in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the ink flow path block 300. The ink recovery port 303 opens on the fixed surface 301. The back plate 16 closes the ink recovery port 303 opened in the fixed surface 301.

  The ink recovery port 303 is connected to the ink tank 23 through a path such as a tube. The ink flowing into the ink collection port 303 is collected in the ink tank 23 by, for example, pressure control.

  The pair of ink supply channels 304 are grooves provided on the fixed surface 301. The pair of ink supply channels 304 extends in parallel along the X direction. One end of the ink supply channel 304 is connected to the ink supply port 302. Therefore, the ink supplied from the ink tank 23 to the ink supply port 302 flows into the pair of ink supply channels 304.

  The ink recovery channel 305 is a groove provided on the fixed surface 301. The ink recovery channel 305 is located between the pair of ink supply channels 304. The ink recovery channel 305 extends in parallel with the ink supply channel 304 along the X direction. One end of the ink recovery channel 305 is connected to the ink recovery port 303. Therefore, the ink that has flowed into the ink collection channel 305 is collected in the ink tank 23 through the ink collection port 303.

  The ink supplied from the ink tank 23 flows into the pair of ink supply channels 304 via the ink supply port 302, and the ink that flows into the ink supply channel 304 passes through the ink circulation holes 16a and passes through the ink pressure chambers. 14a. Further, the ink in the ink pressure chamber 14a flows out to the ink recovery channel 305 through the ink circulation hole 16b.

  That is, in the ink jet printer 100, the ink circulates between the ink jet head 6 and the ink tank 23. In the ink pressure chamber 14a, ink always flows from the ink circulation hole 16a to the ink circulation hole 16b. For this reason, the ink in the ink pressure chamber 14a is constantly replaced. The ink pressure chamber 14a is filled with ink, and an ink meniscus is formed in the nozzle hole 12a. The ink supplied to each ink pressure chamber 14a is ejected through each nozzle hole 12a of the nozzle plate 12 by the operation of a piezoelectric element (actuator) 13 described below.

  A plurality of piezoelectric elements 13 are provided on the first surface of the nozzle plate 12 so as to correspond to the respective nozzle holes 12a. Each piezoelectric element 13 is displaced in the thickness direction by applying a driving voltage. Due to the displacement of the piezoelectric element 13, the nozzle plate 12 around the nozzle hole 12a is also displaced in the thickness direction, and the volume of the ink pressure chamber 14a changes. Thus, when the volume of the ink pressure chamber 14a changes, the pressure in the ink pressure chamber 14a changes, and ink is ejected from the nozzle hole 12a due to this pressure change.

(First embodiment)
3 to 10 show a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged plan view of a main part of the inkjet head 6-1 of the first embodiment, that is, a structure around one nozzle hole 12a as viewed from the ink ejection direction. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F4-F4 of FIG. In FIG. 4, illustration of the ink flow path block 300 is omitted for simplification of illustration. Note that, in a plurality of embodiments and modifications described below, the overall configuration of the head will be described by focusing on one nozzle hole 12a.

  The ink jet head 6-1 of the present embodiment includes a silicon substrate 14, a nozzle plate 12, a piezoelectric element (actuator) 13, and a back plate 16. The silicon substrate 14 is provided with an ink pressure chamber 14a from one end surface to the other end surface. The ink pressure chamber 14a of the present embodiment has a circular cross section as shown in FIG. The nozzle plate 12 has a vibration plate 30 made of a silicon oxide film on one end face of the silicon substrate 14 and blocking the ink pressure chamber 14a, and a nozzle hole 12a communicating with the ink pressure chamber 14a. The piezoelectric element 13 displaces the nozzle plate 12 to discharge the ink in the ink pressure chamber 14a from the nozzle hole 12a. The back plate 16 is on the other end surface of the silicon substrate 14, and the ink flows out from the ink flow hole 16a, which is a first connection port for supplying ink to the ink pressure chamber 14a, and the ink pressure chamber 14a. And an ink circulation hole 16b which is a second connection port. The silicon substrate 14 is integrally formed on the end face on the back plate 16 side, and the inside of the ink pressure chamber 14a is divided into a plurality, except for the communication passage 17 near the nozzle hole 12a, in this embodiment. A partition wall 18 is provided.

  The ink jet head 6-1 according to the present embodiment has the above-described configuration, and thus causes bending deformation by applying a voltage to the piezoelectric element 13. At this time, the diaphragm 30 formed by laminating the piezoelectric elements 13 is largely deformed as a whole, and the inkjet head 6-1 having a large driving volume is provided. The partition wall 18 partitions the ink pressure chamber 14a into two regions (a first region 14a1 and a second region 14a2) except for the communication passage 17 near the nozzle hole 12a. Here, the ink supply hole 16a on the ink supply side is arranged on the one first region 14a1 side. An ink discharge hole 16b on the ink discharge side is disposed on the other second region 14a2 side. As a result, the ink flowing from the ink circulation hole 16a to the first area 14a1 side passes through the communication path 17, flows to the second area 14a2 side, and the ink flow path flowing out from the ink circulation hole 16b enters the ink pressure chamber 14a. It is formed. Therefore, even if bubbles are generated in the ink pressure chamber 14a, it is possible to quickly discharge the bubbles out of the ink pressure chamber 14a and prevent dot dropout.

  The inkjet head 6-1 is formed using a silicon substrate 14. A diaphragm 30 is provided on one surface of the silicon substrate 14. The diaphragm 30 is formed of, for example, a silicon oxide film (silicon dioxide) having a thickness of 1 to 5 μm, which is created by thermal oxidation or CVD. It is desirable that the silicon oxide film be amorphous from the viewpoint that uniform deformation can be realized. It is also desirable from the viewpoint of easy production of a film having a stable composition and characteristics. Furthermore, it is desirable from the viewpoint of good consistency with conventional semiconductor processes.

  A piezoelectric element 13 is laminated on the upper surface of the central portion of the vibration plate 30. As shown in FIG. 3, the piezoelectric element 13 is a substantially annular thin film provided around the nozzle hole 12a. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the piezoelectric element 13 includes a lower electrode 31, a piezoelectric film 32, and an upper electrode 33. The lower electrode 31 is stacked on the upper surface of the diaphragm 30, the piezoelectric film 32 is stacked on the lower electrode 31, and the upper electrode 33 is stacked on the piezoelectric film 32. A piezoelectric film 32 is sandwiched between the lower electrode 31 and the upper electrode 33.

  An end 31a of the lower electrode 31 is extended to be a part of the wiring. A part 33a of the upper electrode 33 is extended together with the lower piezoelectric film 32 and the lower electrode 31 to form part of the wiring. As shown in FIG. 2, the lower electrode 31 is connected to the common electrode 105 via a wiring, and the upper electrode 33 is connected to the individual electrode 24 via a wiring.

  The silicon substrate 14 is provided with silicon oxide film side walls (side wall forming portions) 11 a and 11 b that are part of the side wall of the ink pressure chamber 14 a and side wall portions 14 b 1 and 14 b 2 that are formed by etching the silicon substrate 14. . The silicon oxide film side walls 11a and 11b continuously extend from the end face of the vibration plate 30 into the pressure chamber 14a with the same material and form a part of the side wall of the pressure chamber 14a. The diaphragm 30 is a fixed end of the silicon oxide film side walls 11a and 11b.

  A back plate 16 made of a silicon substrate is connected to the other surface of the silicon substrate 14. The back plate 16 includes an ink circulation hole 16a that supplies ink to the first region 14a1 of the ink pressure chamber 14a and an ink circulation hole 16b that discharges ink from the second region 14a2 of the ink pressure chamber 14a.

  The ink pressure chamber 14 a includes a vibration plate 30, silicon oxide film side walls 11 a and 11 b, side wall portions 14 b 1 and 14 b 2 of the silicon substrate 14, and a back plate 16 that faces the vibration plate 30. A partition wall 18 is provided at the center of the ink pressure chamber 14a except for the communication passage 17 in the vicinity of the nozzle hole 12a. The lower part of the ink pressure chamber 14a is divided into two regions (first region 14a1 and second region 14a2) by a partition wall 18, and is connected to the ink circulation holes 16a and 16b of the back plate 16, respectively.

  Ink is formed by the ink circulation hole 16a of the back plate 16, the first region 14a1 of the ink pressure chamber 14a, the communication path 17 near the nozzle hole 12a, the second region 14a2 of the ink pressure chamber 14a, and the ink circulation hole 16b. A flow path is configured.

  A nozzle hole 12a is formed in the diaphragm 30 by etching, for example. Here, the size of the ink pressure chamber 14a that applies ink droplet ejection pressure to the ink and the size of the nozzle hole 12a that ejects ink droplets are optimized according to the amount of ink droplets ejected, the ejection speed, and the ejection frequency. The For example, when recording 360 ink droplets per inch, the nozzle hole 12a needs to be accurately formed with a groove width of several tens of μm.

  For example, a silicon substrate having a thickness of about 100 to 600 μm is used as the silicon substrate 14. The thickness of the silicon substrate 14 is desirably about 200 to 500 μm. This is because the arrangement density of the ink pressure chambers 14a can be increased while maintaining the ease of handling when the silicon substrate 14 is manufactured.

  As the piezoelectric film 32 used for the piezoelectric element 13, a piezoelectric material having a large electrostriction constant such as lead zirconate titanate (Pb (Zr, Ti) O 3, PZT) is suitable. When PZT is used for the piezoelectric film 32, noble metals such as Pt, Au, and Ir and conductive oxides such as SrRuO3 are suitable for the lower electrode 31 and the upper electrode 33.

  Further, as the piezoelectric film 32, it is possible to use a piezoelectric material suitable for a silicon process such as AlN or ZnO. In this case, general electrode materials such as Al and Cu and wiring materials can be used as the lower electrode 31 and the upper electrode 33.

  When the inkjet head 6-1 is driven, a drive voltage is applied between the lower electrode 31 and the upper electrode 33 in accordance with a recording signal from an external drive circuit (not shown), and the piezoelectric film 32 is contracted. As a result, the peripheral portion of the diaphragm 30 around the piezoelectric element 13 is bent and deformed in a concave shape, and the volume of the ink pressure chamber 14a is increased. At this time, ink flows into the ink pressure chamber 14a from the ink circulation hole 16a on the ink supply side. Next, when the driving voltage is removed, the bending deformation of the surrounding portion of the piezoelectric element 13 of the vibration plate 30 is restored, and the volume of the ink pressure chamber 14a is reduced. Thereby, the pressure of the ink in the ink pressure chamber 14a is increased, and ink droplets are ejected from the nozzle holes 12a.

  Bubbles may be generated in the ink pressure chamber 14a during the ink droplet ejection operation. When bubbles are generated, pressure changes are absorbed by the bubbles when the vibration plate 30 is driven, making it difficult to eject ink droplets. Bubbles are likely to be generated in the ink pressure chamber 14a near the nozzle hole 12a.

  In the ink jet head 6-1 of the present embodiment, an ink flow path is formed in the ink pressure chamber 14a by the partition wall 18 installed in the ink pressure chamber 14a. 2 is connected to the ink circulation hole 16a on the ink supply side and the ink circulation hole 16b on the ink discharge side of the back plate 16 to circulate the ink. Can do. An orifice is formed around the nozzle hole 12a, and the flow rate of ink is increased. Therefore, when bubbles are generated in the ink pressure chamber 14a in the vicinity of the nozzle hole 12a, the bubbles can be quickly discharged out of the ink pressure chamber 14a from the ink circulation hole 16b by the circulation of ink. For this reason, it becomes possible to recover the missing dot due to the generation of bubbles in a short time.

A method for manufacturing the inkjet head 6-1 according to the first embodiment having the above structure will be described below with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 5, first, a ring-shaped groove 22 is formed on the flat wafer surface 21a of the silicon single crystal substrate 21 to be the silicon substrate 14 by, for example, photolithography and reactive ion etching (RIE). In the present embodiment, the groove 22 has two semicircular grooves 22a and 22b obtained by dividing the circular ring-shaped groove 22 having a size corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the ink pressure chamber 14a into two, and the wafer. It is formed substantially perpendicular to the surface 21a. The position and shape (depth and width) of the groove 22 determine the position, length, and thickness of the silicon oxide film side walls 11a and 11b to be formed in a later step.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the silicon single crystal substrate 21 is oxidized by thermal oxidation to simultaneously form the diaphragm 30 made of a silicon oxide film and the silicon oxide film side walls 11a and 11b. At this time, by adjusting the width and the oxide film thickness of the two semicircular grooves 22a and 22b, the inside of the two semicircular grooves 22a and 22b can be filled with the oxide film. Specifically, when the thickness of the diaphragm 30 of the oxide film is 1, the width of the two semicircular grooves 22a and 22b is about 1.12 and the thickness of the oxidized oxide sidewalls 11a and 11b is 2 It is desirable to have a degree or more. In this embodiment, the vibration plate 30 and the silicon oxide film side walls 11a and 11b are formed by thermal oxidation of the silicon single crystal substrate 21, but plasma CVD methods other than the thermal oxidation method, CVD methods using TEOS as a raw material, and the like are also available. It is possible to use.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the piezoelectric element 13 having the lower electrode 31 made of Ti / Pt, the piezoelectric film 32 made of PZT, and the upper electrode 33 made of Pt is formed on the vibration plate 30 by sputtering. . Then, the upper electrode 33 and the piezoelectric film 32 are patterned by photolithography and reactive ion etching. Further, the lower electrode 31 is patterned by photolithography and reactive ion etching.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 8, the diaphragm 30 is patterned by photolithography and reactive ion etching to form the nozzle holes 12a.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6, two semicircular resist patterns which are slightly smaller than the same shape as the ink pressure chamber 14a are formed on the back surface side of the silicon single crystal substrate 21. Next, as shown in FIG. The ink pressure chamber 14a is formed by backside photolithography and D-RIE. At this time, in the initial stage of D-RIE, etching and side surface passivation are repeated to leave the two side regions of the ink pressure chamber 14 a while leaving the side wall portions 14 b 1 and 14 b 2 of the vertical outer peripheral silicon substrate 14 and the side walls 18 a and 18 b of the partition wall 18. (First region 14a1 and second region 14a2) are formed. In the present embodiment, the partition wall 18 is disposed along the diameter of the circular cross section of the ink pressure chamber 14a including the center position facing the nozzle hole 12a.

  Next, after the etching tip from the back surface side of the silicon single crystal substrate 21 reaches the depth of the silicon oxide film side walls 11a and 11b, the etching is performed under the condition that the sidewall passivation is weakened and the outer diameter of the etched portion gradually increases. I do. As a result, tapered tapered surfaces 18 a 1 and 18 b 1 are formed at the tip of the partition wall 18. At this time, the silicon oxide side walls 11a and 11b and the vibration plate 30 are exposed on the surface side of the silicon single crystal substrate 21, and at the same time, two regions (first region 14a1 and second region 14a2) on both sides of the partition wall 18 are exposed. ). Thereby, an ink flow path connecting the first region 14a1, the communication path 17 near the nozzle hole 12a, and the second region 14a2 can be formed in the ink pressure chamber 14a.

  In the present embodiment, the etching rate ratio between the silicon single crystal substrate 21 and the silicon oxide film can be 100: 1 or more. Therefore, the silicon corresponding to the ink pressure chamber 14a formed inside the silicon single crystal substrate 21 is removed without almost over-etching the silicon oxide film side walls 11a and 11b and the vibration plate 30, so that the movable part always remains. A diaphragm 30 having a constant diameter can be formed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10, the silicon substrate 14 and the back plate 16 are bonded. The back plate 16 is formed with ink circulation holes 16a serving as ink supply ports and ink circulation holes 16b serving as ink discharge ports. Thus, the ink flow from the ink circulation hole 16a to the ink circulation hole 16b through the first region 14a1 of the ink pressure chamber 14a, the communication path 17 near the nozzle hole 12a, and the second region 14a2 of the ink pressure chamber 14a. The road is completed.

  As a bonding method between the silicon substrate 14 and the back plate 16, for example, a silicon direct bonding method may be used. In the silicon direct bonding method, after both substrate surfaces are cleaned in a vacuum atmosphere, they are brought into close contact and bonded by pressure. An organic adhesive may be used.

  The series of film formation and etching described above is not for manufacturing the chip of one inkjet head 6-1 but for forming a large number of chips on a single wafer at the same time. And after completion | finish of a process, the several inkjet head 6-1 can be manufactured simultaneously by dividing | segmenting one wafer into several chip | tip.

  The inkjet head 6-1 of the present embodiment can be manufactured by the above manufacturing method. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to quickly discharge bubbles inside the ink pressure chamber 14a generated during ink ejection, and it is possible to provide a highly reliable inkjet head 6-1. . The piezoelectric MEMS type ink jet head 6-1 can have a structure suitable for ink circulation.

(First modification of the first embodiment)
11 and 12 show a first modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged plan view of the inkjet head 6-2 of the first modification. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F12-F12 in FIG.
In the inkjet head 6-1 of the first embodiment, an example in which the cross-sectional shape of the ink pressure chamber 14a is circular has been shown. Instead, the ink jet head 6-2 of this modification is obtained by changing the cross-sectional shape of the ink pressure chamber 14a to a rectangular shape. The rest is the same as in the first embodiment. Therefore, the same parts as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

  The ink jet head 6-2 of this modification has a rectangular ink pressure chamber 41 and a rectangular piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric element 42 is disposed near the center of the diaphragm 30 that closes the ink pressure chamber 41. As shown in FIG. 12, the piezoelectric element 42 includes a lower electrode 43, a piezoelectric film 44, and an upper electrode 45. An end 43a of the lower electrode 43 is extended to be a part of the wiring. A part 45 a of the upper electrode 45 is extended together with the lower piezoelectric film 44 and the lower electrode 43 to form part of the wiring.

  As shown in FIG. 11, a partition wall 46 is installed at the center position in the longitudinal direction of the rectangular ink pressure chamber 41. As shown in FIG. 12, the partition wall 46 partitions the ink pressure chamber 41 into two regions (a first region 41a1 and a second region 41a2) except for the communication passage 17 in the vicinity of the nozzle hole 12a.

  In the inkjet head 6-2 of this modification, there is a difference that the planar shape of the ink pressure chamber 41 is a rectangular shape as compared with the inkjet head 6-1 of the first embodiment. As a result, there is an advantage that the ink ejection energy is slightly larger than when the cross-sectional shape of the ink pressure chamber 14a is circular. Others are the same as those in the first embodiment.

(Second modification of the first embodiment)
13 and 14 show a second modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a partially enlarged plan view of an inkjet head 6-3 according to a second modification. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F14-F14 in FIG.
The ink jet head 6-3 of this modification is obtained by moving the piezoelectric element 42 from the central part of the diaphragm 30 to the peripheral part in the ink jet head 6-2 of the first modification. The rest is the same as in the first embodiment. Therefore, the same parts as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In order to deform and drive the diaphragm 30 by the piezoelectric element 42, it is desirable to form the piezoelectric element 42 near the center or the periphery of the diaphragm 30. In the inkjet head 6-2 in the first modification, the piezoelectric element 42 is formed near the center of the diaphragm 30. An ink jet head 6-3 according to this modification is an example in which a piezoelectric element 42 is formed near the periphery of the vibration plate 30.

  The formation of the piezoelectric element 42 near the periphery of the diaphragm 30 has the following two advantages. The first advantage is that when the wiring portion 43a of the lower electrode 43 and the wiring portion 45a of the upper electrode 45 are pulled out from the piezoelectric element 42, they can be directly pulled out without passing through a large area on the diaphragm 30. Therefore, the symmetry when the diaphragm 30 is deformed is improved. The second advantage is that the stroke of the diaphragm 30 when the drive voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element 42 is slightly increased. In addition, when the piezoelectric element 42 is formed near the center of the diaphragm 30, there is an advantage that the driving force of the diaphragm 30 is slightly increased.

  Also in this modification, the fixed end of the silicon oxide film side wall 11 formed along the outer periphery of the ink pressure chamber 41 is connected to and supported by the vibration plate 30. Thereby, the movable part of the diaphragm 30 having a constant outer shape is formed regardless of variations in process conditions. Therefore, it is possible to realize the inkjet head 6-3 having a uniform driving force over the entire wafer surface.

(Second Embodiment)
15 to 22 show a second embodiment. FIG. 15 is a partially enlarged plan view of an inkjet head 6-4 according to the second embodiment. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F16-F16 in FIG. The ink jet head 6-4 of the present embodiment is a piezoelectric MEMS ink jet recording head.

  In the ink jet head 6-4 of the present embodiment, a cylindrical nozzle wall 51 protruding into the ink pressure chamber 41 is formed below the nozzle hole 12a. Further, the partition wall 46 below the ink pressure chamber 41 is formed at an offset position deviating from the position facing the nozzle hole 12a. These points are different from the first modification of the first embodiment. Since the other points are basically the same as those in the first embodiment, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, a nozzle wall 51 is formed in the lower portion of the nozzle hole 12a so as to extend into the ink pressure chamber 41 and continuously extend integrally. Yes. The nozzle wall 51 is formed of the same material as the diaphragm 30 of the nozzle plate 12, that is, a silicon oxide film, and is formed at the same time as the nozzle plate 12. With this nozzle wall 51, the directionality of the discharged ink becomes accurate, and a wide range of ink discharge amounts can be handled.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, a partition wall 46 is disposed in the lower portion of the ink pressure chamber 41 at an offset position that deviates from the position facing the nozzle hole 12 a. By this partition wall 46, the internal space of the ink pressure chamber 41 is asymmetrically divided into two regions (a first region 41a1 and a second region 41a2) except for the communication passage 17 in the vicinity of the nozzle wall 51. The back plate 16 includes an ink circulation hole 16a corresponding to the first area 41a1 of the pressure chamber 41 and an ink circulation hole 16b corresponding to the second area 41a2. The ink injected from the ink circulation hole 16 a rises in the first region 41 a 1 of the ink pressure chamber 14 a and hits the end surface of the vibration plate 30. As a result, the flow direction of the ink is changed, passes through the periphery of the nozzle hole 12a, descends in the second region 41a2 of the ink pressure chamber 14a, and is discharged from the ink circulation hole 16b. Thus, since ink is circulated through the periphery of the nozzle hole 12a, even when bubbles are generated in the vicinity of the nozzle hole 12a, the ink can be quickly discharged.

  17-22 is a figure which shows the manufacturing method of the inkjet head 6-4 of this Embodiment. Hereinafter, a process of forming the diaphragm 30 and the piezoelectric element 42 on the silicon substrate 14 made of a silicon single crystal substrate will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 17, first, two ring-shaped grooves 52 and 53 are formed substantially perpendicular to the wafer surface by, for example, photolithography and reactive ion etching (RIE) on the wafer surface of the silicon single crystal substrate to be the silicon substrate 14. To form. Here, one ring-shaped groove 52 has two outer U-shaped grooves 52 a and 52 b having a size corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the rectangular pressure chamber 41. The other ring-shaped groove 53 is an inner ring-shaped groove having a size corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the cylindrical nozzle wall 51.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 18, the silicon substrate 14 is oxidized by thermal oxidation to simultaneously form the diaphragm 30 made of a silicon oxide film, the silicon oxide film side walls 11a and 11b, and the silicon oxide film nozzle wall 51. At this time, by adjusting the width and the oxide film thickness of the two U-shaped grooves 52a and 52b and the ring-shaped groove 53, the inside of the two U-shaped grooves 52a and 52b and the ring-shaped groove 53 is oxidized. Can be filled with. Specifically, assuming that the thickness of the oxide film diaphragm 30 is 1, the width of the two U-shaped grooves 52a and 52b and the ring-shaped groove 53 is about 1.12, and the oxidized silicon oxide film side wall 11a, 11b and the thickness of the silicon oxide film nozzle wall 51 are preferably about 2 or more.

  In this embodiment, the vibration plate 30, the silicon oxide film side wall 11, and the silicon oxide film nozzle wall 51 are formed by thermal oxidation of the silicon substrate 14. However, plasma CVD methods other than the thermal oxidation method and TEOS are used as raw materials. A CVD method or the like can also be used. It is also possible to use a combination of a thermal oxidation method, a plasma CVD method, a CVD method using TEOS as a raw material, and the like.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 19, a lower electrode 43 made of Ti / Pt, a piezoelectric film 44 made of PZT, and a piezoelectric element 42 having an upper electrode 45 made of Pt are formed on the diaphragm 30 by sputtering. To do. Then, the upper electrode 45 and the piezoelectric film 44 are patterned by photolithography and reactive ion etching. Further, the lower electrode 43 is patterned by photolithography and reactive ion etching.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 20, the diaphragm 30 is patterned by photolithography and reactive ion etching to form the nozzle holes 12a.

  Next, two rectangular resist patterns that are slightly smaller than the same shape as the ink pressure chamber 41 are formed on the back surface side of the silicon substrate 14. In this state, as shown in FIG. 21, the ink pressure chamber 41 is formed from the back surface side of the silicon substrate 14 by back surface photolithography and D-RIE. At this time, at the initial stage of D-RIE, etching and side surface passivation are repeated to leave the two side regions of the ink pressure chamber 41 while leaving the side wall portions 14b1 and 14b2 of the vertical outer peripheral silicon substrate 14 and the side walls 46a and 46b of the partition wall 46. (First region 41a1 and second region 41a2) are formed.

  Next, after the etching front end from the back surface side of the silicon substrate 14 reaches the depth of the silicon oxide film side walls 11a and 11b, the etching is performed under the condition that the sidewall passivation is weakened and the outer diameter of the etched portion is gradually enlarged. . As a result, tapered tapered surfaces 46 a 1 and 46 b 1 are formed at the tip of the partition wall 46. At this time, the silicon oxide film side walls 11a and 11b and the diaphragm 30 are exposed on the surface side of the silicon substrate 14, and at the same time, two regions (first region 41a1 and second region 41a2) on both sides of the partition wall 46 are formed. Merge. Thereby, an ink flow path connecting the first region 41a1, the communication path 17 near the nozzle hole 12a, and the second region 41a2 can be formed in the ink pressure chamber 41.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 22, the silicon substrate 14 and the back plate 16 are bonded. The back plate 16 is formed with ink circulation holes 16a serving as ink supply ports and ink circulation holes 16b serving as ink discharge ports. As a result, the ink flow from the ink circulation hole 16a to the ink circulation hole 16b through the first region 41a1 of the ink pressure chamber 41, the communication passage 17 near the nozzle hole 12a, and the second region 41a2 of the ink pressure chamber 41. The road is completed.

(Third embodiment)
23 and 24 show a third embodiment. FIG. 23 is a partially enlarged plan view of an inkjet head 6-5 according to the third embodiment. 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F24-F24 of FIG. The ink jet head 6-5 of the present embodiment is a piezoelectric MEMS ink jet recording head. The inkjet head 6-5 of the present embodiment is a modified example in which a part of the configuration of the inkjet head 6-4 of the second embodiment is changed as follows. Therefore, the same parts as those of the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, the inkjet head 6-5 of the present embodiment has two partition walls at an offset position that deviates from the position facing the cylindrical nozzle wall 51 at the bottom of the ink pressure chamber 41. 61 and 62 are arranged. One partition wall 61 is disposed between one side wall portion 14b1 of the silicon substrate 14 and a position facing the nozzle hole 12a. The other partition wall 62 is disposed between the other side wall portion 14b2 of the silicon substrate 14 and a position facing the nozzle hole 12a. As a result, the interior of the ink pressure chamber 41 is divided into three regions (a first region 63a1, a second region 63a2, and a third region) by the two partition walls 61 and 62 excluding the communication passage 17 in the vicinity of the nozzle wall 51. 63a3).

  The back plate 16 is provided with one ink circulation hole 16a serving as an ink supply port and two ink circulation holes 16b serving as ink discharge ports in accordance with three regions of the ink pressure chamber 41 divided into three. . The ink circulation hole 16a is disposed at a position corresponding to the second region 63a2. The two ink circulation holes 16b are arranged at positions corresponding to the first region 63a1 and the third region 63a3, respectively.

  In the present embodiment, the flow of ink injected from the ink circulation hole 16 a rises in the second region 63 a 2 of the ink pressure chamber 41 and is divided into two hands along the vibration plate 30. One of them flows from the second region 63a2 to the first region 63a1 side, descends in the first region 63a1, and is discharged from the ink circulation hole 16b. The other flows toward the third region 63a3, descends in the third region 63a3, and is discharged from the ink circulation hole 16b. Thus, since ink is circulated through the periphery of the nozzle hole 12a, even when bubbles are generated in the vicinity of the nozzle hole 12a, the ink can be quickly discharged.

  A nozzle wall 51 is formed at the lower part of the nozzle hole 12 a so as to protrude into the ink pressure chamber 41. The nozzle wall 51 makes it possible to accurately direct the direction of the ejected ink and to cope with a wide range of ink ejection amounts.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 25 shows a fourth embodiment. FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of an inkjet head 6-6 according to the fourth embodiment. The ink jet head 6-6 of the present embodiment is a piezoelectric MEMS ink jet recording head.

  The inkjet head 6-6 of the present embodiment is a modified example in which a part of the configuration of the inkjet head 6-5 of the third embodiment is changed as follows. Therefore, the same parts as those in the third embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 25, the inkjet head 6-6 according to the present embodiment has four partition walls (first ones) at offset positions that deviate from the position facing the cylindrical nozzle wall 51 below the ink pressure chamber 41. 1 partition wall 71a, 2nd partition wall 71b, 3rd partition wall 71c, 4th partition wall 71d) are arrange | positioned. The first partition wall 71a is disposed at a position facing and spaced apart from one side wall portion 14b1 of the silicon substrate 14. The second partition wall 71b is disposed between the first partition wall 71a and a position facing the nozzle hole 12a. The fourth partition wall 71d is disposed at a position facing the other side wall portion 14b2 of the silicon substrate 14 while being spaced apart. The third partition wall 71c is disposed between the fourth partition wall 71d and a position facing the nozzle hole 12a. In the upper part of the ink pressure chamber 41, a communication path 72 that communicates between the upper parts of the four partition walls 71a to 71d is formed. Thus, the interior of the ink pressure chamber 41 is divided into five regions (a first region 73a, a second region 73b, and a third region) except for the communication passage 72 near the nozzle wall 51 by the four partition walls 71a to 71d. An area 73c, a fourth area 73d, and a fifth area 73e) are divided into five.

  The back plate 16 includes an ink circulation hole 16a serving as an ink supply port according to the first region 73a of the ink pressure chamber 41, and an ink circulation hole 16b serving as an ink discharge port according to the fifth region 73e. Other portions of the second region 73b, the third region 73c, and the fourth region 73d of the ink pressure chamber 41 are closed by the back plate 16.

  In the present embodiment, the flow of ink injected from the ink circulation hole 16a rises in the first region 73a of the ink pressure chamber 41, flows along the diaphragm 30 along the communication path 72, and passes through the nozzle hole 12a. Pass through the neighborhood. Furthermore, it descends along the fifth region 73e and is discharged from the ink circulation hole 16b. Thus, since ink is circulated through the periphery of the nozzle hole 12a, even when bubbles are generated in the vicinity of the nozzle hole 12a, the ink can be quickly discharged.

  A nozzle wall 51 is formed at the lower part of the nozzle hole 12 a so as to protrude into the ink pressure chamber 41. The nozzle wall 51 makes it possible to accurately direct the direction of the ejected ink and to cope with a wide range of ink ejection amounts.

(Fifth embodiment)
26 to 28 show a fifth embodiment. FIG. 26 is a partially enlarged plan view of an inkjet head 6-7 according to the fifth embodiment. 27 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F27-F27 in FIG. 26, and FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F28-F28 in FIG. The ink jet head 6-7 of the present embodiment is a piezoelectric MEMS ink jet recording head.

  In the inkjet head 6-7 of the present embodiment, a plurality of rectangular ink pressure chambers 41 of the inkjet head 6-2 of the first modification of the first embodiment are arranged adjacent to each other. Except for this point, the second embodiment is basically the same as the first modification of the first embodiment. Therefore, the same parts as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 28, a plurality of rectangular ink pressure chambers 41 are formed adjacent to each other. Thus, the silicon oxide film side wall 11 and the silicon side wall portion 14 are shared between the adjacent ink pressure chambers 41. The silicon oxide film side walls 11 and the silicon side wall portions 14 are connected and reinforced by a partition wall 46 formed in the lower part of the central nozzle hole 12 a of the ink pressure chamber 41.

  When the inkjet head 6-2 of the present embodiment is driven, the silicon oxide film side wall 11 and the silicon side wall portion 14 are deformed by driving the piezoelectric element 42 formed on the vibration plate 30. At this time, the pressure generated in the adjacent ink pressure chambers 41 may interfere. However, as shown in FIG. 27, the silicon oxide film side walls 11 and the silicon side wall portions 14 are connected and reinforced by the partition wall 46 formed in the lower part of the central nozzle hole 12 a of the ink pressure chamber 41. Therefore, in the ink pressure chamber 41 adjacent to the deformed ink pressure chamber 41, the deformation of each silicon oxide film side wall 11 and the silicon side wall portion 14 is remarkably suppressed, so that the pressure generated in the adjacent ink pressure chamber 41 interferes. Nothing will happen.

  As described above, in this embodiment, it is possible to stably form an ink jet recording head having a very high nozzle density, and to perform independent ink discharge by reducing pressure interference between adjacent ink pressure chambers 41. Become.

  The embodiments have been described above with reference to specific examples. The above embodiment is merely given as an example, and does not limit the present invention. In the description of the embodiment, the description of the ink jet recording head and its manufacturing method, etc., which is not directly necessary for the description of the present invention is omitted. Elements relating to the manufacturing method and the like can be appropriately selected and used.

  According to these embodiments, it is possible to provide a piezoelectric MEMS type ink jet recording head that can be quickly discharged out of the pressure chamber even when bubbles are generated in the pressure chamber, and a manufacturing method thereof.

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.
Hereinafter, the invention described in the scope of claims of the present application will be appended.
[1] A silicon substrate in which a pressure chamber is provided from one end surface to the other end surface, a vibration plate on one end surface of the silicon substrate that closes the pressure chamber, and a nozzle that communicates with the pressure chamber; , A nozzle plate that displaces the nozzle plate to eject ink in the pressure chamber from the nozzle, and a first end that is on the other end surface of the silicon substrate and supplies ink to the pressure chamber. A back plate having a connection port and a second connection port through which ink flows out of the pressure chamber, and the silicon substrate is integrally formed on an end surface on the back plate side, and the pressure chamber is formed in the pressure chamber. An ink jet recording head having a partition wall that divides into a plurality of portions except for a communication path in the vicinity of a nozzle.
[2] The ink jet recording head according to [1], wherein the vibration plate is formed of a silicon oxide film.
[3] The inkjet recording head according to [1], wherein the partition wall is disposed at a position facing the nozzle, and a tapered tapered surface is formed on an end portion facing the nozzle.
[4] The diaphragm includes a cylindrical body that extends from the end face of the diaphragm and extends integrally from the same material into the pressure chamber by extending the nozzle hole, and the partition wall includes the nozzle The ink jet recording head according to [1], wherein the ink jet recording head is disposed at an offset position deviating from a position opposite to.
[5] The diaphragm is formed with a side wall forming portion that extends continuously into the pressure chamber from the same material continuously from the end face of the diaphragm and forms a part of the side wall of the pressure chamber. The ink jet recording head described.
[6] The partition wall includes a first wall portion offset to one side from a position facing the nozzle, and a second wall portion offset to the other side from a position facing the nozzle, The pressure chamber is disposed between the first chamber at a central position disposed between the first wall portion and the second wall portion, and between the first wall portion and one side wall of the pressure chamber. It is divided into a second chamber, a third chamber disposed between the second wall portion and the other side wall of the pressure chamber, and the back plate is positioned corresponding to the first chamber. The ink jet recording head according to [1], wherein the second connection port is formed at a position corresponding to the first connection port, the second chamber, and the third chamber.
[7] The partition wall includes a plurality of first wall portions offset to one side of the position facing the nozzle and a plurality of second walls offset to the other side of the position facing the nozzle. And the back plate includes the first connection port, the other side wall of the pressure chamber, and the second wall portion between one side wall of the pressure chamber and the first wall portion. The ink jet recording head according to [1], wherein the second connection ports are respectively formed between the two.
[8] The ink jet recording head according to [1], wherein the actuator is a piezoelectric element including a lower electrode, a piezoelectric film, and an upper electrode stacked on the diaphragm of the nozzle plate around the nozzle hole.
[9] Forming a ring-shaped groove on one end surface of the silicon substrate, thermally oxidizing the silicon substrate from the one end surface side to form a vibration plate made of a silicon oxide film, A wall body corresponding to the groove is formed continuously and integrally from the end surface of the diaphragm by thermal oxidation, and a lower electrode, a piezoelectric film, and an upper electrode are formed on the end surface of the diaphragm opposite to the wall body. A piezoelectric element is deposited in order, a nozzle opening for ejecting ink is formed on the end face of the vibration plate, and the vibration is formed on the other end face opposite to the one end face of the silicon substrate. Creating two resist patterns having an area smaller than the area between the walls of the plate, etching the silicon substrate from the creation part of the two resist patterns of the silicon substrate and side Creating pressure chambers on both sides of the nozzle opening by partially removing the silicon substrate while repeatedly passivating to leave a vertical outer peripheral side wall and a partition wall between the side walls; After the etching tip reaches the depth of the wall of the diaphragm, etching is performed under the condition that the lateral passivation is weakened and the outer diameter gradually increases, and the wall of the diaphragm and the diaphragm And exposing the wall body and the diaphragm of the diaphragm, and at the same time thinning the partition wall from both sides to combine the parts on both sides of the partition wall, thereby providing ink in the pressure chamber. A method of manufacturing an ink jet recording head, comprising: forming a flow path; and providing a back plate on the other end surface of the silicon substrate.

    DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 ... Nozzle plate, 12a ... Nozzle hole, 13 ... Piezoelectric element (actuator), 14 ... Silicon substrate, 14a ... Pressure chamber, 16 ... Back plate, 16a, 16b ... Ink flow hole, 17 ... Communication path, 18 ... Partition wall 30 ... Diaphragm.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to an inkjet printer .

An ink jet printer according to an embodiment includes a silicon substrate in which a pressure chamber is provided from one end surface to the other end surface, a vibration plate on one end surface of the silicon substrate that closes the pressure chamber, and a nozzle that communicates with the pressure chamber A nozzle plate, an actuator for displacing the nozzle plate to eject ink in the pressure chamber from the nozzle, a first connection port on the other end surface of the silicon substrate for supplying ink to the pressure chamber, A back plate having a second connection port through which ink flows out from the pressure chamber, wherein the first connection port is disposed at one end of the pressure chamber, and the second connection port is disposed at the other end of the pressure chamber. The silicon substrate is integrally formed on the end surface on the back plate side, and has a partition wall that divides the pressure chamber into a plurality of portions excluding the communication passage in the vicinity of the nozzle, and the partition wall is connected to the first connection port. An ink jet recording head provided between one connecting side wall surface of the pressure chamber and the other side wall surface between the two connection ports; and a transport unit for transporting the recording medium to a position where ink is ejected from the nozzles. Prepare.

Claims (2)

Forming a ring-shaped groove on one end face of the silicon substrate;
The silicon substrate is thermally oxidized from the one end face side to form a diaphragm made of a silicon oxide film, and the wall corresponding to the groove is continuously formed from the end face of the diaphragm by thermal oxidation of the silicon substrate. Forming it in one piece,
Laminating a lower electrode, a piezoelectric film, and an upper electrode in order on the end surface of the diaphragm opposite to the wall, and forming a piezoelectric element;
Forming a nozzle opening for discharging ink on an end face of the diaphragm;
Creating two resist patterns having an area smaller than the area between the walls of the diaphragm on the other end face side opposite to the one end face of the silicon substrate;
The silicon substrate is repeatedly etched and side-passivated from the created portions of the two resist patterns of the silicon substrate to partially remove the silicon substrate from the silicon substrate while leaving a vertical outer peripheral side wall and a partition wall between the side walls. Creating pressure chambers on both sides of the nozzle opening;
After the etching tip for creating the pressure chamber reaches the depth of the wall of the diaphragm, etching is performed under the condition that the outside diameter is gradually enlarged by weakening the side surface passivation, and the diaphragm Exposing the wall and the diaphragm;
Forming the ink flow path in the pressure chamber by exposing the wall body and the diaphragm of the diaphragm and simultaneously combining portions on both sides of the partition wall by thinning the partition wall from both sides; When,
Providing a back plate having a first connection port for supplying ink to the pressure chamber on the other end surface of the silicon substrate, and a second connection port through which ink flows out of the pressure chamber;
Have
The first connection port is disposed at one end of the pressure chamber, and the second connection port is disposed at the other end of the pressure chamber,
The method of manufacturing an ink jet recording head, wherein the partition wall is provided between the first connection port and the second connection port from one side wall surface to the other side wall surface of the pressure chamber. Forming a ring-shaped groove on one end face of the silicon substrate;
The silicon substrate is thermally oxidized from the one end face side to form a diaphragm made of a silicon oxide film, and the wall corresponding to the groove is continuously formed from the end face of the diaphragm by thermal oxidation of the silicon substrate. Forming it in one piece,
Laminating a lower electrode, a piezoelectric film, and an upper electrode in order on the end surface of the diaphragm opposite to the wall, and forming a piezoelectric element;
Forming a nozzle opening for discharging ink on an end face of the diaphragm;
Creating two resist patterns having an area smaller than the area between the walls of the diaphragm on the other end face side opposite to the one end face of the silicon substrate;
The silicon substrate is repeatedly etched and side-passivated from the created portions of the two resist patterns of the silicon substrate to partially remove the silicon substrate from the silicon substrate while leaving a vertical outer peripheral side wall and a partition wall between the side walls. Creating pressure chambers on both sides of the nozzle opening;
After the etching tip for creating the pressure chamber reaches the depth of the wall of the diaphragm, etching is performed under the condition that the outside diameter is gradually enlarged by weakening the side surface passivation, and the diaphragm Exposing the wall and the diaphragm;
Forming the ink flow path in the pressure chamber by exposing the wall body and the diaphragm of the diaphragm and simultaneously combining portions on both sides of the partition wall by thinning the partition wall from both sides; When,
Providing a back plate having a first connection port for supplying ink to the pressure chamber on the other end surface of the silicon substrate, and a second connection port through which ink flows out of the pressure chamber;
Have
The first connection port is disposed at a central portion of the pressure chamber, and the second connection port is disposed at a peripheral wall portion of the pressure chamber,
The method of manufacturing an ink jet recording head, wherein the partition wall is provided between the first connection port and the second connection port from one side wall surface to the other side wall surface of the pressure chamber.