JP2021091125A - Ink jet head, ink jet head manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an ink jet head which can correspond to even an ink having technically high function.SOLUTION: An ink jet head comprises: a substrate 2 which is provided with an energy generating element 1 that generates energy for discharging an ink from a discharge port 4, and has an open hole forming a supply port 3; a flow channel formation component 5 which is laminated on the substrate 2, and has an open hole which forms a part of a wall surface of an ink flow channel 34; and an orifice plate 6 which is laminated on the flow channel formation component 5, and has an open hole forming a discharge port 4. At least one component, which is selected from a group comprising the flow channel formation component 5 and the orifice plate 6, contains a resin, and metal particles which act as a catalyst nucleus at the time of electroless plating, and on at least a part of a surface of at least one component selected from the group comprising the flow channel formation component 5 and the orifice plate 6, a plated metal layer with the metal particles as the catalyst nucleus is provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to an inkjet head and a method for manufacturing the inkjet head.

In inkjet printing, inks that meet various requirements are prescribed in order to develop applications of printed matter and improve print quality. Along with the improvement of ink, it has been proposed to improve the strength and swelling property of the resin by including metal particles in the resin as in Patent Document 1 in the inkjet head material.
A new solid content is prescribed to the ink in search of higher quality and higher performance printing. Therefore, the solid content concentration of the ink tends to increase, and as a result, the viscosity of the ink tends to increase. In addition, there are many new chemicals to mix with ink to obtain new performance, and some of them are easy to swell with existing inkjet materials.
In order to eject highly viscous ink, it is desirable to design the foam heater so that the resistance on the ejection port side is lower than that on the ink supply side. Therefore, it is desired to reduce the thickness of the orifice plate forming the discharge port. For example, by reducing the thickness of the orifice plate, the length of the tubular inner wall surface of the through hole forming the discharge port (the length in the penetration direction from the inlet to the outlet) becomes shorter, and the ink passes through the discharge port. The resistance to be received can be reduced.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-262599

However, if the orifice plate becomes thin, the structural strength of the head will decrease, so the head will break due to normal suction recovery and the operation of wiping the face surface, and the circuit part will be damaged during assembly, resulting in a decrease in yield. I am concerned.
The swelling of the ink on the head material causes a shape change. If the orifice plate becomes thin, the deformation is large, the shape of the discharge port is also deformed, the volume of the droplet to be discharged changes, and the color taste changes. In response to these changes, Patent Document 1 proposes to improve the strength and swelling property of the resin by including metal particles in the resin, but that alone cannot meet the recent demands. ..

The present disclosure proposes an inkjet head that can handle high-performance inks.

The inkjet head of the present disclosure is
An inkjet head having a supply port for receiving ink, a discharge port for discharging ink, and an ink flow path connecting the supply port and the discharge port.
An energy generating element for generating energy for ejecting ink from the ejection port is provided, and a substrate having a through hole forming the supply port and a substrate.
A flow path forming member having a through hole that is laminated on the substrate and forms a part of the wall surface of the flow path.
An orifice plate laminated on the flow path forming member and having a through hole forming the discharge port, and an orifice plate.
In an inkjet head equipped with
At least one member selected from the group consisting of the flow path forming member and the orifice plate contains a resin and metal particles that act as catalyst nuclei during electroless plating.
It is characterized in that at least a part of the surface of at least one member selected from the group consisting of the flow path forming member and the orifice plate has a plated metal layer having the metal particles as catalyst nuclei.
The method for manufacturing the inkjet head of the present disclosure is as follows.
A method for manufacturing an inkjet head, which comprises a supply port for receiving ink, a discharge port for discharging ink, and an ink flow path connecting the supply port and the discharge port.
An energy generating element for generating energy for ejecting ink from the ejection port is provided, and a substrate having a through hole forming the supply port and a substrate.
A flow path forming member having a through hole that is laminated on the substrate and forms a part of the wall surface of the flow path.
An orifice plate laminated on the flow path forming member and having a through hole forming the discharge port, and an orifice plate.
In the manufacturing method of the inkjet head including
At least one member selected from the group consisting of the flow path forming member and the orifice plate contains a resin and metal particles that act as catalyst nuclei during electroless plating.
The metal particles are exposed at least a part of the surface of at least one member selected from the group consisting of the flow path forming member and the orifice plate, and the portion where the metal particles are desired to form a plated metal layer as a catalyst nucleus. Exposure process and
A film forming step of forming a plated metal layer using the exposed metal particles as catalyst nuclei is included.
It is characterized by that.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an inkjet head that can handle high-performance inks.

Schematic cross-sectional view showing the structure of the inkjet head according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Schematic diagram showing the relationship between the resin and the metal of the orifice plate of the embodiment of the present disclosure. Graph showing the difference in the load displacement curve of the material due to the difference in the head configuration Schematic diagram of Example 1 of the present disclosure Schematic diagram of Example 2 of the present disclosure Schematic diagram of Example 3 of the present disclosure Schematic diagram of Example 4 of the present disclosure Schematic diagram of Example 5 of the present disclosure Schematic diagram of Example 6 of the present disclosure Schematic diagram of Example 7 of the present disclosure Schematic diagram of Example 8 of the present disclosure Schematic diagram of Example 9 of the present disclosure Schematic diagram of Example 10 of the present disclosure Schematic diagram of Example 11 of the present disclosure Schematic diagram of Example 12 of the present disclosure Schematic diagram of Example 13 of the present disclosure Schematic of Example 14 of the present disclosure

In the present disclosure, the description of "○○ or more and XX or less" and "○○ to XX" indicating the numerical range is a numerical range including the lower limit and the upper limit which are end points (○○ is the lower limit value) unless otherwise specified. , XX is the upper limit).
Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out this disclosure will be described in detail exemplarily with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative arrangements of the components described in this embodiment should be appropriately changed depending on the configuration of the device to which the disclosure is applied and various conditions. That is, it is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure to the following embodiments.

<Example>
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional structure of an inkjet head according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and shows only a structure portion constituting an ink (liquid) flow path in the inkjet head. The inkjet head has a structure in which a plurality of layers with holes are laminated, and a three-dimensional ink flow path is formed inside the laminated structure by combining the shapes and arrangements of the holes of the laminated layers. Is. Typically, a flow path forming layer and an orifice plate layer made of a resin film are sequentially laminated on a silicon substrate on which an ink supply port is formed and an energy generating element is mounted, and the flow path is exposed by stepper exposure. It is a laminated structure composed by forming. Typically, one side of the laminated structure in the stacking direction is the fluid supply side, and the other side is the liquid discharge side.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the inkjet head according to the present embodiment, an ink supply port 3 in which ink is supplied from an ink supply source (not shown), an ejection port 4 for ejecting ink, and an ink flow path connecting them are connected. 34 and. The heater 1 is arranged at a position facing the ejection port 4 (the opening on the ink flow path 34 side) on the inner wall surface forming the ink flow path 34. In FIG. 1, the discharge port 4 is arranged at the upper side and the ink supply port 3 is arranged at the lower side. This shows the posture at the time of manufacturing the flow path forming portion of the inkjet head, and is used. Occasionally, it is often used in an upside-down arrangement of FIG.

Bubbles are generated around the heater 1 by heating the heater 1, and the ink in the ink flow path 34 (mainly the ink around the heater 1) is pushed out from the discharge port 4 by the generation of the bubbles, so that the ink is discharged from the discharge port 4. It is discharged.
The configuration of the ink ejection unit is not limited to the thermal method using the heater 1 which is a resistor that generates heat when energized. For example, the piezo element (piezoelectric element) is arranged instead of the heater 1. A method configuration may be adopted. That is, as the energy generating element of the present disclosure, in addition to the heater 1, energy for ejecting ink from the ejection port 4 such as a piezoelectric element that applies pressure to the ink to eject it by utilizing a volume change (deformation) due to voltage application is used. Anything that can be generated may be included.

The flow path structure in the inkjet head is a laminated structure in which the substrate 2, the flow path wall material (flow path forming member) 5, and the orifice plate material 6 are laminated in this order.
In addition to the heater 1 described above, a control circuit for controlling the heater 1 is mounted on the substrate 2, and an ink supply port 3 is formed through the substrate 2.
The flow path wall material 5 is provided with a plurality of through holes for forming the flow path, and the inner wall surface of the through holes extends in the stacking direction among the inner wall surfaces of the flow path forming the flow path 34. Is doing.
A plurality of discharge ports 4 are formed through the orifice plate material 6.

The discharge port 4 is often formed to have a substantially circular shape in a plan view, but the through hole formed in the flow path wall material 5 is not circular, but a flow path extending parallel to the plane direction is formed. It is often formed in any shape. The ink supply port 3 formed on the substrate 2 is also formed into an arbitrary plan view shape according to, for example, the shape of the through hole formed in the flow path wall material 5 and the configuration on the ink supply side.
That is, FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view for showing a typical structural feature of the ink flow path forming portion of the inkjet head, and does not have the cross-sectional configuration shown in all the portions. For example, when the inkjet head is viewed in a plan view, the discharge port 4 is locally provided so as to open at a plurality of locations on the surface on the discharge side, and the heater 1 also corresponds to the discharge port 4 in a plurality of local areas. They may not be shown depending on how the cross section is taken.

Here, the flow path wall material 5 and the orifice plate material 6 are each composed of a resin (for example, a photosensitive epoxy resin) containing metal particles that act as catalyst nuclei during electroless plating, and the surfaces thereof. Is covered with a plated metal layer 7 formed of a plated metal.
It is preferable that the plated metal layer 7 is formed on the resin (flow path wall material 5, orifice plate material 6) (stabilizes the coating state of the plated metal layer 7). Therefore, it is preferable that some of the metal particles that act as catalyst nuclei during electroless plating, which are contained in a large number in the resin, are present on the surface of the resin so that they come into contact with the plating solution.
The configuration shown in FIG. 1 is an example of the configuration of the embodiment of the present disclosure, and is not limited to such a configuration. That is, only one of the flow path wall material 5 and the orifice plate material 6 may be covered with the metal 7. Details will be described in Examples 1 to 14 below.

The plating configuration of this configuration will be described with reference to FIG. In a general plating metal on a resin, metal particles that act as catalyst nuclei during electroless plating are attached to the resin, and then a plating metal layer is formed. As shown in 2-1 of FIG. 2, the metal particles are attached to the resin, or the metal particles are attached to the resin by using sputtering, and then as shown in 2-2 of FIG. It is advisable to form a plated metal layer. In the case of this configuration, the resin is composed of the metal particles contained in the resin as shown in 2-3 of FIG. In this case, the surface of the metal particles is covered with the resin with a resin, a dispersant, or the like. Therefore, in order to form a plating metal as shown in 2-4 of FIG. 2, it is advisable to expose the metal particles so that they can come into contact with the plating metal liquid. Then, as shown in 2-5 of FIG. 2, it is preferable to form a plated metal layer.
The said exposure method is not particularly limited, O ₂ ashing, surface grinding and surface polishing, and the like. _{In particular, O 2} ashing, which can process a three-dimensional wall surface, is preferable.
As shown in 2-5 of FIG. 2, in this configuration, metal particles acting as catalyst nuclei during electroless plating bite into the resin side like anchors, so that adhesion is remarkably improved. Further, since the resin constituting the flow path forming member and the orifice plate contains metal particles, the strength of the resin is also improved.

<Strength test using nano indenter>
FIG. 3 shows the results of measuring the load displacement curve of the laminated film having the following configuration with a diamond indenter of a regular quadrangular pyramid having a facing angle of θ = 136 ° using a nanoindenter (manufactured by Fisher Instruments).
A: Resin only B: Resin containing metal particles C: A 0.8 μm nickel plating layer formed on the surface of the resin D: A combination of configuration B and configuration C E: Head material configuration of this configuration ( A 0.8 μm nickel-plated layer using the silver particles as a catalyst nucleus is formed on the surface of a resin containing silver particles)
From this graph, the displacement amount of the configuration E is smaller than that of the configuration D. According to the configuration E, the configuration A is more deformed than the configuration A containing only the resin, the configuration B containing only the resin containing metal particles, the configuration C in which the surface of the resin is coated with metal, and the configuration D in which the configuration B and the configuration C are combined. The amount has been reduced.

In the present disclosure, at least one member selected from the group consisting of the flow path forming member and the orifice plate contains a resin and metal particles that act as catalyst nuclei during electroless plating.
Further, at least a part of the surface of at least one member selected from the group consisting of the flow path forming member and the orifice plate has a plated metal layer having the metal particles as catalyst nuclei.
The resin preferably contains a photosensitive resin, and more preferably contains a photosensitive epoxy resin.
In order to coat the surface of the member with the plated metal layer, the average distance between the metal particles existing on the resin surface constituting the member and acting as catalyst nuclei during electroless plating is the film thickness of the target plated metal layer. It is preferably as follows.
For example, when the film thickness of the plated metal layer is 0.1 μm to 15.0 μm, the average particle size of the metal particles may be selected from 20 nm to 400 nm.
Further, the content of the metal particles in at least one member selected from the group consisting of the flow path forming member and the orifice plate may be 0.2% by mass to 20% by mass.
When the content of the metal particles in at least one member selected from the group consisting of the flow path forming member and the orifice plate is within the above numerical range, cracking of the resin or the like is less likely to occur.
The average particle size is the median diameter (D50), which is a value measured by a laser diffraction / scattering type particle size distribution meter or a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM).

As another guideline for determining the average particle size of the metal particles, for example, it is preferable not to exceed one-fifth of the thickness of the resin constituting the orifice plate. Then, the resin is less likely to crack. For example, assuming an orifice plate made of 2.0 μm resin, the average particle size of the metal particles is 400 nm or less. The optimum average particle size of the metal particles should be 1/10 of the final film thickness of the resin.
The film thickness of the plated metal layer may be 0.1 μm or more, and the upper limit thereof varies depending on the application and cannot be unequivocally determined, but is preferably about 15.0 μm, for example.
The film thickness of the plated metal layer can be adjusted by changing the average particle size of the metal particles and the content in the member.

The metal particles are not particularly limited as long as they are metal particles that act as catalyst nuclei during electroless plating, and examples thereof include silver particles, palladium particles, and copper particles.
The metal particles preferably contain at least one metal particle selected from the group consisting of silver particles, palladium particles and copper particles.
From the viewpoint of increasing the strength of the resin, silver particles or palladium particles are more preferable.
On the other hand, examples of the metal forming the electroless plated metal layer include nickel, palladium, and gold. From the viewpoint of improving strength, it is preferable to contain nickel or palladium, and nickel or palladium is preferable.
Further, in order to further improve the function of the plating metal layer, the plating metal composition used for forming the electroless plating metal layer may contain functional fine particles or the like to form the plating metal layer. For example, an electroless nickel plating is used as a matrix, and fine particles of polytetrafluoroethylene (so-called Teflon (registered trademark)) are uniformly dispersed and eposited in the plating layer to form a plating metal layer (nickel / Teflon eutectoid plating layer). ). As the content ratio in the plated metal composition, for example, 20 parts by mass to 30 parts by mass of polytetrafluoroethylene is contained in 100 parts by mass of nickel.

The purpose of this configuration is basically to improve the strength of the resin, but if the portion where the ink and the resin come into contact with each other is covered with a plated metal layer as in the present configuration, the ink and the resin can be blocked. As a result, there is an effect of reducing the swelling of the ink on the head.
According to this embodiment, the orifice plate or the like can be made thin, and the high-viscosity ink can be used without any problem. Further, by thinning the orifice plate or the like and forming the plated metal layer, the contact area between the resin and the ink constituting the orifice plate or the like is reduced, so that the swelling of the resin can be reduced.

Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the inkjet head (hereinafter, “head”) having this configuration will be described in Examples 1 to 14. It should be noted that each cross-sectional view shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 to 17 is schematically shown ignoring the ratio of dimensions between the members in order to show the state of the laminated structure in an easy-to-understand manner. Further, in the following description, it is omitted that the matters common to each embodiment will be explained again in the description of each embodiment, and the matters not particularly mentioned are common to other examples. In addition, the configurations of each embodiment can be applied in combination with each other as technically possible.

[Example 1]
The head of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4 covers all the surfaces of the flow path wall material 5 and the orifice plate material 6 with a plated metal layer.

As shown in 4-1 of FIG. 4, a silicon substrate 2 (hereinafter, "board 2") in which a heater 1 for ejecting ink and a circuit (not shown) for driving and controlling the heater 1 by an external signal are manufactured is manufactured. ), An ink supply port 3 (hereinafter, “supply port 3”) for supplying ink is formed. The supply port 3 can be formed by, for example, dry etching.
Next, as shown in 4-2 of FIG. 4, a dry film 8 made of a photosensitive resin, which finally constitutes the flow path wall material 5, was produced, and the heater 1 mounted the dry film 8 on the substrate 2. Lamination transfer is performed on the surface (lamination process). As the dry film 8, a film having a film thickness of 15 μm adjusted so that silver particles having an average particle diameter of 30 nm was 5% by mass after film formation was used.
Next, as shown in 4-3 of FIG. 4, the dry film 8 was exposed to a pattern that would become a flow path wall in the future, and was baked at 50 ° C. and cured to obtain a latent image 8a.
Next, as shown in 4-4 of FIG. 4, a dry film 10 that will finally form the orifice plate material 6 that forms the discharge port 4 is produced, and the dry film 10 is laminated on the substrate 2. Lamination transfer was performed on the upper surface of No. 8 (lamination step). Like the dry film 8 constituting the flow path wall material 5, the dry film 10 is made of a material adjusted so that silver particles having an average particle diameter of 30 nm are 5% by mass after film formation, and has a thickness of 2 μm. Is.
Next, as shown in 4-5 of FIG. 4, the pattern of the discharge port 4 was exposed to the dry film 10 and baked at 90 ° C. and cured to obtain a latent image 10a.
Next, as shown in 4-6 of FIG. 4, the substrate 2 on which the dry films 8 and 10 were laminated was immersed in a developing solution for development. As a result, only the portion of the dry films 8 and 10 on which the latent images 8a and 10a are formed remains as the flow path wall, and the flow path 34 is formed in the removed portion (flow path forming step). Next, the developed substrate 2 was heated at 200 ° C. for 60 minutes to be cured.
_{Next, as shown in 4-7 of FIG. 4, O 2} plasma ashing is performed by ashing the surfaces of the flow path wall material 5 and the orifice plate material 6 by about 0.1 μm, and the resin surface is electroless. The metal particles that act as catalyst nuclei during electroplating are exposed (exposure step).
Finally, as shown in 4-8 of FIG. 4, the exposed metal particles are used as catalyst nuclei and immersed in an electroless nickel plating solution on the resin surfaces of the flow path wall material 5 and the orifice plate material 6. A nickel plating layer having a thickness of 0.8 μm is formed (deposition step), and the head is completed.

The head has very little swelling because the resin constituting the flow path wall material 5 and the orifice plate material 6 is structurally separated from the ink (the resin is not exposed to at least the ink flow path). Further, the entire resin is covered with the nickel plating layer 11, and the thickness of the orifice plate material 6 is 3.6 μm, which is equivalent to that of a resin having a thickness of 6 μm.

[Example 2]
The head of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5 covers the surface of the orifice plate material 6 with a plated metal layer.

As shown in 5-1 of FIG. 5, for supplying ink to the substrate 2 on which the heater 1 for ejecting ink and the circuit (not shown) for driving and controlling the heater 1 by an external signal are manufactured. The supply port 3 is formed.
Next, as shown in 5-2 of FIG. 5, a dry film 12 made of a photosensitive resin, which finally constitutes the flow path wall material 5, was produced, and the heater 1 mounted the dry film 12 on the substrate 2. Laminate transfer on the surface. The dry film 12 used had a film thickness of 15 μm.
Next, as shown in 5-3 of FIG. 5, after patterning the dry film 12 to become a flow path wall in the future, it was baked at 50 ° C. and cured to obtain a latent image 12a.
Next, as shown in 5-4 of FIG. 5, a dry film 13 that will finally form the orifice plate material 6 that forms the discharge port 4 is produced, and the dry film 13 that is laminated on the substrate 2 is produced. Laminate transfer was performed on the upper surface of 12. The dry film 13 is made of a material in which silver particles having an average particle diameter of 30 nm are adjusted to be 5% by mass after film formation, and has a thickness of 2 μm.
Next, as shown in 5-5 of FIG. 5, the pattern of the discharge port 4 was exposed to the dry film 13 and baked at 90 ° C. and cured to obtain a latent image 13a.
Next, as shown in 5-6 of FIG. 5, the substrate 2 was immersed in a developing solution to develop and remove an unexposed portion, and then heated at 200 ° C. to cure.
_{Next, as shown in 5-7 of FIG. 5, O 2} plasma ashing was performed by ashing the surface of the orifice plate material 6 by about 0.1 μm with an ashing device.
Finally, as shown in 5-8 of FIG. 5, a 0.8 μm nickel plating layer 11 was formed on the surface of the orifice plate material 6 by electroless nickel plating.

Similar to the head of Example 1, this head has an orifice plate material 6 having a thickness of 3.6 μm, and has the same strength as a resin having a thickness of 6 μm.

[Example 3]
The head of Example 3 shown in FIG. 6 covers the surface of the flow path wall material 5 with a plated metal layer.

As shown in 6-1 of FIG. 6, for supplying ink to the substrate 2 on which the heater 1 for ejecting ink and the circuit (not shown) for driving and controlling the heater 1 by an external signal are manufactured. The supply port 3 is formed.
Next, as shown in 6-2 of FIG. 6, a dry film 14 made of a photosensitive resin, which finally constitutes the flow path wall material 5, was produced, and the heater 1 mounted the dry film 14 on the substrate 2. Laminate transfer on the surface. As the dry film 14, a film having a film thickness of 16 μm adjusted so that silver particles having an average particle diameter of 30 nm was 6% by mass after film formation was used.
Next, as shown in 6-3 of FIG. 6, the dry film 14 was exposed to a pattern that would become a flow path wall in the future, and baked at 50 ° C. to obtain a latent image 14a.
Next, as shown in 6-4 of FIG. 6, a dry film 15 that will finally form the orifice plate material 6 that forms the discharge port 4 is produced, and the dry film 14 that is laminated on the substrate is produced. Laminated and transferred to the upper surface of. The dry film 15 has a thickness of 6 μm.
Next, as shown in 6-5 of FIG. 6, the pattern of the discharge port 4 was exposed to the dry film 14, baked at 90 ° C., and cured to obtain a latent image 14a.
Next, as shown in 6-6 of FIG. 6, the substrate 2 was immersed in a developing solution to develop and remove an unexposed portion, and then heated at 200 ° C. to be cured.
_{Next, as shown in 6-7 of FIG. 6, O 2} plasma ashing was performed by using an ashing device to scrape the surface of the flow path wall material 5 by about 0.1 μm.
Finally, as shown in 6-8 of FIG. 6, a 0.8 μm nickel plating layer 11 was formed on the surface of the flow path wall material 5 by electroless nickel plating.

In this head, since the portion of the flow path wall material 5 exposed to the flow path 34 is covered with the plated metal layer, the area of the resin portion exposed to the flow path is larger than that in the case where the flow path wall material 5 does not have the plated metal layer. It can be reduced and the occurrence of swelling can be reduced.

[Example 4]
In the head of the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 7, only the surface (upper surface) of the orifice plate material 6 corresponding to the upper surface (face surface) of the head is covered with the plated metal layer.

As shown in 7-1 of FIG. 7, for supplying ink to the substrate 2 on which the heater 1 for ejecting ink and the circuit (not shown) for driving and controlling the heater 1 by an external signal are manufactured. The supply port 3 is formed.
Next, as shown in 7-2 of FIG. 7, a dry film 16 made of a photosensitive resin, which finally constitutes the flow path wall material 5, was produced, and the heater 1 mounted the dry film 16 on the substrate 2. Laminate transfer on the surface. The dry film 16 used had a film thickness of 15 μm.
Next, as shown in 7-3 of FIG. 7, the dry film 16 was exposed to a pattern that would become a flow path wall in the future, baked at 50 ° C., and cured to obtain a latent image 16a.
Next, as shown in 7-4 of FIG. 7, a dry film 17 that will finally form the orifice plate material 6 that forms the discharge port 4 is produced, and the dry film is laminated on the substrate 2. Lamination transfer was performed on the upper surface of 16. The dry film 17 is made of the same photosensitive resin material as the dry film 16 and has a thickness of 4 μm. Next, a predetermined material is applied to the upper surface of the dry film 17 with a slit coating machine to prepare a coating layer 18. The coating layer 18 is an orifice plate forming member that forms a part of the orifice plate material 6 together with the dry film 17, and the upper surface thereof forms a face surface through which the discharge port 4 in the head is opened. The material of the coating layer 18 is made of the same resin material as the dry film 17, and has a film thickness of 0.5 μm, which is made of a material in which silver particles having an average particle size of 30 nm are adjusted to 5% by mass after film formation. used.
Next, as shown in 7-5 of FIG. 7, the pattern of the discharge port 4 was exposed to the dry film 17 and the coating layer 18 and baked at 90 ° C. and cured to obtain a latent image 17a and a latent image 18a. ..
Next, as shown in 7-6 of FIG. 7, the substrate 2 was immersed in a developing solution to develop and remove an unexposed portion, and then heated at 200 ° C. to be cured.
Next, as shown in 7-7 of FIG. 7, the surface of the coating layer Q (the portion of the coating layer 18 that remains after development) on the surface (upper surface) of the orifice plate material 6 is set to 0 by an ashing device. _{O 2} plasma ashing was performed to cut about 1 μm.
Finally, as shown in 7-8 of FIG. 7, a 0.5 μm nickel plating layer 11 was formed on the surface of the coating layer Q by immersing it in an electroless plating solution.

Since the surface (upper surface) of the orifice plate material 6 is covered with a plated metal layer in this head, even a thin orifice plate material 6 having a thickness of 3.6 μm can have the same strength as a resin having a thickness of 6 μm. ..

[Example 5]
In the head of Example 5 shown in FIG. 8, only the surface (upper surface) of the orifice plate material 6 corresponding to the upper surface (face surface) of the head is covered with the plated metal layer.

As shown in 8-1 of FIG. 8, a heater 1 for ejecting ink and a circuit (not shown) for driving and controlling the heater 1 by an external signal are supplied to supply ink to the manufactured substrate 2. Form the mouth 3.
Next, as shown in 8-2 of FIG. 8, a dry film 19 made of a photosensitive resin, which finally constitutes the flow path wall material 5, was produced, and the heater 1 mounted the dry film 19 on the substrate 2. Laminate transfer on the surface. The dry film 19 used had a film thickness of 15 μm.
Next, as shown in 8-3 of FIG. 8, the dry film 19 was exposed to a pattern that would become a flow path wall in the future, baked at 50 ° C., and cured to obtain a latent image 19a.
Next, as shown in 8-4 of FIG. 8, a dry film 20 that will finally form the orifice plate material 6 that forms the discharge port 4 is produced, and the dry film is laminated on the substrate 2. Laminate transfer was performed on the upper surface of 19. The dry film 20 is made of a material in which silver particles having an average particle diameter of 30 nm are adjusted to be 5% by mass after film formation, and has a thickness of 4 μm.
Next, as shown in 8-5 of FIG. 8, the pattern of the discharge port 4 was exposed to the dry film 20 and baked at 90 ° C. and cured to obtain a latent image 20a.
Next, as shown in 8-6 in FIG. 8, in an ashing apparatus, and the surface (upper surface) of the dry film 20 and O ₂ plasma ashing as cut about 0.1μm were exposed silver grains.
Next, as shown in 8-7 of FIG. 8, the substrate 2 was immersed in a developing device to develop and remove the unexposed portion.
Finally, as shown in 8-8 of FIG. 8, the nickel plating layer 11 having a thickness of 0.5 μm was formed by immersing it in an electroless plating solution.

In this head, the surface (upper surface) of the orifice plate material 6 is covered with a plated metal layer, so that an external impact does not easily reach the substrate. Therefore, even if the thickness of the orifice plate material 6 is reduced, it is sufficient for the contact with the blade for wiping the face surface (upper surface of the orifice plate material 6) of the head and the recovery operation such as suction during the ink ejection operation. Was able to show excellent durability. In addition, only two types of materials (two types of dry films 19 and 20) are required as compared with Example 4 (in Example 4, the coating layer 18 is added to the dry films 16 and 17). 3 types of materials including the above are required), and the material cost can be reduced.

[Example 6]
In the head of Example 6 shown in FIG. 9, only the inner flow path is covered with a plated metal layer. Of the head manufacturing steps of Example 6, the steps 9-1 to 9-7 in FIG. 9 are the same as the steps 4-1 to 4-7 in FIG. 4 in the head manufacturing process of Example 1. is there.

As shown in 9-1 of FIG. 9, for supplying ink to the substrate 2 on which the heater 1 for ejecting ink and the circuit (not shown) for driving and controlling the heater 1 by an external signal are manufactured. The supply port 3 is formed.
Next, as shown in 9-2 of FIG. 9, a dry film 8 made of a photosensitive resin, which finally constitutes the flow path wall material 5, was produced, and the heater 1 mounted the dry film 8 on the substrate 2. Laminate transfer on the surface. The dry film 8 was made of a material in which silver particles having an average particle diameter of 30 nm were adjusted to be 5% by mass after film formation, and a film having a film thickness of 15 μm was used.
Next, as shown in 9-3 of FIG. 9, a pattern that will become a flow path wall in the future was exposed to the dry film 8 and baked at 50 ° C. and cured to obtain a latent image 8a.
Next, as shown in 9-4 of FIG. 9, a dry film 10 that will finally form the orifice plate material 6 that forms the discharge port 4 is produced, and the dry film 10 is laminated on the substrate 2. Lamination transfer was performed on the upper surface of 8. Like the dry film 8, the dry film 10 was made of a material in which silver particles having an average particle diameter of 30 nm were adjusted to be 5% by mass after film formation, and a film having a thickness of 2 μm was used.
Next, as shown in 9-5 of FIG. 9, the pattern of the discharge port 4 was exposed to the dry film 10 and baked at 90 ° C. and cured to obtain a latent image 10a.
Next, as shown in 9-6 of FIG. 9, the substrate 2 was immersed in a developing solution to develop and remove the unexposed portion, and then heated at 200 ° C. for 60 minutes to cure.
_{Next, as shown in 9-7 of FIG. 9, O 2} plasma ashing was performed by ashing the surfaces of the flow path wall material 5 and the orifice plate material 6 by about 0.1 μm, respectively.
Next, as shown in 9-8 of FIG. 9, a protective tape (masking tape) 21 as a protective member was applied to the surface (upper surface) of the orifice plate material 6 corresponding to the upper surface (face surface) of the head to cover it. Later, the nickel plating layer 11 is formed by electroless nickel plating.
Finally, as shown in 9-9 of FIG. 9, the protective tape 21 on the surface of the orifice plate material 6 is removed to complete the process.

In this head, the inner wall of the flow path is entirely covered with a plated metal layer, and it is difficult to swell. In addition, since the resin is lined with metal, the inner wall surface of the flow path inside the head is reinforced with metal, and the strength against impact applied to the face surface from the outside is also increased.

[Example 7]
The head of the seventh embodiment shown in FIG. 10 covers only a part of the surface of the orifice plate material 6 corresponding to the upper surface (face surface) of the head, particularly the region corresponding to the upper part of the control circuit of the heater mounted on the substrate 2. It is coated with a plated metal layer. Of the head manufacturing steps of Example 7, the steps 10-1 to 10-6 of FIG. 10 are the same as the steps of 7-1 to 7-6 of FIG. 7 in the head manufacturing process of Example 4. is there.

As shown in 10-1 of FIG. 10, a supply port 3 is provided to supply ink to the substrate 2 on which the heater 1 for ejecting ink and the circuit 22 for driving and controlling the heater 1 by an external signal are manufactured. Form. The heater 1 and the circuit 22 are electrically connected by a wiring (not shown).
Next, as shown in 10-2 of FIG. 10, a dry film 16 made of a photosensitive resin, which finally constitutes the flow path wall material 5, was produced, and this was used as a heater 1 and a circuit of the substrate 2. Laminate transfer is performed on the mounting surface of 22. The dry film 16 used had a film thickness of 15 μm.
Next, as shown in 10-3 of FIG. 10, the dry film 16 was exposed to a pattern that would become a flow path wall in the future, baked at 50 ° C., and cured to obtain a latent image 16a.
Next, as shown in 10-4 of FIG. 10, a dry film 17 that will finally form the orifice plate material 6 that forms the discharge port 4 is produced, and the dry film is laminated on the substrate 2. Lamination transfer was performed on the upper surface of 16. The dry film 17 is made of the same photosensitive resin as the dry film 16 and has a thickness of 4 μm. Next, a predetermined material is applied to the upper surface of the dry film 17 with a slit coating machine to form a coating layer 18. The material of the coating layer 18 is made of the same resin material as the dry film 17, and has a film thickness of 0.5 μm, which is made of a material in which silver particles having an average particle size of 30 nm are adjusted to 5% by mass after film formation. used.
Next, as shown in 10-5 of FIG. 10, the pattern of the discharge port 4 was exposed to the dry film 17 and the coating layer 18 and baked at 90 ° C. and cured to obtain a latent image 17a and a latent image 18a. ..
Next, as shown in 10-6 of FIG. 10, the substrate 2 was immersed in a developing solution to develop and remove an unexposed portion, and then heated at 200 ° C. to be cured.
Next, as shown in 10-7 of FIG. 10, the surface (upper surface) of the orifice plate material 6 (coating layer Q (the portion of the coating layer 18 that remains after development)) is laminated with a dry film resist 23. The upper part of the circuit 22 to be protected is patterned and exposed.
_{Next, as shown in 10-8 of FIG. 10, O 2} plasma ashing was performed by ashing the surface (upper surface) of the orifice plate material 6 by about 0.1 μm with an ashing device. Subsequently, the substrate 2 was immersed in an electroless plating solution to form a 10 μm nickel plating layer 11 on the surface (upper surface) of the orifice plate material 6.
Finally, as shown in 10-9 of FIG. 10, the resist 23 is peeled off to complete the head.

Since the upper part of the circuit of this head is covered with a plated metal layer, the circuit 22 can be protected from an external impact.

[Example 8]
In the head of the eighth embodiment shown in FIG. 11, the nozzle (the structural portion forming the discharge port 4 in the head) is covered with a plated metal layer, and further, only the upper layer portion of the circuit to be protected has a plated metal layer from other areas. Is thick. Of the head manufacturing processes of Example 8, the steps 11-1 to 11-6 in FIG. 11 are the same as the steps 4-1 to 4-6 in FIG. 4 in the head manufacturing process of Example 1. is there.

_{Next, as shown in 11-7 of FIG. 11, O 2} plasma ashing is performed by ashing the surfaces of the flow path wall material 5 and the orifice plate material 6 by about 0.1 μm to remove metal particles on the resin surface. Expose.
Next, as shown in 11-8 of FIG. 11, the exposed metal particles are used as catalyst nuclei and immersed in an electroless nickel plating solution on the resin surfaces of the flow path wall material 5 and the orifice plate material 6. A nickel plating layer 11 having a thickness of 0.8 μm is formed.
Next, the dry film resist 23 was laminated and transferred onto the nickel plating layer 11 in order to form a plating metal layer thicker than usual in order to protect the circuit 22. Then, by patterning, the upper region of the circuit 22 to be protected in the nickel plating layer 11 is exposed as shown in 11-9 of FIG.
In order to re-deposit the plated metal layer, it is treated with a cleaner that cleans the surface of the plated metal layer, then immersed in the electroless nickel plating solution, and as shown in 11-10 of FIG. 11, 10 μm nickel. The plating layer 11 is formed. As a result, only the region located above the circuit 22 of the nickel plating layer 11 grows locally, and the thickness thereof increases as compared with the other regions (second film forming step).
Then, as shown in 11-11 of FIG. 11, the dry film resist 23 is peeled off to complete the head.

In this head, the orifice plate material 6 is covered with a nickel plating layer 11, and the orifice plate has a thickness of 3.6 μm, and has the same strength as a resin having a thickness of 6 μm. Moreover, since the upper part of the circuit is covered with the nickel plating layer 11 having a thickness of 10 μm, the circuit can be protected from an external impact.

[Example 9]
The head of the ninth embodiment shown in FIG. 12 realizes the same configuration as the head of the eighth embodiment by forming a plated metal layer once.

In this embodiment, as shown in 12-1 of FIG. 12, ink is supplied to the substrate 2 on which the heater 1 for ejecting ink and the circuit 22 for driving and controlling the heater 1 by an external signal are manufactured. Therefore, the supply port 3 is formed.
Next, as shown in 12-2 of FIG. 12, a dry film 16 made of a photosensitive resin, which finally constitutes the flow path wall material 5, was produced, and this was used as a heater 1 and a circuit of the substrate 2. Laminate transfer is performed on the mounting surface of 22. As the dry film 16, a film having a film thickness of 15 μm made of a material in which silver particles having an average particle diameter of 30 nm was adjusted to be 5% by mass after film formation was used.
Next, as shown in 12-3 of FIG. 12, the dry film 16 was exposed to a pattern that would become a flow path wall in the future, baked at 50 ° C., and cured to obtain a latent image 16a.
Next, as shown in 12-4 of FIG. 12, a dry film 17 that will finally form the orifice plate material 6 that forms the discharge port 4 is produced, and the dry film is laminated on the substrate 2. Lamination transfer was performed on the upper surface of 16. As the dry film 17, a film having a film thickness of 2 μm made of a material in which silver particles having an average particle diameter of 30 nm was adjusted to be 5% by mass after film formation was used.
Next, as shown in 12-5 of FIG. 12, the pattern of the discharge port 4 was exposed to the dry film 17 and baked at 50 ° C. in the same manner as the dry film 16 to form a latent image 17a.
Next, as shown in 12-6 of FIG. 12, a dry film 19 was prepared and laminated and transferred onto the upper surface of the dry film 17 of the substrate 2. As the dry film 19, a film having a film thickness of 1 μm made of a material in which silver particles having an average particle diameter of 60 nm was adjusted to 18% by mass after film formation was used.
As shown in 12-7 of FIG. 12, the dry film 19 is patterned so as to protect the upper layer of the external circuit 22, and baked at 90 ° C. to form a latent image 19a, and then 12- of FIG. After developing as shown in No. 8, it was heated at 200 ° C. and cured. _{Next, O 2} plasma ashing was performed by scraping the surface of the nozzle material by about 0.1 μm with an ashing device to expose the silver particles mixed in the resin.
Finally, as shown in 12-9 of FIG. 12, the substrate 2 is immersed in an electroless plating solution to form a nickel plating layer 11, and the head is completed.

A nickel plating layer 11 having a thickness of 0.8 μm was formed on the surface of the orifice plate material 6 and the ink flow path. About 4 μm of nickel was formed around the protective layer 19b (the portion of the dry film 19 remaining after development and the resin layer corresponding to the latent image 19a) on the upper part of the circuit 22 in the same plating time. .. In this embodiment, the amount of metal particles mixed into the resin of the dry film 16 constituting the flow path wall material 5 and the dry film 17 constituting the orifice plate material 6 and the resin of the dry film 19 constituting the protective layer 19b are used. The average particle size and content of the mixed metal particles were changed. By doing so, the exposed area of the metal particles on each surface changes, and the plating time until the surface is covered differs. Therefore, even if the plated metal layer is formed at the same time, the average film thickness of the plated metal layer differs. become.
In this embodiment, a structure in which the strength above the circuit 22 is increased is realized by utilizing this property. Although the number of material types has increased as compared with Example 8, the number of steps such as resist patterning and resist peeling is reduced, and plating is required only once, so that the cost is low and the same configuration can be realized.
The completed head is covered with a nickel plating layer 11, has an orifice plate thickness of 3.6 μm, has the same strength as a resin having a thickness of 6 μm, and has a nickel plating layer with a thickness of 4 μm above the circuit 22. It is covered with 11. Therefore, the circuit 22 can be protected from an external impact.
The dry film 16 constituting the flow path wall material 5 may be replaced with a resin material made of a material in which metal particles are not mixed.
Alternatively, the dry film 17 constituting the orifice plate material 6 may be replaced with a resin material made of a material in which metal particles are not mixed.
Further, the average particle size and content of the metal particles of the dry film 19 may be the same as those of the dry films 16 and 17.
Even with such a configuration, although the strength against impact is lower than that of the configuration of Example 10, it is possible to provide a sufficient advantage in impact resistance as compared with the conventional configuration.

[Example 10]
The head of Example 10 shown in FIG. 13 adjusts the average particle size and the content of metal particles mixed in each of the resin constituting the orifice plate material 6 and the resin constituting the flow path wall material 5. This is an example in which the film thickness of the plated metal layer covering the surface of each material is changed by forming the plated metal layer once.

In this embodiment, as shown in 13-1 of FIG. 13, ink is supplied to the substrate 2 on which the heater 1 for ejecting ink and the circuit 22 for driving and controlling the heater 1 by an external signal are manufactured. Therefore, the supply port 3 is formed.
Next, as shown in 13-2 of FIG. 13, a dry film 16 made of a photosensitive resin, which finally constitutes the flow path wall material 5, was produced, and this was used as a heater 1 and a circuit of the substrate 2. Laminate transfer is performed on the mounting surface of 22. As the dry film 16, a film having a film thickness of 18 μm made of a material in which silver particles having an average particle diameter of 60 nm was adjusted to 18% by mass after film formation was used.
Next, as shown in 13-3 of FIG. 13, a pattern that will become a flow path wall in the future was exposed to the dry film 16 and baked at 50 ° C. and cured to obtain a latent image 16a.
Next, as shown in 13-4 of FIG. 13, a dry film 17 that will finally form the orifice plate material 6 that forms the discharge port 4 is produced, and the dry film is laminated on the substrate 2. Lamination transfer was performed on the upper surface of 16. As the dry film 17, a film having a film thickness of 2 μm made of a material in which silver particles having an average particle diameter of 30 nm was adjusted to be 5% by mass after film formation was used.
Next, as shown in 13-5 of FIG. 13, the pattern of the discharge port 4 was exposed to the dry film 16 and baked at 90 ° C. and cured to form a latent image 16a.
Next, as shown in 13-6 of FIG. 13, the unexposed portion was immersed in a developing solution for development and removal, and then heated at 200 ° C. for curing.
Next, as shown in 13-7 of FIG. 13, and the O ₂ plasma ashing cut approximately 0.1μm a surface of the nozzle member in the ashing apparatus, was exposed silver particles mixed in the resin of the resin surface.
Finally, as shown in 13-8 of FIG. 13, the head is completed by immersing it in an electroless plating solution to form a nickel plating layer 11.

The completed head is covered with a nickel plating layer 11, and the orifice plate thickness is 3.6 μm, which has the same strength as a resin having a thickness of 6 μm, and the flow path wall material 5 is thick. It is protected by a 4 μm nickel-plated layer 11. Therefore, swelling of the ink can be prevented.

[Example 11]
The head of the eleventh embodiment shown in FIG. 14 is an embodiment in which the circuit protection property is also improved by changing the film forming area of the orifice plate material 6. Of the head manufacturing steps of Example 11, the steps 14-1 to 14-4 in FIG. 14 are the same as the steps 12-1 to 12-4 in FIG. 12 in the head manufacturing process of Example 9. is there.

Next, as shown in 14-5 of FIG. 14, the dry film 17 is exposed so as to form a pattern of the discharge port 4 and a pattern for removing the upper portion 25 of the circuit 22, and the same as the dry film 16. Was baked and cured at 90 ° C. to form a latent image 17a.
Next, as shown in 14-6 of FIG. 14, the unexposed portion was immersed in a developing solution for development and removal, and then heated at 200 ° C. for curing.
_{Next, as shown in 14-7 of FIG. 14, O 2} plasma ashing was performed by ashing the surface of the nozzle material by about 0.1 μm with an ashing device.
Finally, as shown in 14-8 of FIG. 14, the head is completed by immersing it in an electroless plating solution to form a nickel plating layer 11.

The completed head is covered with a nickel plating layer 11, has an orifice plate thickness of 3.6 μm, has the same strength as a resin having a thickness of 6 μm, and has a flow path wall material 5 and an upper part of the circuit. It is covered with a nickel plating layer 11 having a thickness of 4 μm. Therefore, the circuit can be protected from an external impact. Compared with Example 9, the number of material types is small, the cost is low, and the same configuration can be realized.

[Example 12]
In the head of Example 12 shown in FIG. 15, the average particle size and content of the metal particles mixed in each of the resin constituting the orifice plate material 6 and the resin constituting the flow path wall material 5 of Example 10 are exchanged. , The thickness of the plated metal layer is changed.

In this example, the dry film 16 used as the flow path wall material 5 in Example 9 is made of a material prepared so that silver particles having an average particle size of 30 nm mixed with metal particles are 5% by mass after film formation. A dry film having a thickness of 15 μm is used. The dry film 17 serving as the orifice plate material 6 is made of a material adjusted to be 18% by mass after film formation with silver particles having an average particle diameter of 60 nm, and has a thickness of 5 μm.
In the head of this embodiment, as shown in 15-8 of FIG. 15, a nickel plating layer 11 having a thickness of 4 μm is formed on the surface of the orifice plate material 6, and nickel having a thickness of 0.8 μm is formed on the flow path wall material 5. The plating layer 11 is formed.

In this embodiment, the strength of the orifice plate material 6 is 10 times or more higher than that of the case where the orifice plate material 6 is composed of only resin, so that the head surface can be wiped strongly and the external circuit is also protected. is made of. Further, since the surface of the flow path wall material 5 is protected by a plated metal layer, it is protected from swelling of ink.

[Example 13]
The surface of the orifice plate material 6 of the head of Example 13 shown in FIG. 16 is covered with a nickel / Teflon eutectoid plating layer, and has water repellency. It is known that the inkjet head has water repellency on the surface of the orifice plate, which makes it difficult for ink to adhere to the surface of the orifice plate, thereby improving the print quality. In this configuration, the strength of the head is high, there is no swelling due to ink, and the face surface is water repellent. The steps 16-1 to 16-7 of FIG. 16 in the head manufacturing process of Example 13 are the same as the steps 8-1 to 8-7 of FIG. 8 of the head manufacturing process of Example 5. Is.

As shown in 16-8 of FIG. 16, the substrate 2 is immersed in an electroless plating solution, and a nickel / Teflon eutectoid plating layer is formed on the surface (upper surface) of the orifice plate material 6 as a water-repellent plating layer to have a thickness of 0. A film is formed to 8 μm (water repellent step).
Next, as shown in 16-9 of FIG. 16, a protective tape 21 was attached to the surface of the nickel / Teflon eutectoid plating layer on the surface of the orifice plate material 6 to protect it. Then, the surface of the inner wall of the nozzle is shaved by about 0.1 μm with an ashing device, and O ₂ plasma ashing is performed to expose the metal particles mixed in the nozzle material.
Next, as shown in 16-10 of FIG. 16, the substrate 2 is immersed in an electroless plating solution to form a nickel plating layer 11.
Finally, as shown in 16-11 of FIG. 16, the protective tape 21 on the surface of the head is removed to complete the head.

The surface of the orifice plate material 6 of this head is covered with a nickel / Teflon eutectoid plating layer, and the contact angle is about 100 ° with water. On the other hand, the inner wall of the nozzle was covered with a nickel plating layer, and the contact angle of water was 60 °. This nozzle is also covered with a plated metal layer, the strength of the orifice plate is higher than that of ordinary resin, and the inside of the flow path is also covered with a plated metal layer, so it is an inkjet head that is shielded from ink and has less swelling. is there.

[Example 14]
In the head of Example 14 shown in FIG. 17, the surface of the orifice plate is covered with a nickel / Teflon eutectoid plating layer having water-repellent performance as in Example 11. On the other hand, the inside of the flow path is covered with a gold plating layer. Compared with Example 11, the water-repellent surface of Example 14 is finally formed, and thus the quality is higher. The steps 17-1 to 17-5 of FIG. 17 in the head manufacturing process of Example 14 are the same as the steps 8-1 to 8-5 of FIG. 8 of the head manufacturing process of Example 5. Is.

Next, as shown in 17-6 of FIG. 17, the substrate 2 was immersed in a developing device to develop and remove the unexposed portion.
Next, as shown in 17-7 of FIG. 17, a protective tape 21 was attached to the surface of the orifice plate material 6 to protect it.
Next, as shown in 17-8 of FIG. 17, and the O ₂ plasma ashing cut approximately 0.1μm a surface of the nozzle inner wall ashing device, exposing the metal particles mixed in the nozzle material.
Next, as shown in 17-9 of FIG. 17, the substrate 2 is immersed in an electroless plating solution to form a 0.8 μm gold plating layer 25.
Next, as shown in 17-10 of FIG. 17, after peeling off the protective tape 21, O ₂ plasma ashing is performed to scrape the nozzle surface by about 0.1 μm with an ashing device to remove the metal particles mixed in the nozzle material. Expose.
Finally, the substrate 2 is immersed in an electroless plating solution to form a nickel / Teflon eutectoid plating layer of 0.8 μm as a water repellent plating layer on the surface of the orifice plate material 6 (water repellent step). Complete.

The contact angle of water on the surface of this nozzle exceeds 100 ° with water, and since the film is formed at the end, a stable surface can be produced with little variation. This nozzle is also covered with a plated metal layer, which is stronger than that of ordinary resin, and the flow path wall is also covered with a plated metal layer, so it is an inkjet head that is shielded from ink and has less swelling. ..

1 ... heater, 2 ... substrate, 3 ... supply port, 4 ... discharge port, 5 ... flow path wall material, 6 ... orifice plate material, 7 ... metal, 8 ... dry film (flow path wall material), 8a, 10a, 12a, 13a, 14a, 15a, 16a, 17a, 18a, 19a, 20a ... latent image, 10 ... dry film (oriental plate material), 11 ... nickel, 12 ... dry film (flow path wall material), 13 ... dry film (Olectrium plate material), 14 ... Dry film (flow path wall material), 15 ... Dry film (oriental plate material), 16 ... Dry film (flow path wall material), 17 ... Dry film (passage plate material), 18 ... Coating film (oriental plate material), 19 ... dry film (flow path wall material), 20 ... dry film (oriental plate material), 21 ... protective tape, 22 ... circuit to be protected, 23 ... dry film resist, 24 ... teflon nickel Eutectoid film, 25 ... the upper part of the circuit you want to protect, 26 ... gold

Claims (20)

An inkjet head having a supply port for receiving ink, a discharge port for discharging ink, and an ink flow path connecting the supply port and the discharge port.
An energy generating element for generating energy for ejecting ink from the ejection port is provided, and a substrate having a through hole forming the supply port and a substrate.
A flow path forming member having a through hole that is laminated on the substrate and forms a part of the wall surface of the flow path.
An orifice plate laminated on the flow path forming member and having a through hole forming the discharge port, and an orifice plate.
In an inkjet head equipped with
At least one member selected from the group consisting of the flow path forming member and the orifice plate contains a resin and metal particles that act as catalyst nuclei during electroless plating.
An inkjet head characterized in that a plated metal layer having the metal particles as a catalyst nucleus is provided on at least a part of the surface of at least one member selected from the group consisting of the flow path forming member and the orifice plate. .. The inkjet head according to claim 1, wherein the resin contains a photosensitive epoxy resin. The average particle size of the metal particles is 20 nm to 400 nm.
The metal particles contain at least one metal particle selected from the group consisting of silver particles, palladium particles, and copper particles.
The inkjet according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the content of the metal particles in at least one member selected from the group consisting of the flow path forming member and the orifice plate is 0.2% by mass to 20% by mass. head. The thickness of the plated metal layer is 0.1 μm or more.
The inkjet head according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the metal forming the plated metal layer contains nickel or palladium. A method for manufacturing an inkjet head, which comprises a supply port for receiving ink, a discharge port for discharging ink, and an ink flow path connecting the supply port and the discharge port.
An energy generating element for generating energy for ejecting ink from the ejection port is provided, and a substrate having a through hole forming the supply port and a substrate.
A flow path forming member having a through hole that is laminated on the substrate and forms a part of the wall surface of the flow path.
An orifice plate laminated on the flow path forming member and having a through hole forming the discharge port, and an orifice plate.
In the manufacturing method of the inkjet head including
At least one member selected from the group consisting of the flow path forming member and the orifice plate contains a resin and metal particles that act as catalyst nuclei during electroless plating.
The metal particles are exposed at least a part of the surface of at least one member selected from the group consisting of the flow path forming member and the orifice plate, and the portion where the metal particles are desired to form a plated metal layer as a catalyst nucleus. Exposure process and
A film forming step of forming a plated metal layer using the exposed metal particles as catalyst nuclei is included.
Inkjet head manufacturing method. The orifice plate has a structure in which a plurality of orifice plate forming members are laminated.
Among the plurality of orifice plate forming members, the orifice plate forming member having a surface forming a face surface through which the discharge port is opened in the inkjet head contains the metal particles.
In the exposure step, the metal particles are exposed to the surface forming the face surface of the orifice plate forming member containing the metal particles.
The method for manufacturing an inkjet head according to claim 5, wherein in the film forming step, the plated metal layer is formed on a surface forming the face surface to which the metal particles are exposed. A laminating step of laminating the flow path forming member on the substrate and laminating the orifice plate on the flow path forming member.
The flow path forming member further includes a flow path forming step of forming a through hole forming a part of the wall surface of the flow path and forming a through hole forming the discharge port in the orifice plate.
The orifice plate contains the metal particles and
The exposure step is performed after the laminating step and before the flow path forming step.
In the exposure step, the metal particles are exposed to the surface forming the face surface of the inkjet head in which the discharge port is opened in the orifice plate.
The film forming step is performed after the flow path forming step.
The method for manufacturing an inkjet head according to claim 5, wherein in the film forming step, the plated metal layer is formed on a surface forming the face surface to which the metal particles are exposed. The method for manufacturing an inkjet head according to claim 5, wherein the film forming step is performed in a state where the surface of the orifice plate forming the face surface through which the discharge port is opened is covered with a protective member. .. A circuit for controlling the energy generating element is mounted on the substrate.
In the film forming step, the plated metal layer is covered with a protective member so that the plated metal layer is formed only in a region located above the circuit among the surfaces forming the face surface. The method for manufacturing an inkjet head according to claim 6, wherein the ink jet head is formed. A circuit for controlling the energy generating element is mounted on the substrate.
A second film forming step for locally growing the plated metal layer is further provided in order to increase the thickness of the plated metal layer formed by the film forming step in a region located above the circuit. The method for manufacturing an inkjet head according to claim 5. A circuit for controlling the energy generating element is mounted on the substrate.
The inkjet head further comprises a protective layer laminated on a region of the upper surface of the orifice plate located above the circuit.
The protective layer contains the metal particles and contains the metal particles.
In the exposure step, the metal particles are also exposed to the surface of the protective layer.
The method for manufacturing an inkjet head according to claim 5, wherein in the film forming step, the plated metal layer is also formed on the surface of the protective layer exposed to the metal particles. The average particle size of the metal particles contained in the protective layer is larger than the average particle size of the metal particles contained in the flow path forming member or the orifice plate.
11. The content of the metal particles in the protective layer is larger than the content (mass%) of the metal particles in the flow path forming member or the orifice plate. Manufacturing method of inkjet head. When the metal particles are contained in both the flow path forming member and the orifice plate,
The average particle size of the metal particles contained in the flow path forming member is different from the average particle size of the metal particles contained in the orifice plate.
The manufacture of the inkjet head according to claim 5, wherein the content (mass%) of the metal particles in the flow path forming member is different from the content (mass%) of the metal particles in the orifice plate. Method. A circuit for controlling the energy generating element is mounted on the substrate.
The orifice plates are laminated so as to avoid a region of the upper surface of the flow path forming member located above the circuit.
The average particle size of the metal particles contained in the flow path forming member is larger than the average particle size of the metal particles contained in the orifice plate.
The manufacture of the inkjet head according to claim 13, wherein the content (mass%) of the metal particles in the flow path forming member is larger than the content (mass%) of the metal particles in the orifice plate. Method. The method for manufacturing an inkjet head according to claim 5, further comprising a water-repellent step of forming a water-repellent plating layer on a surface of the orifice plate that forms a face surface on which the discharge port is opened. The method for manufacturing an inkjet head according to claim 15, wherein the water-repellent step is performed after the film-forming step. The method for manufacturing an inkjet head according to any one of claims 5 to 16, wherein the resin contains a photosensitive epoxy resin. The average particle size of the metal particles is 20 nm to 400 nm.
The metal particles contain at least one metal particle selected from the group consisting of silver particles, palladium particles, and copper particles.
Any one of claims 5 to 17, wherein the content of the metal particles in at least one member selected from the group consisting of the flow path forming member and the orifice plate is 0.2% by mass to 20% by mass. The method for manufacturing an inkjet head according to the section. The thickness of the plated metal layer is 0.1 μm or more, and the film thickness is 0.1 μm or more.
The method for manufacturing an inkjet head according to any one of claims 5 to 18, wherein the metal forming the plated metal layer contains nickel or palladium. In exposing the metal particles, O ₂ plasma ashing, surface polishing, using any one of surface grinding process for manufacturing an ink jet head according to any one of claims 5-19.

Images