JP5082837B2 - Manufacturing method of discharge head - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an ejection head capable of ejecting a liquid material as droplets.

  As a manufacturing method of the discharge head, a flow path forming substrate in which a pressure generating chamber communicating with a nozzle opening for discharging a liquid is defined, and one surface side of the flow path forming substrate is provided via a diaphragm. A manufacturing method of a liquid jet head including a piezoelectric element and a sealing substrate having a space capable of sealing the piezoelectric element is known (Patent Document 1).

The liquid jet head manufacturing method includes the step of inserting a positioning pin into a positioning hole formed in the flow path forming substrate wafer and a positioning hole formed in the sealing substrate wafer and sealing the flow path forming substrate wafer. A step of bonding the substrate wafer in a positioned state is provided.
Thus, the flow path forming substrate and the sealing substrate can be positioned and bonded with high accuracy and ease.

JP 2004-50487 A

However, in the manufacturing method of the liquid jet head, there is no mention of the accuracy with which each flow path forming substrate is formed on the flow path forming substrate wafer.
Even if the flow path forming substrate wafer and the sealing substrate wafer are bonded in a state of being positioned using the positioning pins, defects may occur if the dimensional accuracy of each flow path forming substrate varies. There is a problem that there is.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms or application examples.

  [Application Example 1] A method of manufacturing an ejection head according to this application example includes a flow path including a pressure generation chamber, a liquid material supply path for introducing a liquid material to the pressure generation chamber, and a nozzle communicating with the pressure generation chamber. A method of manufacturing a discharge head, comprising: a flow path forming step of forming a plurality of flow path substrates having a plurality of the flow paths as a unit on a mother substrate using a photolithography method, wherein the flow path forming step Includes a step of exposing the mother substrate in a lump using a mask having a plurality of flow path exposure patterns based on the arrangement of the flow path substrates on the mother substrate, the flow path exposure pattern comprising: A dimensional correction according to a distance from the exposure center of the mask is performed with respect to a design reference dimension.

  When performing batch exposure in the photolithography method, the dimensional accuracy of the flow path exposure pattern transferred from the mask by exposure is affected by collimate and chromatic aberration with respect to the optical axis of the exposure light in the optical system of the exposure apparatus. According to this method, the dimensions of the plurality of flow path exposure patterns are corrected according to the distance from the exposure center of the mask. Therefore, it is possible to reduce a dimensional variation due to at least the optical system during exposure and to form a plurality of flow paths with high accuracy.

Application Example 2 In the ejection head manufacturing method according to the application example, the flow path exposure pattern is subjected to dimensional correction in accordance with a distance from the exposure center of the mask and an arrangement angle with respect to the exposure center. It is characterized by being.
Collimate and chromatic aberration with respect to the optical axis of exposure light in an optical system of an exposure apparatus that performs batch exposure do not necessarily have a primary (linear) variation with respect to the exposure center. According to this method, the plurality of flow path exposure patterns on the mask are subjected to secondary (planar) dimensional correction according to the distance from the exposure center and the arrangement angle with respect to the exposure center. An ejection head having a plurality of flow paths formed with higher accuracy can be manufactured.

Application Example 3 In the ejection head manufacturing method according to the application example, the plurality of flow path exposure patterns are divided into a plurality of groups according to arrangement positions on the mask, and a correction amount given to each group. Dimension correction may be performed based on the above.
As the number of flow path exposure patterns exposed on the mother substrate increases, the size correction work for each of the plurality of flow path exposure patterns becomes enormous. According to this method, the plurality of flow path exposure patterns are divided into a plurality of groups according to the arrangement positions on the mask, and the dimensional correction is performed for each group. Therefore, the dimensional correction work can be reduced. In this case, the grouping is preferably performed in consideration of variations in collimate and chromatic aberration with respect to the optical axis of the exposure light in the optical system of the exposure apparatus. Thereby, an appropriate correction amount in dimensional correction can be applied to each grouped flow path exposure pattern.

Application Example 4 In the method for manufacturing an ejection head according to the application example, the flow path exposure pattern includes a pattern portion that forms the pressure generation chamber and a pattern portion that forms the liquid supply path, It is desirable that the dimensional correction is performed on at least the pattern portion that forms the liquid supply path.
When the liquid material filled in the pressure generation chamber is pressurized by an actuator and discharged from a plurality of nozzles, the accuracy of the liquid material supply path communicating with the pressure generation chamber affects the flow resistance of the liquid material. This affects the discharge characteristics of each liquid. According to this method, the liquid supply path can be formed with high dimensional accuracy. Accordingly, an ejection head having stable ejection characteristics can be manufactured. The discharge characteristics include the discharge amount and discharge speed of the liquid material.

Application Example 5 In the ejection head manufacturing method according to the application example described above, it is preferable that the dimensional correction is performed for each pattern portion that forms the liquid supply passages of the plurality of pressure generation chambers.
According to this method, it is possible to manufacture an ejection head having stable ejection characteristics for each of a plurality of nozzles.

Application Example 6 In the ejection head manufacturing method according to the application example described above, the plurality of pressure generation chambers are divided into a plurality of groups, and the dimensional correction is performed based on a correction amount given to each group. It may be.
According to this method, a plurality of pressure generation chambers having one discharge head as a unit are divided into a plurality of groups, and the dimension correction of the liquid supply path communicating with the pressure generation chambers for each group is performed. Therefore, the dimension correction work can be reduced as compared with the case where the dimension correction is performed for each pressure generation chamber, that is, for each of the plurality of nozzles. In this case, the grouping is preferably performed in consideration of variations in collimate and chromatic aberration with respect to the optical axis of the exposure light in the optical system during exposure. Accordingly, an appropriate correction amount in the dimensional correction can be applied to the pattern portions that form the grouped liquid material supply paths.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
<Discharge head>
First, the ejection head of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a main part showing the structure of the ejection head.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ejection head 10 of this embodiment includes a nozzle substrate 4 having a plurality of nozzles 4a, a channel substrate 3 on which a plurality of channels including a plurality of pressure generation chambers 3a are formed, The piezoelectric element 6 provided corresponding to the plurality of pressure generation chambers 3a of the road substrate 3, the sealing substrate 1 having the sealing chamber 1a recessed toward the piezoelectric element 6 side, and the piezoelectric element 6 are driven. And a drive circuit 120. The ejection head 10 pressurizes the pressure generating chamber 3a by driving the piezoelectric element 6 by the drive circuit 120, and ejects the liquid filled in the pressure generating chamber 3a from the nozzle 4a communicating with the pressure generating chamber 3a. To do.

  The nozzle substrate 4 is made of, for example, glass having a thickness of 0.01 to 1 mm, ceramics, a silicon single crystal substrate, or stainless steel. In this embodiment, stainless steel is used. The plurality of nozzles 4a are perforated at a predetermined pitch in a certain direction. The nozzle diameter is approximately 27 μm.

  The flow path substrate 3 is made of a silicon single crystal substrate having a plane orientation (110), and a plurality of substantially rectangular pressure generating chambers 3a partitioned by partition walls 3b are arranged in parallel in the arrangement direction of the plurality of nozzles 4a. A communication portion 3c is formed in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the pressure generation chamber 3a, and the communication portion 3c and each pressure generation chamber 3a are communicated with each other via a liquid supply passage 3e. The communication portion 3c communicates with a reservoir portion 1b of the sealing substrate 1 described later and constitutes a part of a common reservoir 3d of each pressure generating chamber 3a. One surface of the flow path substrate 3 facing the nozzle substrate 4 is covered with a nitride film 3f.

The piezoelectric element 6 includes a pair of electrodes 6b and 6d and a piezoelectric body 6a sandwiched between the pair of electrodes 6b and 6d, and is formed on the other surface opposite to the one surface of the flow path substrate 3. It is what is done. First, an elastic film 2a made of a silicon oxide film having a thickness of about 1 to 2 μm is formed on the other surface of the flow path substrate 3 by thermal oxidation. On top of this, an insulator film 2b made of zirconium oxide (ZrO ₂ ) having a thickness of approximately 0.3 to 0.4 μm is laminated. On the insulator film 2b, a conductive film made of platinum having a thickness of about 0.1 to 0.2 μm is formed and patterned to form the lower electrode 6d. Next, a piezoelectric layer made of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) having a thickness of 0.5 to 5 μm is formed, and a conductive film made of platinum having a thickness of 0.1 μm is formed and patterned. Thus, the piezoelectric body 6a and the upper electrode 6b are formed. That is, the piezoelectric element 6 has a lower electrode 6d made of platinum, a piezoelectric body 6a made of lead zirconate titanate (PZT), and an upper electrode 6b made of platinum stacked in order on the elastic film 2a. is there. The elastic film 2a constitutes a part of the pressure generation chamber 3a and functions as a diaphragm. That is, an actuator that varies the volume of the pressure generating chamber 3a is constituted by the elastic film 2a as the vibration plate and the piezoelectric element 6.

  The lower electrode 6d functions as a common electrode of the piezoelectric element 6. The piezoelectric body 6a and the upper electrode 6b stacked thereon are patterned to correspond to the plurality of pressure generating chambers 3a formed on the flow path substrate 3. In addition, a communication portion 2c communicating with the communication portion 3c and the reservoir portion 1b of the sealing substrate 1 is formed by patterning and opened. A lead electrode 6c made of gold or the like is extended from the upper electrode 6b toward the communication portion 2c.

  The sealing substrate 1 is preferably made of substantially the same material as the thermal expansion coefficient of the flow path substrate 3. In this embodiment, a silicon single crystal substrate having a plane orientation (110) of about 400 μm in thickness is used. It has a sealing chamber 1a formed so as to be etched and recessed on one surface facing the piezoelectric element 6, and a reservoir portion 1b and a through hole 1c penetrating in the thickness direction.

  On the other surface 1d where the reservoir portion 1b of the sealing substrate 1 is opened, a compliance substrate constituted by a sealing film 5a made of a flexible material and a fixing plate 5b having an opening 5c corresponding to the reservoir portion 1b. 5 is joined.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view of an essential part showing the structure of the ejection head. As shown in FIG. 2, the sealing chamber 1a of the sealing substrate 1 is provided so as to seal a region where a plurality of piezoelectric elements 6 are arranged. In the through hole 1 c of the sealing substrate 1, a part of the lower electrode 6 d that is a common electrode with the lead electrode 6 c connected to the upper electrode 6 b of the piezoelectric element 6 is exposed. The liquid supply path 3e connected to the pressure generating chamber 3a extends to the opening 5c (the communication part 3c of the flow path substrate 3). The liquid supply path 3e is formed with a width 3g narrower than that of the pressure generating chamber 3a, and has a function of making the flow resistance of the liquid flowing into the pressure generating chamber 3a from the communicating portion 3c constant. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the dimension correction is performed in consideration of the manufacturing process of the flow path substrate 3 with respect to the design reference dimension in the width 3g of the liquid supply path 3e (for details, the manufacturing method of the ejection head) To explain in detail). In addition, the liquid supply path 3e connected to the pressure generation chamber 3a is not limited to a single line, and a plurality of lines may be provided.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing the structure of the ejection head. In detail, it is sectional drawing cut | disconnected by the AA 'line of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the ejection head 10 has a so-called double nozzle row 4b (see FIG. 4) composed of a plurality of nozzles 4a, and the configuration shown in FIG. It has a symmetrical position. Further, the four substrates of the sealing substrate 1, the flow path substrate 3, the nozzle substrate 4 and the compliance substrate 5 are joined. The nozzle substrate 4 is bonded so that the plurality of nozzles 4 a communicate with the pressure generation chamber 3 a of the flow path substrate 3. The sealing substrate 1 seals the piezoelectric element 6 and is connected to the flow path substrate 3 via the adhesive layer 1e so that the reservoir portion 1b communicates with the communication portion 3c of the flow path substrate 3 to form a common reservoir 3d. It is joined.

  Each output terminal of the drive circuit 120 and each lead electrode 6c and the lower electrode 6d of the piezoelectric element 6 in the through hole 1c are electrically connected by wire bonding using the connection wiring 121.

  In such a discharge head 10, a pipe (not shown) is connected to a part of the compliance substrate 5 including the sealing film 5a and the fixing plate 5b, and a liquid material is introduced into the reservoir portion 1b through the pipe. The introduced liquid material is filled into each pressure generating chamber 3a via the communication portion 2c, the communication portion 3c, and the liquid material supply path 3e. When a drive voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element 6 from the drive circuit 120, the volume of the pressure generating chamber 3a changes due to the bending of the piezoelectric element 6, and pressure is applied to the filled liquid material, so that the liquid material is discharged from the nozzle 4a. It is ejected as a droplet. Since the dimension correction in consideration of the manufacturing process of the flow path substrate 3 is performed on the dimension of the width 3g of the liquid supply path 3e, the flow path resistance of the liquid is substantially constant for each pressure generating chamber 3a. It has become. Therefore, stable droplet discharge characteristics (discharge amount, discharge speed, etc.) can be obtained.

<Discharge head manufacturing method>
Next, a method for manufacturing the ejection head 10 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. 4 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of the ejection heads in a laminated structure, FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing the ejection heads, and FIGS. 6 to 9 are schematic cross-sectional views showing the method for manufacturing the ejection heads.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the ejection head 10 is manufactured in a state of being impressed on the laminated structure 100. The laminated structure 100 includes a mother substrate 101 on which a plurality of sealing substrates 1 are applied, a mother substrate 103 on which a plurality of flow path substrates 3 are applied, and a plurality of nozzle substrates having two nozzle rows 4b. 4 and a plurality of compliance substrates 5 (omitted since they are on the back side for the sake of illustration). In the present embodiment, a total of 22 ejection heads 10 (H1 to H22) are imposed on the laminated structure 100 in a lattice shape. Each mother substrate 101, 103 is provided with an orientation flat that defines a planar direction. In this case, since each of the mother substrates 101 and 103 is made of a silicon single crystal substrate (wafer), the orientation flat is provided based on the crystal orientation.

  Each ejection head 10 is partitioned by a partition region 102 in the laminated structure 100. In the partitioned area 102, virtual cutting lines 40 are provided in the X direction and the Y direction. For example, a dicing method for running a rotating blade or a laser scribing method for irradiating a laser beam along the planned cutting line 40 is used to cut the laminated structure 100 and impose the individual ejection heads 10 that are impositioned. Take out.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the manufacturing method of the ejection head 10 of the present embodiment includes an actuator forming step (Step S1), a sealing substrate bonding step (Step S2), a flow path forming step (Step S3), a nozzle A substrate bonding step (step S4), a compliance substrate bonding step (step S5), and a dividing step (step S6) are provided.

  Step S1 in FIG. 5 is an actuator formation process. In step S1, as shown in FIG. 6A, first, a mother substrate 103 which is a silicon single crystal substrate (wafer) is thermally oxidized in a diffusion furnace at about 1100 ° C., and a silicon dioxide film (elastic film 2a) is formed on the surface. ). In this embodiment, a relatively thick and highly rigid wafer having a thickness of about 625 μm is used as the mother substrate 103.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6B, an insulator film 2b made of zirconium oxide is formed on the silicon dioxide film (elastic film 2a). Specifically, after forming a zirconium (Zr) layer by sputtering or the like, this zirconium layer is thermally oxidized in a diffusion furnace at 500 to 1200 ° C. to form an insulator film 2b made of zirconium oxide (ZrO ₂ ). To do.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6C, after forming a conductive film by laminating platinum on the insulator film 2b, the conductive film is patterned into a predetermined shape by a photolithography method to form the lower electrode 6d. Form.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6D, a piezoelectric layer made of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) or the like and a conductive film made of platinum are stacked on the surface on which the lower electrode 6d is formed. Subsequently, the piezoelectric body 6a and the upper electrode 6b are formed by patterning corresponding to the regions facing the pressure generating chambers 3a. As a material of the piezoelectric body 6a constituting the piezoelectric element 6, for example, a ferroelectric piezoelectric material such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT) or a metal such as niobium, nickel, magnesium, bismuth or yttrium is added thereto. Relaxed ferroelectrics are used. The method for forming the piezoelectric layer is not particularly limited. For example, in the present embodiment, a so-called sol in which a metal organic substance is dissolved and dispersed in a catalyst is applied, dried, gelled, and further fired at a high temperature. A piezoelectric layer was formed using a so-called sol-gel method for obtaining a piezoelectric layer made of a material.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6E, a metal layer 91 made of, for example, gold (Au) or the like is formed on the surface of the mother substrate 103 on which the plurality of piezoelectric elements 6 are formed. Thus, the metal layer 91 is patterned for each piezoelectric element 6 to form the lead electrode 6c. At the same time, by leaving the metal layer 91 at a predetermined position on the mother substrate 103, an alignment mark 92 used for positioning in a later process is formed. The position at which the alignment mark 92 is formed is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, the alignment mark 92 is provided at a position other than the area where the ejection head 10 is partitioned. Further, it is preferable to provide two or more alignment marks 92 for positioning. Note that the positioning of the mother substrate 103 in the patterning is based on the orientation flat described above. Then, the process proceeds to step S2.

  Step S2 in FIG. 5 is a sealing substrate bonding step. In step S2, as shown in FIG. 7 (f), the mother substrate 101, which is a silicon single crystal substrate (wafer) and has a plurality of sealing substrates 1 formed on the mother substrate 103 on the piezoelectric element 6 side, is bonded to the adhesive layer 1e. Join through. Thereby, each piezoelectric element 6 is accommodated in the sealing chamber 1a and sealed. Since the mother substrate 101 has a thickness of about 400 μm, the rigidity of the laminated structure 100 in which the mother substrate 101 and the mother substrate 103 are joined is significantly improved. Note that as a method of forming the plurality of sealing substrates 1 in the mother substrate 101, an anisotropic etching method or a dry etching method by photolithography can be used.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7G, after the mother substrate 103 is polished to a certain thickness, it is further wet-etched by being immersed in a mixed solution of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid. In this embodiment, the mother substrate 103 is etched so that the thickness becomes approximately 70 μm. Then, the process proceeds to step S3.

  Step S3 in FIG. 5 is a flow path forming process. In step S3, the mother substrate 103 is anisotropically etched to form the pressure generation chamber 3a, the communication portion 3c, and the liquid supply path 3e. Specifically, first, as shown in FIG. 7H, a nitride film 3 f made of silicon nitride (SiN) is newly formed over one surface of the mother substrate 103. The nitride film 3f can be formed by, for example, a sputtering method. Next, as shown in FIG. 8I, a photoresist 110 is formed by applying a photosensitive resin over the nitride film 3f by a method such as spin coating.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 8J, the photoresist 110 is exposed using a mask 200 having a channel exposure pattern. An alignment mark 201 for positioning is formed on the mask 200. First, the alignment mark 201 and the alignment mark 92 formed on the mother substrate 103 are observed by the optical system 210 to perform positioning. The optical system 210 includes a camera including an image sensor such as a CCD and an optical lens for enlargement.

  Next, exposure is performed with the mask 200 and the mother substrate 103 spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing the arrangement of the exposure apparatus. As shown in FIG. 10, the exposure apparatus 300 is called a batch exposure apparatus, and includes an exposure light source 301, an optical lens 302, a mirror 303, and a table 304 on which the work W is sucked and placed. ing.

  The exposure light source 301 is, for example, an ultra high pressure mercury lamp. The exposure light emitted from the exposure light source 301 is converted into substantially parallel light with respect to the optical axis by the optical lens 302 and enters the mirror 303. The mirror 303 is arranged so that the incident exposure light is incident perpendicular to the exposure surface of the mask 200. The exposure light reflected by the mirror 303 enters the work W placed on the table 304 through the mask 200. A so-called photoresist made of a photosensitive resin material is applied to the surface of the workpiece W, and is exposed by exposure light incident through the mask 200.

  On the mask 200, a desired exposure pattern corresponding to the exposure type (positive type or negative type) of the photoresist is formed. By exposure, the photoresist is exposed and a desired exposure pattern is transferred. Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, a case where a positive photoresist is used will be described as an example.

  Strictly speaking, the exposure light source 301 is not a point light source, and the exposure light converted by the optical lens 302 is not necessarily parallel light collimated with respect to the optical axis. Further, since the exposure light is not necessarily a single wavelength, the incident angle of the exposure light with respect to the exposure surface depends on the planar position (coordinates) of the exposure surface of the mask 200 due to characteristics such as chromatic aberration of the optical lens 302. There may be a slight deviation from 90 degrees vertical.

  FIG. 11A is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of the flow path exposure pattern in the mask, and FIG.

As shown in FIG. 11 (a), the mask 200, based on the points E ₀ of a rectangular blank (transparent mask substrate), 22 of the channel exposure pattern C1~C22 is defined and formed. Further, two alignment marks 201 are provided at positions along the Y axis with respect to the point E ₀ . As a method of forming these flow path exposure patterns C1 to C22 and the alignment mark 201, a metal thin film such as Cr is formed on the surface of the blank and is patterned, or a drawing apparatus is used on the surface of the blank. A method of directly drawing a desired exposure pattern is mentioned.

One channel exposure pattern is formed in a substantially rectangular range indicated by a broken line, and a coordinate center on the mask 200 is given for each channel exposure pattern C1 to C22. For example, the coordinates center of the passage exposure pattern C18 is E _18.

Mask 200, as set in the exposure apparatus 300, the center (hereinafter, referred to as the exposure center) of exposure light in an exposure surface and a point E ₀ of blanks are positioned to match. The workpiece W is positioned with respect to the positioned mask 200 by moving the table 304 within a plane defined by the X axis and the Y axis. Therefore, hereinafter, the blank point E ₀ will be described as the exposure center E ₀ .

As shown in FIG. 11B, the exposure pattern in the channel exposure pattern C18 includes a plurality of pattern portions Ca _{1 to} Ca ₁₈₀ that form the pressure generating chamber 3a, and a pattern portion 3c ₁₈ that forms the communication portion 3c. It has a plurality of pattern portions Ce _{1 to} Ce ₁₈₀ that form a liquid supply path 3e that connects them. All of these pattern portions are opened so that the exposure light is transmitted. Since the ejection head 10 of the present embodiment has the two nozzle rows 4b as described above, the actual flow path exposure pattern C18 has the pattern portions shown in FIG. A pair is provided in a substantially symmetrical state.

The plurality of pattern portions Ca _{1 to} Ca ₁₈₀ forming the pressure generating chamber 3a have a length in the X-axis direction of about 1 mm and a width da in the Y-axis direction of about 100 μm. The arrangement pitch in the Y-axis direction is equal to the arrangement pitch of the plurality of nozzles 4a, and is approximately 141 μm.

The plurality of pattern portions Ce _{1 to} Ce ₁₈₀ forming the liquid supply path 3e have a length in the X-axis direction of about 300 μm and a width dg in the Y-axis direction of about 20 μm.

  FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the exposure state of the channel exposure pattern. As shown in FIG. 12, when exposure is performed with the mask 200 and the mother substrate 103 facing each other at a predetermined position and interval, the width d of the channel exposure patterns C1 to C22 photosensitively transferred to the photoresist 110 is as follows. , It is predicted to have a variation ± Δd. As described above, the cause of the variation is caused by collimate with respect to the optical axis of the exposure light, chromatic aberration of the optical lens 302, or the like. Therefore, the dimension of the transferred channel exposure pattern was measured by exposing and developing using a test mask in which the channel exposure pattern was formed based on the design standard dimension.

  FIGS. 13A to 13C are graphs showing the nozzle-specific liquid supply path width. Specifically, it is a result of measuring one of the two nozzle rows 4b as A row and the other as B row.

As described above, the liquid supply path 3e has a function of making the flow resistance of the liquid flowing into the pressure generating chamber 3a constant. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 13A to 13C, in the 22 flow path exposure patterns C1 to C22, the pattern portions Ce ₁ to C that form the liquid supply paths 3e for each nozzle. The width dg of Ce ₁₈₀ was normalized with the design reference dimension set to “1”, and this was divided into nozzle rows A and B and approximated according to a polynomial expression. The obtained graph has a tendency of rising to the right as shown in the figure (a), has a tendency to be almost flat as shown in the figure (b), as shown in the figure (c). It was stratified into three types with a tendency to fall right. The nozzle numbers are assigned numbers 1 to 180 in order from the side closer to the orientation flat for each of the nozzle rows A and B.

  Further, when the relationship between the variation tendency of the three types of width dg and the position of the channel exposure patterns C1 to C22 on the test mask was examined, it was found that there was a correlation.

In FIG. 11A, the measurement results of the width dg in the six channel exposure patterns C3, C6, C9, C12, C15, and C18 arranged on the opposite side of the orientation flat of the mother substrate 103 are shown in FIG. It showed a tendency to rise. The measurement result of the width dg in the six flow path exposure patterns C4, C7, C10, C13, C16, and C19 arranged on the X axis passing through the exposure center E ₀ is a flat as shown in FIG. Showed a trend. The measurement result of the width dg in the six flow path exposure patterns C5, C8, C11, C14, C17, and C20 arranged on the orientation flat side showed a tendency to descend to the right as shown in FIG. Further, the measurement result of the width dg of the channel exposure patterns C1 and C21 shows a tendency between FIGS. 13A and 13B, and the measurement result of the width dg of the channel exposure patterns C2 and C22 is FIG. The tendency between (b) and (c) was shown. That is, the dimension of the width dg tends to increase as the distance L from the exposure center E ₀ becomes longer due to the influence of the optical system of the exposure apparatus 300 by the batch exposure.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, according to the distance L from the exposure center E ₀ of the coordinate center E _n (n is 1 to 22) of each flow path exposure pattern C 1 to C 22 and the arrangement angle θ with respect to the exposure center E ₀ . A mask 200 was prepared in which dimensions were corrected so that the dimension of the width dg for each nozzle tends to be flat as shown in FIG. Specifically, when the width dg is normalized, when the reference value “1” is exceeded, minus correction is performed so that the reference value “1” is obtained, and when the width dg is below the reference value “1”, A positive correction was made.

  In the twenty-two flow path exposure patterns C1 to C22, it is most preferable to perform dimension correction of the width dg for each nozzle No. of the nozzle arrays A and B, but it is considered that the dimension correction operation takes a long time. Therefore, in consideration of the variation tendency of the width dg, the 22 flow path exposure patterns C1 to C22 may be divided into five groups corresponding to the arrangement in the mask 200.

  That is, a group 1 of six channel exposure patterns C3, C6, C9, C12, C15, and C18 having a tendency of rising right and six channel exposure patterns C4, C7, C10, C13 having a flat tendency, Group 2 of C16 and C19, Group 3 of six flow path exposure patterns C5, C8, C11, C14, C17, and C20 having a downward-sloping tendency, and two flow path exposure patterns C1 having an intermediate tendency , C21 and group 5 of channel exposure patterns C2 and C22 having an intermediate tendency.

  In each of the groups 1 to 5, the channel exposure patterns subjected to typical dimension correction may be repeatedly arranged based on the number of channel exposure patterns for each group. However, the plus / minus correction amount is set for each nozzle No.

  Furthermore, in the nozzle arrays A and B, the correction amount may be set by dividing 180 nozzles into a plurality of groups in consideration of the variation tendency of the width dg. For example, 180 nozzle numbers are divided into 30 nozzles and the correction amount is set. In this way, it is possible to further reduce the load of the dimension correction work.

In the present embodiment, (the n 1 to 180) a plurality of pattern portions Ce _n to form a liquid material supply channel 3e has been subjected to a dimension correction by focusing on, a plurality of forming the pressure generating chamber 3a pattern portion Ca _n Similarly, the dimension correction may be applied to (n is 1 to 180).

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8 (k), exposure is performed using a mask 200 having a channel exposure pattern that has been dimensionally corrected as described above. Subsequently, the exposed photoresist 110 is developed to obtain a photoresist 110 to which the flow path exposure pattern is transferred as shown in FIG. Then, by etching the nitride film 3f covering the surface of the mother substrate 103, the nitride film 3f to which the flow path exposure pattern is transferred is obtained. The mother substrate 103, which is a silicon single crystal substrate, is anisotropically etched using the patterned nitride film 3f as a mask. As a result, since the etching proceeds along the crystal plane, the pressure generation chamber 3a, the common reservoir 3d, and the liquid supply path 3e are formed as a plurality of flow paths having a cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. be able to. Then, the process proceeds to step S4.

  Step S4 in FIG. 5 is a nozzle substrate bonding step. In step S4, as shown in FIG. 9 (n), the nozzle substrate 4 is bonded to the surface of the mother substrate 103 on which a plurality of flow paths are formed. Since the flow path substrate 3 corresponding to the 22 ejection heads 10 is formed on the mother substrate 103, the 22 nozzle substrates 4 are bonded to each other. Examples of the bonding method include a method of thermocompression bonding using an epoxy adhesive. The nozzle substrate 4 has a plurality of nozzles 4a, and each nozzle 4a is positioned and joined so as to communicate with each pressure generating chamber 3a. By joining the mother substrate 103 and the nozzle substrate 4, a pressure generating chamber 3a, a common reservoir 3d, and a liquid supply path 3e as a plurality of flow paths are completed. Then, the process proceeds to step S5.

  Step S5 in FIG. 5 is a compliance substrate bonding process. In step S5, as shown in FIG. 3, the compliance substrate 5 is bonded to the surface 1d of the sealing substrate 1 on which the reservoir portion 1b is formed. The compliance substrate 5 is positioned and bonded to the sealing substrate 1 with the sealing film 5a as the bonding side so that the reservoir portion 1b and the opening 5c match. Examples of the bonding method include a method of thermocompression bonding using an epoxy adhesive as in the nozzle substrate bonding step. Through the above manufacturing process, the laminated structure 100 on which the plurality of ejection heads 10 shown in FIG. Then, the process proceeds to step S6.

  Step S6 in FIG. 5 is a dividing step. In step S6, as shown in FIG. 4, for example, a dicing method in which a rotating blade runs along the virtual cutting planned line 40 provided in the X direction and the Y direction of the laminated structure 100, or laser light. The laminated structure 100 is cut using a laser scribing method that irradiates the surface, and the individual ejection heads 10 that have been subjected to imposition are taken out.

According to the method of manufacturing the ejection head 10, in the flow path forming step of step S ₃ , the distance L from the exposure center E _{0 and} the arrangement angle θ of the coordinate center E _n (n is 1 to 22) with respect to the exposure center E ₀ . Then, exposure for forming a plurality of channels is performed using the mask 200 having the channel exposure patterns C1 to C22 that have been subjected to dimension correction according to the above. Dimensional correction, a plurality of pattern portions Ce _n to form at least the liquid material supply channel 3e (n is 1 to 180) are subjected to.
Therefore, the liquid supply path 3e can be formed with high dimensional accuracy. In addition, the dimensional variation tendency of the width dg of the liquid supply passage 3e approaches a flat state for each of the nozzle arrays A and B. Therefore, the discharge characteristics of the liquid material discharged from the plurality of nozzles 4a (for example, the discharge amount and discharge speed of droplets) are stabilized for each nozzle 4a. That is, the ejection head 10 having stable ejection characteristics with little variation can be manufactured.

(Embodiment 2)
<Other ejection heads>
Next, another ejection head of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 14 is an essential part exploded perspective view showing the structure of the ejection head of the second embodiment. FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the ejection head 50 of the present embodiment ejects a liquid material from a first substrate 51 having an electrode 61, a second substrate 52 as a flow path substrate having a diaphragm 55. And a third substrate 53 as a nozzle substrate having a plurality of nozzles 54.

  The first substrate 51 has a plurality of electrodes 61 disposed on the bottom surface of the diaphragm 55 of each pressure generating chamber 56 provided on the second substrate 52 so as to face each other at a predetermined interval. A recess 51a serving as the vibration chamber 59, a lead portion 62 and a terminal portion 63 connected to the electrode 61 formed on the bottom surface of the recess 51a, and a liquid material inlet for supplying the liquid material to the reservoir 58 in communication with the outside And a through-hole 64 including it.

  The second substrate 52 includes a plurality of recesses 52a serving as pressure generation chambers 56 filled with a liquid material, a recess 52c serving as a reservoir 58 that is a common cavity for supplying the liquid material to the plurality of recesses 52a, It has the recessed part 52b used as the liquid supply path 57 connected to the recessed part 52a and the recessed part 52c. That is, the recessed part 52a, the recessed part 52b, and the recessed part 52c comprise the several flow path of a liquid material.

  The third substrate 53 has a plurality of nozzles 54 formed so as to communicate with the plurality of pressure generating chambers 56 of the second substrate 52.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 15, in the state where the first substrate 51 and the second substrate 52 are bonded, the electrode 61 is disposed in a substantially closed state in a vibration chamber 59 as a chamber formed by the recess 51a. In addition, the electrode 61 and the diaphragm portion 55 are in a state of being opposed to each other with a predetermined interval (gap). The electrode 61 and the vibration plate portion 55 constitute an electromechanical conversion element 65 as an actuator that drives the vibration plate portion 55 by electrostatic force. The electromechanical conversion element 65 is connected to the first substrate 51 and the second substrate 51. And the lower part of the substrate 52.

  After the first substrate 51 and the second substrate 52 are joined as described above, the vibration chamber 59 is sealed with an epoxy resin or the like at the end of the second substrate 52 and above the terminal portion 63 connected to the electrode 61. The stopper 66 is hermetically sealed from the outside. At this time, the distance between the vibration plate portion 55 of the vibration chamber 59 and the electrode 61 is maintained at about 0.18 to 0.2 μm.

  The second substrate 52 and the third substrate 53 are bonded so that the pressure generation chamber 56 and the nozzle 54 correspond to each other. Accordingly, a reservoir 58 serving as a flow path for supplying the liquid material and a plurality of pressure generation chambers 56 communicating with the reservoir 58 are partitioned, and the nozzles 54 communicate with each pressure generation chamber 56. The third substrate 53 is also provided with a recess 53a that forms the liquid material supply path 57 corresponding to the recess 52b that forms the liquid material supply path 57 formed in the second substrate 52. The recess 53a is formed in consideration of the amount of fluid passing through the liquid supply path 57, the pressure, and the like, and is not necessarily provided. The discharge head 50 according to the present embodiment is a so-called face jet method in which the nozzle 54 passes through the third substrate 53 and communicates with the pressure generation chamber 56 to eject a liquid material. Alternatively, an edge jet method may be employed in which a nozzle hole or groove is formed in the end portion of the second substrate 52 and the liquid material is discharged from the nozzle formed on the side end surface (the left side surface in FIG. 15) of the discharge head 50. .

  The ejection head 50 uses borosilicate glass as the first substrate 51 and uses a silicon single crystal substrate as the second substrate 52. The first substrate 51 may be a low expansion glass or silicon single crystal substrate. But it can be manufactured. As the third substrate 53 having the nozzles 54, a low expansion glass, a metal such as plastic or stainless steel, or a thin plate such as silicon can be used.

Further, when the ejection head 50 is driven, an insulating layer 52d (shown in FIG. 14) made of SiO _{2 is} formed on the lower surface of the silicon single crystal substrate, which is the second substrate 52, in order to prevent a short circuit between the diaphragm 55 and the electrode 61. Is formed. Further, a common electrode 67 (shown in FIG. 15) is formed on the upper surface of the silicon single crystal substrate which is the second substrate 52 for driving the ejection head 50.

  If a circuit board such as an FPC on which a driver IC 70 for driving the ejection head 50 is mounted is connected between the common electrode 67 of the ejection head 50 having such a configuration and the terminal portion 63 connected to each electrode 61, The discharge head 50 can be driven.

  Further, if a pipe connected to a tank storing the liquid material is connected to the through hole 64, the reservoir 58 and each pressure generating chamber 56 can be filled with the liquid material. The liquid used in the present embodiment is prepared by dissolving or dispersing a surfactant such as ethylene glycol and a dye or pigment in a main solvent such as water, alcohol, or toluene. Further, if the discharge head 50 is provided with a heating mechanism such as a heater, a hot melt type liquid material can also be used.

<Method for Manufacturing Discharge Head 50>
The manufacturing method of the ejection head 50 according to the present embodiment includes an electrode forming process for forming a plurality of first substrates 51 on a first mother substrate, and recesses 52a and 52b that form a plurality of flow paths on the second mother substrate. , 52c for forming a flow path. A step of taking out the second substrate 52 as an individual flow path substrate from the second mother substrate is provided. In addition, a joining step for joining the first mother substrate and the second substrate 52, an airtight sealing step for sealing the outlet port of the terminal portion 63 of the electrode 61, and a through hole forming step for forming the through hole 64 And. Furthermore, a nozzle substrate bonding step for bonding the third substrate 53 as the nozzle substrate, and a cutting step for cutting the laminated structure in which the second substrate 52 and the third substrate 53 are bonded to the first mother substrate, And a head assembly process for mounting the driver IC 70 for driving.

  16A to 16I are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating the method for manufacturing the ejection head according to the second embodiment.

  First, in the electrode forming step, as shown in FIGS. 16A to 16C, a first mother substrate made of borosilicate glass is used. The imposition state of the plurality of first substrates 51 in the first mother substrate is, for example, the same as in FIG. 4 of the first embodiment. A recess 51a for forming the electrode 61 and the lead portion 62 and the terminal portion 63 connected to the electrode 61 is etched to a depth of about 0.28 μm to form a partition.

  As this etching method, the surface of the first mother substrate other than the recess 51a to be etched is patterned so as to be masked with Cu—Au, and etched at room temperature with a mixed solution of ammonium fluoride and hydrogen peroxide. The method of doing is mentioned. Note that, in the silicon single crystal substrate that is the second mother substrate, the recess 51a that becomes the vibration chamber 59 may be formed on the surface facing the electrode 61 by anisotropic etching.

  Further, when the first mother substrate is etched, a positioning recess (not shown) for bonding the first mother substrate and the second substrate 52 is formed on the etching surface of the first mother substrate or The opposite surface may be etched at the same time. Alternatively, a positioning through-hole may be formed instead of the positioning recess.

  Next, an ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) thin film is formed as an electrode material on the surface of the first mother substrate on which the concave portions 51a are formed by vacuum deposition or vacuum sputtering so as to have a thickness of approximately 0.1 μm. Then, a photoresist, which is a photosensitive resin, is coated on the surface of the formed ITO thin film, and is exposed, developed, and etched using a photomask having the same pattern as the electrode 61, and the electrode 61 and leads as shown in FIG. The part 62 and the terminal part 63 are formed.

  Etching of the ITO thin film includes, for example, a method of etching with aqua regia or a hydrochloric acid solution of iron chloride. After the etching, the photoresist is peeled off from the first mother substrate using an inorganic alkaline solution or the like, and has a cross-sectional structure in which an electrode 61 and a terminal portion 63 are partitioned on the bottom surface of the recess 51a as shown in FIG. A first mother substrate (a plurality of first substrates 51) is formed. Of course, a plurality of the recesses 51 a, the electrodes 61, the lead portions 62, and the terminal portions 63 are formed corresponding to the plurality of nozzles 54.

  Next, in the flow path forming step, a diaphragm 55 that constitutes the electromechanical conversion element 65, a recess 52a that constitutes the pressure generation chamber 56 that forms the bottom surface of the diaphragm 55, and a reservoir 58 that is a common cavity are constituted. Forming a recess 52c, a recess 52b constituting the liquid supply path 57 communicating with the recess 52a and the recess 52c, by anisotropically etching the second mother substrate, and forming these recesses 52a, 52b, And a step of forming the common electrode 67 on the second mother substrate on which the 52c is formed.

The second mother substrate is obtained by polishing a silicon single crystal substrate on both sides to a thickness of 180 μm. Further, thermal oxidation is performed by heating at 1100 ° C. for 1 hour in the atmosphere, and an SiO ₂ oxide film is formed on the entire surface with a thickness of about 0.1 μm. This oxide film functions as the insulating layer 52d shown in FIG.

  As in the first mother substrate, the second mother substrate has a plurality of flow paths (second substrates 52) formed by photolithography. In the exposure step, an exposure apparatus 300 and a mask having a flow path exposure pattern subjected to dimension correction are applied to the second mother substrate on which the photoresist is applied to the exposure surface, as in the first embodiment. Use for batch exposure. In the etching process, the second mother substrate on which the photoresist is developed is immersed in an aqueous KOH solution. The thickness of the diaphragm portion 55 formed thereby is approximately 2 μm. At least the recess 52b serving as the liquid supply path 57 is formed with high accuracy, and variations in the width of the recess 52b are reduced.

  The common electrode 67 has a terminal portion 63 formed on the first mother substrate by masking these channels on the second mother substrate on which the recesses 52a, 52b, and 52c, which are fluid channels, are formed. A film of Pt (platinum) is formed at a position opposite to that by a vacuum deposition method or a vacuum sputtering method.

  Next, the second mother substrate on which a plurality of second substrates 52 that are flow path substrates are formed is cut to take out the individual second substrates 52.

  In the bonding step, as shown in FIG. 16D, the first mother substrate having the electrode 61 and the second substrate 52 having the vibration plate portion 55 are connected to each other, and the electrode 61 has a predetermined distance from the vibration plate portion 55. Then, the electrodes are positioned so as to face each other, and anodic bonded in a state of being substantially closed in a vibration chamber 59 facing the vibration plate portion 55.

  In this anodic bonding, the second substrate 52 is connected to the positive electrode and the first mother substrate is connected to the negative electrode, and 700 to 900 V is applied at a temperature of 300 to 400 ° C. for about 5 minutes. As a result, the second substrate 52 and the first mother substrate can be bonded together completely. As a result, the electrode 61 of the vibration chamber 59 and the vibration plate portion 55 are bonded with a predetermined interval with high accuracy, and a bonding strength and airtightness substantially equal to the strength of the substrate material can be obtained. If the first mother substrate and the second substrate 52 are completely brought into close contact with each other, and the distance between the vibration plate portion 55 and the electrode 61 can be maintained at an arbitrary predetermined size and bonded, it can be pasted with an adhesive. The method of matching may be used.

  In the hermetic sealing step, as shown in FIG. 16E, the bonded first mother substrate and second substrate 52 are hermetically sealed using an epoxy resin. As shown in FIG. 16D, the recess 51a constituting the vibration chamber 59 has the opening 68 formed by positioning the end of the second substrate 52 above the terminal portion 63 of the first mother substrate. Have. In the hermetic sealing process, the opening 68 is hermetically sealed by using a sealing material 66 that is an epoxy-based thermosetting resin, leaving the terminal portion 63 as long as necessary for subsequent drive circuit connection. In the present embodiment, an epoxy thermosetting resin is used as the sealing material 66, but an acrylic photocurable resin, a silicon sealing material, or the like may be used as long as airtightness can be secured.

  In the through-hole forming step, the bonded first mother substrate and second substrate 52 are used as a liquid material inlet for guiding the liquid material to the recess 52c that is the reservoir 58 formed in the second substrate 52. A penetrating through hole 64 is formed. Examples of the method of forming the through hole 64 include a method of drilling using a diamond drill. In that case, as shown in FIG. 16F, first, a hole 64a is formed so as not to penetrate from the first mother substrate side. After that, it is preferable to drill again from the second substrate 52 side to form a through hole 64 as shown in FIG. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of burrs or the like generated at the time of drilling on the second substrate 52 side having a plurality of flow paths.

  In the nozzle substrate bonding step, as shown in FIG. 16 (h), a third substrate 53 as a nozzle substrate having a plurality of nozzles 54 formed thereon is bonded to the second substrate 52. As a result, a liquid material flow path composed of the pressure generation chamber 56, the reservoir 58, and the liquid material supply path 57 connected to the pressure generation chamber 56 is completed. The third substrate 53 and the second substrate 52 are joined by thermocompression bonding with an epoxy thermosetting resin.

  In the cutting step, the laminated structure having a three-layer structure of the first mother substrate, the second substrate 52, and the third substrate 53 is cut by dicing at a predetermined position, and each discharge head 50 is taken out.

  In the head assembling step, as shown in FIG. 16 (i), the electromechanical conversion element 65 is driven between the common electrode 67 provided in one ejection head 50 and the terminal portion 63 connected to the electrode 61. A circuit board such as an FPC on which the driver IC 70 is mounted is connected using an ACF (Anisotropic Conductive Film) or the like.

  According to the method of manufacturing the ejection head 50, the second substrate 52 having a plurality of flow paths is formed by batch exposure using a mask having a flow path exposure pattern subjected to dimension correction. Accordingly, at least the recess 52b constituting the liquid supply path 57 is formed with high accuracy, and the width variation of the recess 52b is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture the ejection head 50 including the electrostatic actuator having stable ejection characteristics for each of the plurality of nozzles 54.

  Various modifications other than the above embodiment are conceivable. Hereinafter, a modification will be described.

(Modification 1) In the manufacturing method of the ejection head 10 of the first embodiment, the method of correcting the dimensions of the flow path exposure patterns C1 to C22 is not limited to this. For example, in the optical system of the exposure apparatus 300, if the collimate or chromatic aberration with respect to the optical axis of the exposure light shows a primary (linear) variation tendency toward the outer periphery with the exposure center E ₀ as the center, the exposure center E _A correction amount may be determined according to a distance L from ₀ to the coordinate center E _n (n is 1 to 22) of each flow path exposure pattern, and dimension correction may be performed. Further, the dimension correction may include not only the dimension correction of the individual channel exposure patterns but also the correction of the relative position between the channel exposure patterns.

  (Modification 2) In the manufacturing method of the ejection head 10 of the first embodiment, the method of correcting the dimensions of the channel exposure patterns C1 to C22 is not limited to being applied only to the channel exposure pattern. For example, the present invention can be applied to patterning of the piezoelectric body 6a and the upper electrode 6b constituting the piezoelectric element 6. The ejection head 10 having the piezoelectric element 6 with the position and shape formed with high accuracy can be manufactured.

  (Modification 3) In the manufacturing method of the ejection head 10 of the first embodiment, the order of the manufacturing process is not limited to this. For example, the mother substrate 101 (sealing substrate 1) and the mother substrate 103 may be bonded after the piezoelectric element 6 as the actuator, the elastic film 2a, and a plurality of flow paths are formed on the mother substrate 103.

(Modification 4) In the manufacturing method of the ejection head 10 of the first embodiment, the configuration of the exposure apparatus 300 is not limited to this. For example, it is conceivable to combine a plurality of optical lenses in order to improve the chromatic aberration of the optical system. Even in such a case, exposure is performed using a test mask, and the transferred flow path exposure pattern is measured to obtain variations in position and dimensions. By analyzing the variation, the tendency in the exposure accuracy of the optical system can be grasped. In addition, it is desirable to correct the position and size of the channel exposure pattern with reference to the exposure center E ₀ in accordance with the tendency.

  (Modification 5) In the manufacturing method of the ejection head 50 of the second embodiment, the order of the manufacturing process is not limited to this. For example, a first mother substrate (a plurality of first substrates 51), a second mother substrate (a plurality of second substrates 52), and a third substrate 53 are joined, and then cut and individually discharged. The head 50 may be taken out and the opening 68 may be hermetically sealed.

  (Modification 6) The ejection head to which the manufacturing method of the ejection head 10 of the first embodiment can be applied is not limited to the ejection head 50 including the electrostatic actuator of the second embodiment. For example, the present invention can be applied to a manufacturing method of an ejection head provided with an electrothermal conversion element as an actuator.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of the structure of the ejection head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a main part plan view showing the structure of the ejection head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part showing the structure of the ejection head cut along line A-A ′ in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing an arrangement of ejection heads in a laminated structure. 6 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing the ejection head. (A)-(e) is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of an ejection head. (F)-(h) is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of an ejection head. (I)-(k) is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of an ejection head. (L)-(n) is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of an ejection head. Schematic which shows the structure of exposure apparatus. (A) is a schematic plan view which shows arrangement | positioning of the flow-path exposure pattern in a mask, (b) is principal part detail drawing of (a). The schematic sectional drawing which shows the exposure state of a flow-path exposure pattern. (A)-(c) is a graph which shows the liquid supply path width according to nozzle. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a main part showing a structure of a discharge head according to a second embodiment. FIG. 15 is an essential part cross-sectional view showing the structure of the ejection head taken along line B-B ′ in FIG. 14. (A)-(i) is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the discharge head of Embodiment 2. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 ... Flow path board | substrate, 3a ... Pressure generating chamber, 3e ... Liquid supply path, 4a ... Nozzle 10, 50 ... Discharge head, 52 ... 2nd board | substrate as a flow path board | substrate, 53 ... 3rd as a nozzle board | substrate substrate, 54 ... nozzle, 56 ... pressure generating chamber, 57 ... liquid material supply passage, 103 ... mother substrate 200 ... mask, C1 to C22 ... passage exposure pattern, the pattern portion to form a Ca _n ... pressure generating chamber, pattern portion forming a ce _n ... liquid material supply channel, E ₀ ... exposure center, L ... distance, theta ... arrangement angle.

Claims (6)

A discharge head manufacturing method comprising: a flow path including a pressure generation chamber and a liquid supply path that guides a liquid to the pressure generation chamber; and a nozzle that communicates with the pressure generation chamber.
A flow path forming step of forming a plurality of flow path substrates having a plurality of the flow paths as a unit on a mother substrate using a photolithography method;
The flow path forming step includes an exposure process in which the mother substrate is collectively exposed using a mask having a plurality of flow path exposure patterns based on the arrangement of the flow path substrates in the mother substrate.
The method of manufacturing an ejection head, wherein the flow path exposure pattern is subjected to dimensional correction according to a distance from an exposure center of the mask with respect to a reference dimension in design of the flow path.   2. The ejection head manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the flow path exposure pattern is subjected to dimensional correction in accordance with a distance of the mask from the exposure center and an arrangement angle with respect to the exposure center. Method.   The plurality of flow path exposure patterns are divided into a plurality of groups according to arrangement positions on the mask, and dimension correction is performed based on a correction amount given for each group. Item 3. A method for manufacturing an ejection head according to Item 2. The flow path exposure pattern has a pattern portion that forms the pressure generating chamber, and a pattern portion that forms the liquid supply path,
The method of manufacturing an ejection head according to claim 3, wherein the dimension correction is performed at least on a pattern portion that forms the liquid supply path.   5. The ejection head manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein the dimension correction is performed for each pattern portion forming the liquid supply path of the plurality of pressure generation chambers. Dividing the plurality of pressure generating chambers into a plurality of groups;
6. The method of manufacturing an ejection head according to claim 5, wherein the dimensional correction is performed based on a correction amount given for each group.

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