JPS61284451A - Liquid jet recording head and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make excellent in electrochemical reaction resistance, oxidation resistance, mechanical impact resistance and heat resistance and to further enhance heat response, by forming a heat-generating resistor layer from an amorphous material having carbon atoms as a matrix and containing hydrogen atoms and a substance dominating electric conductivity. CONSTITUTION:A plurality of sets each consisting of a heat-generating resistor layer 14 and a pair of electrodes 16, 17 connected to said layer 14 are together provided on a support 12 and effective heat-generating parts 18, 18', 18'' are arranged to said support at predetermined intervals. The heat generating resistor layer 14 comprises an amorphous material based on carbon atoms and containing hydrogen atoms and a substance dominating electric conductivity. As the substance dominating electric conductivity, P-type impurities imparting a P-type conductive characteristic and N-type impurities imparting a N-type conductive characteristic can be utilized. Because the heat-generating resistor layer has high durability to mechanical impact and excellent chemical stability, no protective layer is especially required. Therefore, the liquid jet recording head using the heat-generating resistor layer is improved in heat stability because the energy generated with the input of a signal is imparted to a liquid in an extremely efficient manner.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a liquid jet recording head and a liquid jet recording apparatus equipped with the recording head.

[Prior Art] Among the various recording methods currently known, it is a non-impact recording method that generates almost no noise during recording, is capable of high-speed recording, and uses a special fixing process on plain paper. The so-called inkjet recording method, which allows recording without the need for a recording medium, is recognized as an extremely useful recording method. Regarding this inkjet recording method, various methods have been proposed so far, some of which have been improved and commercialized, and efforts are still being made to put some into practical use.

In the inkjet recording method, recording is performed by causing droplets of a recording liquid called ink to fly based on various working principles and making them adhere to a recording member such as paper.

The present applicant has also already proposed a new system related to such an inkjet recording method. This new method has been proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 52-118798, and its basic principle is as outlined below.

In other words, in this inkjet recording method, a thermal pulse is applied as an information signal to the recording liquid introduced into an action chamber that can contain the recording liquid, whereby the recording liquid generates vapor bubbles and self-contracts. In this method, the recording liquid is ejected from an ejection port communicating with the action chamber according to the acting force generated in the process, and is caused to fly as small droplets, which are attached to a recording member to perform recording.

By the way, this method has a high-density multi-array configuration and is easily adapted to high-speed recording and color recording, and the configuration of the implementation device is simpler than conventional ones, so the overall recording head can be made more compact and mass-produced. to turn towards;
By making full use of the advantages of IC technology and micro-processing technology, which have seen remarkable technological progress and improved reliability in the semiconductor field, it has the advantage of being easy to lengthen, and is a method with a wide range of applications. be.

The above-mentioned liquid jet recording device This characteristic recording head is provided with an electrothermal transducer as a means for ejecting liquid from an ejection port to form flying droplets.

The electrothermal converter has a discharge port that communicates with the liquid so that it is in direct contact with the liquid in order to efficiently apply the generated thermal energy to the liquid and increase the ON-OFF response speed of the thermal effect on the liquid. It is said that it is desirable to have a structure in which the heat acting part is provided in a heat-acting part.

However, since the electrothermal converter basically consists of a heating resistor that generates heat when energized and a pair of electrodes for energizing the heating resistor,
If the heating resistor is in direct contact with the liquid, depending on the electrical resistance of the recording liquid, electricity may flow through the liquid, or the liquid itself may be electrolyzed by the flow of electricity through the liquid. When the heating resistor is energized, the heating resistor reacts with the liquid, causing a change in resistance value due to corrosion of the heating resistor itself, damage or destruction of the heating resistor, or even damage from the heating resistor. The surface of the heating resistor may be damaged or a portion of the heating resistor may be cracked due to the mechanical impact caused by the change in state from the generation of liquid vapor bubbles to self-extinction due to the action of the generated heat. In some cases, it was destroyed due to the occurrence of damage.

For this reason, in the past, alloys such as NiCr and Zr
B2. The heating resistor is made of an inorganic material that has relatively excellent characteristics as a heating resistor material, such as metal boride such as HfB2, and 5i0 is applied on the heating resistor made of the material.
By providing a protective layer (upper layer) made of a material with excellent oxidation resistance such as No. It has been proposed to try to improve the durability of green leaves.

However, a liquid jet recording device having a recording head equipped with an electrothermal converter having the above-mentioned configuration uses a liquid with relatively low electrical conductivity (for example, water or alcohol as a liquid medium) as a colored liquid for recording. When using a recording liquid with a high content of Ha ions and high electrical conductivity, it has excellent oxidation resistance and is satisfactory in terms of repeated use durability. When an electrolyte liquid is used, it is insufficient in terms of durability against repeated use and resistance to changes over time. Therefore, there are restrictions on the selection of the recording liquid to be used, which is particularly an obstacle when performing multicolor or natural color oak recording.

Furthermore, even when a protective layer is provided on the heating resistor as described above, it is possible to virtually completely prevent liquid from entering the heating resistor due to defects in the protective layer itself that occur during layer formation, for example. It is extremely difficult in terms of performance and mass production. Furthermore, a liquid flow path (nozzle) having a high density and a large number of heat acting parts as part of its structure is provided. In the case of so-called high-density multi-orifice technology, it is necessary to provide at least as many electrothermal converters as the number of liquid flow channels at once, so the impact of failure due to defects in the protective layer on the manufacturing yield of electrothermal converters is limited. This is a big problem, including in terms of manufacturing costs. Furthermore, there is also the problem that thermal responsiveness is sacrificed due to the presence of the protective layer. Furthermore, the presence of the protective layer sacrifices heat generation responsiveness to a given electrical signal. Therefore, even when there is no protective layer and the heating resistor is in direct contact with the recording liquid, it has excellent heat resistance, oxidation resistance, mechanical shock resistance, electrochemical reaction resistance, and thermal response. It is widely desired to develop a liquid jet recording device that uses an electrothermal transducer.

[Object of the invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and
The main object of the present invention is to provide an excellent liquid jet recording head that solves the conventional problems described above, and a liquid jet recording apparatus equipped with the recording head.

Another object of the present invention is to have particularly high chemical stability, excellent electrochemical reaction resistance, and oxidation resistance, as well as excellent mechanical impact resistance and heat resistance, and furthermore, by eliminating the protective layer, An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid jet recording head equipped with a heating resistor that can improve responsiveness, and a liquid jet recording apparatus equipped with the recording head.

[Summary of the Invention] According to the present invention, the above-mentioned object includes an ejection port provided for ejecting a liquid to form flying droplets, and a heat utilized for forming the flying droplets. A liquid jet recording head comprising an electrothermal transducer that generates energy, wherein the heating resistance layer constituting the electrothermal transducer has carbon atoms as a matrix and contains hydrogen atoms and a substance that controls electrical conductivity. This is achieved by a liquid jet recording head characterized by being made of an amorphous material, and a liquid jet recording apparatus equipped with the liquid jet recording head. Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a partial plan view showing the configuration of an embodiment of the liquid jet recording head of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line nn.

In the figure, 12 is a support body on which an electrothermal converter is provided, 14 is a heating resistance layer constituting the electrothermal converter, and 18 and 17 are paired electrodes constituting the electrothermal converter. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of pairs of a heat generating resistor layer 14 and a pair of electrodes 16, 17 connected to the heat generating resistor layer 14 are provided side by side, thereby creating an effective heat generating section 18.
18't a , . . . are arranged at predetermined intervals. Note that in this embodiment, one electrode 1
6, a plurality of electrodes are grouped together to form a common electrode. Each heat generating part 18.18', 18''.

...Electric signals are applied to the heating resistor layers 14 constituting φ through the electrodes 16 and 17, respectively, and each heating section generates heat based on this.

As shown in FIG. 2, a top plate 20 in which a groove is formed on the side of the heat generating portion of the support 12 is bonded to a substrate having the support 12, the heat generating resistance layer 14, and the electrodes 16,17. A sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 2 is shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIGS.
Hv corresponding to #, -umbrella... in Figure 1, respectively.
Grooves 22, 22', 22'', . It has a heat acting part 24 that applies ripening energy to the heat acting part 24.

On the left side in FIG. 2, the space opens to the outside, and this opening becomes a liquid discharge port 26. The space is connected to a recording liquid supply source on the right side in FIG. When thermal energy is generated from a heat generating part in the space based on the recording signal and acts on the recording liquid in the space, vapor bubbles are generated in the recording liquid, and the pressure at that time causes the recording liquid near the discharge port 26 to Discharge in the direction of.

Furthermore, as can be seen from the above explanation, in Fig. 1, the top plate 2
The illustration of 0 is omitted.

In the present invention, the material of the support 12 is not particularly limited, but in practice, the heating resistance layer 1 formed on the surface of the support 12 is not particularly limited.
4 and during use, the heat generating resistive layer 1
A material having good durability against the heat generated by No. 4 is preferably used. Further, it is preferable that the support 12 has a higher electrical resistance than the heat generating resistance layer 14 formed on the surface thereof, but in the case where an insulating layer is interposed between the support 12 and the heat generating resistance layer 14. Alternatively, the support 12 may be made of a material having a smaller electrical resistance than the heat generating resistance layer 14.Furthermore, in the present invention, depending on the usage conditions of the liquid jet recording head, the support 12 may be made of a material having a lower electrical resistance than the heat generating resistance layer 14. Small or large supports 12 can be used.

The support 12 used in the present invention is glass,
Examples include those made of inorganic materials such as ceramics, silicon, and metals, and those made of organic materials such as polyamide resin and polyimide resin.

In the present invention, the heating resistance layer 14 is made of an amorphous material having carbon atoms as its base material and containing hydrogen atoms and a substance controlling electrical conductivity. As the substance that controls electrical conductivity, so-called impurities in the semiconductor field, that is, p-type impurities that provide P-type conductivity characteristics and n-type impurities that provide N-type conductivity characteristics can be used. P-type impurities include atoms belonging to Group Ⅰ of the periodic table of elements, such as B, AI,
There are Ga, In, TI, etc., and B and Ga are particularly preferred.
As n-type impurities, atoms belonging to Group V of the periodic table of elements,
For example, there are P, As, Sb, Bi, etc., especially P, As
These are preferred, and may be used alone or in combination.

The content of hydrogen atoms in the heating resistor layer 14 is selected as appropriate to obtain desired characteristics depending on the purpose of use.
Preferably o, oooi to 30 atomic %, more preferably o, ooos to 20 M atomic %, preferably 0.
001 to 10 atomic %.

The content of the electrically conductive substance in the heating resistor fi14 is appropriately selected so as to obtain desired characteristics, and is preferably 0.01 to 50,000 atomic ppm, more preferably 0.5 to 10,000 atomic ppm. ppm, optimally from 1 to 50005 ppm.

Furthermore, there is no particular limit to the thickness of the heat generating resistor layer 14.

In the recording head of the present invention, an amorphous material (hereinafter referred to as
ra-C: Sometimes abbreviated as H(p,n)J. Here, (p, n) represents an electrically conductive dominant substance) The heating resistor layer 14 is formed by, for example, a plasma CVD method such as a glow discharge method, or a vacuum deposition method such as a sputtering method.

For example, a-C:H(p,
In order to form the resistor N14 consisting of n), basically the support 12 is placed in a deposition chamber under reduced pressure, and 1. a source gas for C supply that can supply carbon atoms (C) into the JIE stack chamber. A source gas for supplying H and a source gas for supplying an electrically conductive substance that can supply hydrogen atoms (H) are introduced, and a glow discharge is generated in the deposition chamber using high frequency or microwaves. A layer consisting of a-C:H(p,n) may be formed on the surface of the support 2.

In addition, a-C:H(p', n
), basically, the support 12 is placed in a deposition chamber under reduced pressure, and an inert gas such as Ar, He, etc. or an inert gas based on these gases is injected in the deposition chamber. When sputtering a target made of C in a mixed gas atmosphere, a raw material gas for supplying H and a raw material gas for supplying an electrically conductive substance may be introduced into the deposition chamber.

In the above method, as the raw material gas for supplying C, the raw material gas for supplying H, the raw material gas for ships, and the raw material gas for supplying electrically conductive substances, in addition to gases at room temperature and normal pressure, substances that can be gasified under reduced pressure are used. can do.

Examples of raw materials for supplying C include saturated hydrocarbons having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, ethylene hydrocarbons having 2 to 5 carbon atoms, and acetylene hydrocarbons having 2 to 4 carbon atoms.

Aromatic hydrocarbons, etc., specifically saturated hydrocarbons include methane (CH4), ethane (C2Ha), propylene (
C3Ha), n-buta7 (n-C4HIQ), pentane (C5Hl2), ethylene hydrocarbons include ethylene (C2H4), propylene (C3He), butene-1 (C4H11), butene-2 (C4H8),
Inbutylene (C4Ha).

Examples of the acetylene hydrocarbons include acetylene (C2B2), methylacetylene (C3H4), butyne (C4Ha), and aromatic hydrocarbons include benzene (C6He).

Examples of raw materials for supplying H include hydrogen gas and hydrocarbons such as saturated hydrocarbons, ethylene hydrocarbons, acetylene hydrocarbons, and aromatic hydrocarbons, which are also the raw materials for supplying C.

Examples of raw materials for supplying electrically conductive substances include the following.

Examples of raw materials for supplying group (III) atoms include B2 Br3, B4 Hl(1, B5 B9
, B5 Hll, BQ ) (to, BG H124
Boron hydride such as EOB14, BF3, BC13, B
Boron halides such as B r3 are used, and AlCl2, GaCl3. Ga(C
H3) 3, InCH3, T'IC13, etc. are used.

As raw materials for supplying Group V atoms, for example, hydrogenated phosphorus such as PH3, P2 H4, PH4I, P
F3, PFs, PC13.

Phosphorus halides such as PCl5, PBr3, PBr3, PI3, etc. are used, and A is used for supplying other atoms.
sH3, A, sF3, AsC13, AsBr3, A
sF5, SbH3, SbF3, SbF5.5bC1
3,5bC15, BiI3. BiCl3. B1Br3 etc. are used.

These raw materials may be used alone or in combination.

In the heat generating resistance layer forming method as described above, in order to control the amount of hydrogen atoms and the amount of the electrically conductive substance contained in the resistance layer 14 to be formed, and the characteristics of the resistance layer 14, it is necessary to The gas supply amount, discharge power, pressure inside the deposition chamber, etc. are set appropriately.

The support temperature is preferably selected from 20 to 1500°C, more preferably 30 to 1200°C, and optimally 50 to 1100°C.

The supply amount of the raw material gas is determined as appropriate depending on the desired performance of the heating resistance layer and the desired film formation rate.

The discharge power is preferably o, oot~20W/crn',
More preferably 0.01 to 15 W/c, optimally 0.01 to 15 W/c.
05 to log/crn”.

The pressure inside the deposition chamber is preferably to-4 to 10 Torr.
, more preferably 10-2 to 5 TOrr.

The resistive layer of the recording head of the present invention obtained using the heat generating resistive layer forming method as described above has characteristics close to those of diamond.

That is, for example, one having a Vickers hardness of 1,800 to 5,000 can be obtained. In addition, since it contains hydrogen atoms and electrical conductivity controlling substances, resistance value controllability is particularly good.

The heat generating resistive layer of the present invention has high durability against mechanical shock and excellent chemical stability, and therefore does not require a special protective layer. In liquid jet recording, the thermal energy generated in response to signal input is applied to the liquid extremely efficiently, resulting in good thermal response. This means that
This also leads to improved ejection responsiveness of flying droplets that are formed in response to signals input to the liquid jet recording head.

However, if the desired responsiveness is achieved.

It is even more acceptable to form a protective layer on the heating resistor layer as described above.

Furthermore, when the recording liquid is conductive, a protective layer is necessary to prevent short circuits between electrodes.

In the above embodiment example, an example is shown in which the heat generating resistive layer and the electrode are provided on the support in this order, but in the recording head of the present invention, the electrode and the heat generating resistive layer may be provided in this order on the support. , FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of a substrate having an electrothermal transducer of such a recording head.

In the embodiments described above, the support 12 is assumed to be a single body, but the support 12 in the present invention may be a composite body. In other words, the support 12 shown in FIG. 5 is composed of a composite body of a base 12a and a surface layer 12b, and for the base 12a, for example, the support materials described in connection with the above-mentioned Nos. 1 to 3 and the figures can be used. For the surface layer 12b, a material having better adhesion to the resistance layer 14 formed thereon can be used.The surface layer 12b may be made of, for example, an amorphous material containing carbon atoms as a matrix or a conventionally known material. It is composed of oxides etc. Such a surface layer 12b can be obtained by depositing an appropriate raw material on the base 12a by a method similar to the above-described method for forming the heating resistor layer. In addition, the surface layer 12
b may be a normal glass glaze layer, or if the base 12a is metal, it may be an oxide layer formed by oxidizing its surface.

The electrodes 16 and 17 in the recording head of the present invention may be made of any material having a predetermined conductivity, such as Au or Cu.
, Al, Ag, Ni, and other metals.

Next, the outline of the method for manufacturing the recording head of the present invention will be explained.

FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of a deposition apparatus used when forming a heat generating resistive layer on the surface of a support. 1i
ot is a deposition chamber, 1102 to tioa are gas cylinders, and 1107 to 1111 are mass flow controllers! J, 1112-1116 are inflow valves, 1
117-1121 are outflow valves, 1122-11
26 is a gas cylinder valve, 1127 to 1131
is an outlet pressure gauge, 1132 is an auxiliary valve,
1133 is a lever, 1134 is a main valve, 1135 is a leak valve, 1136 is a vacuum gauge, 1137 is a support material for forming a substrate with an electrothermal converter to be manufactured, 1138 is a heater, 139 is a support means, 1140
is a high voltage power supply, 1141 is an electrode, and 1142
is the shutter. Note that 1142-1 is a target attached to the electrode 1141 when performing the sputtering method.

For example, 1102 is sealed with CH4 gas (purity of 99.9% or more) diluted with Ar gas, and 1103
PH3 gas diluted with Ar gas (99.9% purity)
above) are sealed.

1104 is sealed with B2H gas (purity of 99.9% or more) diluted with Ar gas. Before the gas in these cylinders flows into the deposition chamber 1101, the valves 1122 to 1126 of each gas cylinder 1102 to 1106 are opened.
and leak valve 1135 are closed, and inlet valves 1112 to 1116 and outlet valve 1.
．． 117 to 1121 and the auxiliary valve 1132 are open, first open the main valve 1134 to evacuate the deposition chamber 1101 and gas piping. Next, the vacuum gauge 1136 reads approximately t, 5xto-aTorr. At the point when the auxiliary valve 1132, inflow valve 1112~
1116 and outflow valves 1117-1121 are closed.

Thereafter, a valve of a gas pipe connected to a cylinder of gas to be introduced into the deposition chamber 1101 is opened to introduce a desired gas into the deposition chamber 1101.

Next, an example of the procedure for forming the resistive layer of the recording head of the present invention by the glow discharge method using the above-described apparatus will be described. Open the valve 1122 and open the gas cylinder 110
CH4/Ar gas flows out from valve 112.
3 to let the PH3/Ar gas flow out from the gas cylinder 1103, and reduce the pressure on the outlet pressure gauges 1127 and 1128 to 1.
kg/crn', then inlet valve 111'2.
1113 gradually opens the mass flow controller 110.
7. Let the cH4/Ar gas and PH3/Ar gas flow into the deposition chamber t by gradually opening the outflow valves 1117 and 1118 and the auxiliary valve 1132.
Introduce it into toi. At this time, adjust the mass flow controllers 1107 and 1108 so that the ratio of the flow rate of CH4/Ar gas and the flow rate of PH3/Ar gas becomes a desired value,
Further, the opening degree of the main valve 1134 is adjusted while checking the reading of the vacuum gauge 1136 so that the pressure in the deposition chamber 1101 reaches a desired value. Then, the support means 1 in the deposition chamber 1101
After the temperature of the support 1137 supported by the deposition chamber 1139 is heated by the heater 1138 to a desired temperature, the shutter 1142 is opened to generate a glow discharge in the deposition chamber 1101.

Next, an example of the procedure for forming the resistive layer of the recording head of the present invention by sputtering using the above-described apparatus will be described. A high-purity graphite (11
42-1 as a target, CH4 from gas pump 1102 in the same manner as in the glow discharge method.
/Ar gas and PH3/Ar gas are introduced from the gas cylinder 1103 into the deposition chamber 1toi at desired flow rates. By opening the shutter 1142 and turning on the high voltage power supply 1140, the target 114°2-1 is sputtered. At this time, the support 1 is heated by the heater 1138.
137 to a desired temperature and adjusting the opening degree of the main valve 1134 to bring the inside of the deposition chamber 1101 to a desired pressure is similar to the glow discharge method.

In the case of a substrate having an electrothermal transducer of a liquid jet recording head as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, after forming a heat generating resistor layer on the support as described above, A conductive layer (for example, an Au layer, an A1 layer) for forming an electrode is formed, and then a conductive layer and a heat-generating resistive layer are patterned using photolithography, and if necessary, the layer is made of an insulating material, etc. A protective layer may be laminated.

In addition, in the case of a substrate having an electrothermal converter for a liquid jet recording head as shown in FIG. 4, a conductive layer is formed on the support in advance, and a pattern of the conductive layer is formed using photolithography technology. After the coating, a heat generating resistor layer is formed by the glow discharge method or sputtering method as described above.

The grooved top plate may be made of the same material as the above-mentioned support, for example, by mechanical cutting with a microcutter, chemical etching, etc., or if the top plate is made of photosensitive glass, the desired shape can be formed. It is possible to use a material in which grooves are formed by pattern exposure and development.

The substrate having the electrothermal transducer and the top plate can be joined after sufficient alignment, for example, by using an adhesive or by thermal fusion depending on the material of the top plate.

In the embodiment described above, a liquid jet recording head of the type shown in a partial perspective view in FIG.
Although the head 6 has been described as opening in the direction of the groove 22 formed in the top plate 20, in the present invention, the liquid discharge port 26 is provided directly in the top plate 20 as shown in FIG. In the head of the type shown in FIG. 8, the opening at the end of the rIlt 22 formed in the top plate 20 is used as a recording liquid inlet, and the recording liquid is discharged from the discharge port 26 in the direction of arrow Y. Of course, one end of the groove 22 may be closed, and the recording liquid may be introduced from at least one opening.

Next, a modified example of the liquid jet recording head of the present invention will be shown. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the section (■) in FIG. 8 above. In this case, the portion of the top plate 20 other than the groove 22 is in close contact with the substrate having the electrothermal converter. Therefore, the valley groove 2 of the top plate 20
Each heat acting part 24 formed corresponding to each of the heat acting parts 24 is shielded by a barrier part 30 formed of a part in close contact with the support body 12. In addition, in FIG. 9, each heat generating part 18 corresponds to each discharge port 2.
6.

10 to 12 are sectional views corresponding to FIG. 9 showing other examples.

In the case of FIG. 10, the barrier part 30 is not in complete contact with the support body 12, and the heat acting parts 24 corresponding to each heat generating part 18 are in communication with each other.

In the case of FIG. 11, the barrier portion 30 is formed on the substrate instead of the top plate 20, and the heat acting portions 24 corresponding to the six heat generating portions 18 communicate with each other as in the case of FIG. 1O.

In the case of FIG. 12, no barrier portion is formed as in the cases of FIGS. 9 to 11.

The above figures 9 to 12 relate to the type of liquid jet recording head shown in figure i8, but the same applies to the type shown in figure 7! It is.

The barrier part (wall) 30 does not necessarily have to be provided as described above, and even if it affects the ejection direction, ejection speed, or ejection amount of the liquid ejected from the adjacent ejection ports, the flying droplets may be prevented. It is not necessarily necessary to provide a barrier section unless there is an error exceeding an allowable range in the point of impact on the recording member. However, in order to further reduce the mutual influence between the ejection ports and to improve energy efficiency (liquid ejection efficiency), it is preferable to provide a barrier portion. Also,
Of course, the barrier part may be formed integrally with the top plate, or only the barrier part may be formed as a separate part.

The flat top plate may be made of the same material as the grooved top plate. Moreover, a photosensitive resin can also be used for the barrier part and the top plate.

Specific examples of the liquid jet recording head of the present invention will be shown below.

[Example] First, a substrate having an electrothermal converter used in the following Examples and Comparative Examples was prepared in the following manner.

As a support, #7059 glass manufactured by Corning Co., Ltd.
A Si plate provided with a thermally oxidized 5i02 heat storage layer (thickness: 5 JLm) was used as a surface layer.

A heating resistance layer, an electrode, and optionally a protective layer are formed on the support. These heating resistance layers, electrodes and
The layer structure of the I layer was of the following three types: A, B, and C.

A heat generating resistor layer was formed on a Type A support using a deposition apparatus shown in FIG. The conditions during the deposition are as shown in Tables 1 and 2, respectively. still.

The Examples listed in Table 1 were carried out by the glow discharge method, and the Examples and Comparative Examples listed in Table 2 were carried out by the sputtering method. Graphite (99.99%) was used as a target during sputtering except for the comparative example, in which HfB2 was used.

During the deposition, the flow rate of each gas and other conditions were maintained as shown in Tables 1 and 2, respectively, and the heat generation resistance layer was formed with the thickness shown in Table 3. An A1 layer was formed on the resistance layer by an electron beam method, a resist pattern was formed by a photolithography technique, and the A1 layer was etched into a desired shape to form a plurality of pairs of electrodes. Then, a resist pattern was formed using photolithography technology, and predetermined portions of the heating resistor layer were removed using an HF-based etching solution. As an example, a heat generating resistor element was formed in which the above electrode was attached to a heat generating portion consisting of a heat generating resistor layer portion of 40jLm×200#Lm. The heat generating parts were arranged at a pitch of 8 pieces/mm.

Next, a photosensitive polyimide (trade name: Photonice) is spin-coded. Then, prebaked at 80℃ for 1 hour,
After exposure with an aligner, develop.

The heat generating part has a structure with a window opening. And 140
C. for 30 minutes and then post-baked at 400.degree. C. for 1 hour to complete a substrate having an electrothermal transducer.

The resistance of each heat generating part of the electrothermal converter thus obtained was as shown in Table 3.

Note that the photosensitive polyimide is used to prevent electrolysis in the AI main electrode ink.

In FIG. 1, a schematic perspective view of a completed substrate having an electrothermal converter is shown in FIG. 13, and a schematic cross-sectional view is shown in FIG. 14, 28 is a polyimide layer.

Type B A heating resistance layer was formed on the support in the same manner as in Type A. The deposition conditions are as shown in Tables 1 and 2, respectively. During the deposition, the flow rate of each gas and other conditions were maintained as shown in Tables 1 and 2, respectively, and the heating resistor layer with the thickness shown in Table 3 was formed. An Au layer was formed on the heating resistor layer by an electron beam method, a resist pattern was formed by photolithography, and the Au layer was etched into a desired shape to form a plurality of pairs of electrodes. Next, a resist pattern is formed using photolithography technology and HF is applied.
Predetermined portions of the heat generating resistor layer were removed using an etching solution. As an example, a heating resistor element was formed in which the above-mentioned electrodes were attached to a heating portion consisting of a portion of a heating resistor layer of 40 gm x 200 lumen. There are 8 heat generating parts/mm
Arranged by pitch. In this way, a substrate having an electrothermal transducer is completed.

The resistance of each heat generating part of the electrothermal converter thus obtained was as shown in Table 3.

A schematic perspective view of a completed substrate having an electrothermal converter is shown in FIG. 15, and a schematic cross-sectional view is shown in FIG. 16.

Type C: Form an At layer on the support using an electron beam method, and form a resist pattern using photolithography.A1
The layer was etched into a desired shape to form a plurality of pairs of electrodes. Next, a heating resistor layer was formed on the patterned AIH.

The heating resistance layer was formed in the same manner as in the case of type A.

The deposition conditions were maintained as shown in Tables 1 and 2, respectively, and heat generating resistive layers having the thicknesses shown in Table 3 were formed. Subsequently, a resist pattern was formed using photolithography technology, and predetermined portions of the heating resistor layer were removed using an I(F-based etching solution.
A heat generating resistor element was formed in which the above electrode was attached to a heat generating portion consisting of a portion of a heat generating resistor layer having a gmX of 200 lumens.

The heat generating parts were arranged at a pitch of 8 pieces/mm. Furthermore, A
Since the I main electrode is protected by this heating resistance layer, there is no need to form a protective film, thus.

A substrate having an electrothermal transducer is completed.

The resistance of each heat generating part of the electrothermal converter thus obtained was as shown in Table 3.

A schematic perspective view of the completed substrate having an electrothermal converter is shown in factor 17, and a schematic cross-sectional view is shown in FIG. 18.

A liquid jet recording head is manufactured using a substrate having an electrothermal transducer completed as described in 1-0. The head to be manufactured includes the type shown in FIG. 7 (hereinafter referred to as type I) and the type described above. There is a type shown in FIG. 8 (hereinafter referred to as type 2).

Typee can be created using two methods, and Type 2 can be created using one method.
It was. The method for making them will be described below.Type 1-1 First, as shown in the schematic perspective view of FIG.
Multiple grooves 22 in 0 (width 40pLm, depth 40JLm)
A grooved top plate 20 is created by cutting and forming a common ink chamber 11t42 using a micro cutter.

Next, the substrate completed above and the top plate 20 are connected to the heat generating part and the groove 2.
2. After alignment, they are joined together, and as shown in the schematic perspective view of FIG. 20, an ink introduction pipe 44 for introducing ink from an ink supply section (not shown) to the common ink chamber is connected for recording. Herad 46 was completed in one piece.

Type 1-2 A photosensitive film 50 (trade name: Odile, Tokyo Ohka) is laminated on the substrate completed above. Then, a glass plate 54 laminated with a photosensitive resin film 52 (trade name Odile, Tokyo Ohka) is placed on top of the patterned film, which is exposed and developed using an aligner to create a desired pattern shape. Glue and join.

Then, this joined body is shaped by machining such as dicing to form the discharge port 26, and an ink introduction pipe 44 is connected from an ink supply section (not shown) to the common ink chamber, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. A recording head 56 as shown in the perspective view was integrally completed.

Type 2 First, the top plate 20 in which the discharge port 26 is formed is created. The top plate 20 is created by forming a pattern of photosensitive film (product name: PHT-145FT-50, Hitachi Chemical) on a stainless steel plate with grooves formed by etching, and then electroforming with Ni plating on top of the pattern. . The portion where the hole is formed as the discharge port 26 is where the pattern of the photosensitive film is located. The top plate 20 created in this way and the substrate completed above are aligned with the heat generating parts and the discharge ports 26 corresponding thereto, and then bonded with adhesive. The board is machined to make holes so that ink can be supplied into the top plate 20. Next, a hole is made by machining so that ink can be introduced into the common ink chamber from an ink supply section (not shown) on the back side of the joined board. The introduction pipe 60 of the second
A recording head 62 as shown in the schematic perspective view of FIG. 2 was integrally completed. Note that 64 is a recessed portion of the top plate 20 and constitutes a rebarrier portion.

Type A, Type B, and Type C of the layer structure of the substrate having an electrothermal converter and the head manufacturing method Type 1-1. Although there are combinations of type 1-2 and type 2, a combination of type A and type 1-1 was used in the following durability experiment.

Hereinafter, an experiment regarding the durability of the produced recording head will be described.

The recording head created in the above manner has a lead having electrode leads (individual electrode leads and common electrode leads: not shown) connected to individual electrodes 17 for each heat generating part and electrodes 16 common to each heat generating part. The board was attached and the recording head unit was completed.

Using these recording head units, a liquid jet recording apparatus as shown in a schematic perspective view in FIG. 23 was constructed.

In FIG. 23, 70 is a recording head unit;
72 is a carriage on which the recording head unit 70 is placed, and 74 is a guide member for reciprocating the carriage 72. Further, 76 is a platen, and 78 is a recording member held on the platen 76, such as paper.

The recording liquid ejection ports of the recording head unit 70 are oriented in the direction of arrow Z, and the recording liquid is ejected in the form of droplets in the direction of the arrow, and is deposited in the form of dots on the recording member 78 on the platen 76. . Main scanning is performed by moving the recording head unit 70 along the guide member 74 by an appropriate driving means, and sub-scanning is performed by rotating the platen 76 around the rotation axis 77 by an appropriate driving means. As a result, recording is performed on the recording member 78.

The experimental conditions were as follows.

Pulse width of 1017-5ec, 200ALse in the heat generating part
A rectangular pulse with a voltage 1.2 times the minimum bubbling voltage (the voltage at which bubbling begins in the ink) (for example, 24 V if the minimum bubbling voltage is 20 V) was applied at a pulse input cycle of c.

The composition of the ink used was as follows.

Water: 68 parts by weight DEC: 30 parts by weight Black dye: 2 parts by weight When an ink droplet ejection experiment was conducted using the above experimental conditions and ink, durability evaluations as shown in Table 3 were obtained.

The durability of these Examples and Comparative Examples was evaluated based on the number of times electrical pulses could be repeatedly applied as follows. In other words, "
"O" and "x" indicate the number of times the electric pulse was repeatedly applied as shown below.

From the results of 0 109 times or more x 100 times or more, it can be seen that in the examples of the present invention, recording heads with significantly superior durability compared to the comparative examples were obtained. Further, in the examples of the present invention, the recording properties were also excellent.

In the above durability experiment, the above type A and type 1-1 were used.
Similar results were obtained with other combinations.

Table 3 Next, FIG. 24 shows a partially cutaway perspective view of an embodiment of the liquid jet recording device 2 of the present invention.

In this embodiment, two recording head units 7
0 are held in parallel by the carriage 72 by the holding member 71.
It is fixed at a and placed at. Recording head unit 7
0 is a so-called disposable type, and contains recording liquid. The movement of the arm ridge 72 along the guide member 74 is caused by a wire 82 wound between pulleys 80 and 81.
A part of the motor 8 is fixed to the carriage 72, and the motor 8
4 by driving and rotating the pulley 81.

On the other hand, the rotating shaft 77 of the platen 76 is driven and rotated by a motor 86 and a gear mechanism 88, thereby feeding the recording member 78.

90 is a recording head unit 70 via a carriage 72.
This is a flexible wiring board connected to the carriage 72 in order to supply an electric signal for ejecting recording liquid in the Z direction.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention as described above, chemical It has high mechanical stability, excellent electrochemical reaction resistance, +Mm conversion property, and has an electrothermal converter with excellent mechanical impact resistance and heat resistance, and therefore has extremely good thermal response and repeated use durability. According to the present invention, which provides a liquid jet recording head and a liquid jet recording apparatus, the resistance value controllability of the heat generating resistive layer is particularly good.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize liquid jet recording with high frequency response and high reliability.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial plan view of the recording head of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 1--2, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line mm in FIG. 4 and 5 are partial cross-sectional views of a substrate having an electrothermal transducer of the recording head of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of the deposition apparatus. 7 and 8 are partial perspective views of the recording head of the present invention. 9 to t512 are partial cross-sectional views of the recording head of the present invention. Figures 13, 15, and 17 are perspective views of a substrate having an electrothermal transducer made by Uninvented Record\RAD, and Figures 14, 16, and 18 are cross-sectional views thereof, respectively. be. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the top plate of the recording head of the present invention. 20, 21, and 22 are perspective views of the recording head of the present invention. FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the recording apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 24 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the recording apparatus of the present invention. 12: Support 24: Heat generating resistance layer 16. 17: Electrode 18: Heat generating section 20: Top plate 24: Heat acting section 26: Discharge port, 3 et. figure

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A liquid comprising an ejection port provided for ejecting a liquid to form flying droplets, and an electrothermal converter that generates thermal energy used to form the flying droplets. The ejection recording head is characterized in that the heating resistance layer constituting the electrothermal transducer is made of an amorphous material containing carbon atoms as a matrix and hydrogen atoms and a substance controlling electrical conductivity. Liquid jet recording head. (2) A liquid comprising an ejection port provided for ejecting liquid to form flying droplets, and an electrothermal converter that generates thermal energy used to form the flying droplets. In a liquid jet recording device equipped with a jet recording head, the heating resistance layer constituting the electrothermal converter is an amorphous material having carbon atoms as a matrix and containing hydrogen atoms and a substance controlling electrical conductivity. characterized by being made of materials,
Liquid jet recording device.