WO2011022750A1 - Actionneur à flexion thermique résistant à la fissuration - Google Patents

Actionneur à flexion thermique résistant à la fissuration Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2011022750A1
WO2011022750A1 PCT/AU2009/001089 AU2009001089W WO2011022750A1 WO 2011022750 A1 WO2011022750 A1 WO 2011022750A1 AU 2009001089 W AU2009001089 W AU 2009001089W WO 2011022750 A1 WO2011022750 A1 WO 2011022750A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
actuator
layer
active beam
passive
thermal bend
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/AU2009/001089
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Gregory John Mcavoy
Vincent Patrick Lawlor
Ronan Padraig Sean O'reilly
Original Assignee
Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd filed Critical Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
Priority to SG2012011185A priority Critical patent/SG178479A1/en
Priority to JP2012516434A priority patent/JP5561747B2/ja
Priority to KR1020127001728A priority patent/KR20120057608A/ko
Priority to AU2009351617A priority patent/AU2009351617B2/en
Priority to PCT/AU2009/001089 priority patent/WO2011022750A1/fr
Priority to EP09848585.7A priority patent/EP2490896B1/fr
Publication of WO2011022750A1 publication Critical patent/WO2011022750A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/135—Nozzles
    • B41J2/14—Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
    • B41J2/14427—Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the field of MEMS devices and particularly inkjet printheads. It has been developed primarily to improve the robustness of thermal bend actuators, both during MEMS fabrication and during operation.
  • a thermal bend actuator comprising:
  • the thermal bend actuator according to the present invention is advantageously robust and resistant to cracking whilst maintaining excellent thermal efficiency.
  • the first layer of silicon nitride provides the crack-resistance whilst the second layer of silicon dioxide provides thermal insulation, which maintains a high overall efficiency. Cracking may be problematic in thermal bend actuators due to inevitable stresses in the active and passive beams, but especially the passive beam which is usually formed from silicon dioxide having good thermally insulating properties.
  • the present invention addresses the problem of cracking by using the bilayered passive beam described herein.
  • an inkjet nozzle assembly comprising:
  • a passive beam mechanically cooperating with the active beam, such that when a current is passed through the active beam, the active beam expands relative to the passive beam, resulting in bending of the actuator
  • a further advantage of inkjet nozzle assemblies according to the second aspect is that the second layer of silicon nitride is an impermeable barrier to the fluid contained m the nozzle chamber. Accordingly, aqueous ions are unable to leach through the passive beam and contaminate the active beam, which may result in nozzle failure. Leaching of aqueous ions from hot ink has been identified by the present Applicants as a failure mechanism for thermal bend actuators having a passive beam comprised of silicon dioxide only.
  • the nozzle chamber comprises a floor and a roof having a moving portion, whereby actuation of the actuator moves the moving portion towards the floor.
  • the roof is coated with a polymeric material, such as a polymerized siloxane described in further detail herein.
  • a polymeric material such as a polymerized siloxane described in further detail herein.
  • a nozzle chamber having a nozzle opening and an ink inlet
  • a thermal bend actuator for ejecting ink through the nozzle opening, the actuator comprising:
  • an active beam connected to drive circuitry; and a passive beam mechanically cooperating with the active beam, such that when a current is passed through the active beam, the active beam expands relative to the passive beam, resulting in bending of the actuator,
  • the passive beam comprises a first layer comprised of silicon nitride and second layer comprised of silicon dioxide, the second layer being sandwiched between the first layer and the active beam.
  • a passive beam mechanically cooperating with the active beam, such that when a current is passed through the active beam, the active beam expands relative to the passive beam, resulting in bending of the actuator
  • the sacrificial scaffold is comprised of photoresist or polyimide.
  • the sacrificial scaffold is removed by an oxidative plasma, known in the art as 'ashing' .
  • Ashing may be achieved using an O 2 plasma, an O 2 /N 2 plasma or any other suitable oxidizing plasma.
  • residual stresses m the passive beam after release of the thermal bend actuator reside predominantly in the first layer.
  • the nozzle opening is defined in the moving portion of the roof.
  • the polymeric material is protected with a metal layer prior to releasing the thermal bend actuator.
  • the polymeric material is a polymerized siloxane, such as
  • Figure 8 is a perspective view of the partially-fabricated inkjet nozzle assembly shown m Figure 7;
  • Figure 11 is a side-sectional view of a partially-fabricated inkjet nozzle assembly after a sixth sequence of steps after coating with a polymeric layer, protecting with a metal layer and etching a nozzle opening;
  • Figures 1 to 13 show a sequence of MEMS fabrication steps for an mkjet nozzle assembly 100 described in the Applicant's earlier US Publication No. US 2008/0309728, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
  • the completed inkjet nozzle assembly 100 shown in Figures 12 and 13 utilizes thermal bend actuation, whereby a moving portion of a roof bends towards a substrate resulting in ink ejection.

Landscapes

  • Particle Formation And Scattering Control In Inkjet Printers (AREA)
  • Micromachines (AREA)

Abstract

Cette invention concerne un actionneur à flexion thermique comprenant une poutre active destinée à être reliée au circuit d’entraînement, et une poutre passive coopérant mécaniquement avec la poutre active. Quand un courant traverse la poutre active, la poutre active se dilate par rapport à la poutre passive, ce qui entraîne la flexion de l’actionneur. La poutre passive comprend une première couche constituée de nitrure de silicium et une seconde couche constituée de dioxyde de silicium. La seconde couche est prise en sandwich entre la première couche et la poutre active afin d’assurer l’isolation thermique de la première couche.
PCT/AU2009/001089 2009-08-25 2009-08-25 Actionneur à flexion thermique résistant à la fissuration WO2011022750A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SG2012011185A SG178479A1 (en) 2009-08-25 2009-08-25 Crack-resistant thermal bend actuator
JP2012516434A JP5561747B2 (ja) 2009-08-25 2009-08-25 耐クラック性熱曲げアクチュエータを有するインクジェットノズル組立体
KR1020127001728A KR20120057608A (ko) 2009-08-25 2009-08-25 내균열성 감열식 벤드 액츄에이터
AU2009351617A AU2009351617B2 (en) 2009-08-25 2009-08-25 Crack-resistant thermal bend actuator
PCT/AU2009/001089 WO2011022750A1 (fr) 2009-08-25 2009-08-25 Actionneur à flexion thermique résistant à la fissuration
EP09848585.7A EP2490896B1 (fr) 2009-08-25 2009-08-25 Actionneur à flexion thermique résistant à la fissuration

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/AU2009/001089 WO2011022750A1 (fr) 2009-08-25 2009-08-25 Actionneur à flexion thermique résistant à la fissuration

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2011022750A1 true WO2011022750A1 (fr) 2011-03-03

Family

ID=43627058

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/AU2009/001089 WO2011022750A1 (fr) 2009-08-25 2009-08-25 Actionneur à flexion thermique résistant à la fissuration

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2490896B1 (fr)
JP (1) JP5561747B2 (fr)
KR (1) KR20120057608A (fr)
AU (1) AU2009351617B2 (fr)
SG (1) SG178479A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2011022750A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2013208900A (ja) * 2012-02-27 2013-10-10 Toshiba Tec Corp インクジェットヘッドおよびその製造方法

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP5814963B2 (ja) * 2013-03-08 2015-11-17 東芝テック株式会社 インクジェットヘッド、インクジェット記録装置、およびインクジェットヘッドの製造方法
JP6376690B2 (ja) * 2014-08-28 2018-08-22 東芝テック株式会社 液滴噴射装置および画像形成装置

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1999003681A1 (fr) * 1997-07-15 1999-01-28 Silverbrook Research Pty. Limited Jet d'encre a commande thermique
US6623101B1 (en) 2000-10-20 2003-09-23 Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd Moving nozzle ink jet
US20050046672A1 (en) 2003-08-28 2005-03-03 Eastman Kodak Company Thermally conductive thermal actuator and liquid drop emitter using same
US20070146436A1 (en) * 2005-12-23 2007-06-28 Lexmark International, Inc Low energy, long life micro-fluid ejection device
US20080043066A1 (en) * 1997-07-15 2008-02-21 Sliverbrook Research Pty Ltd Printhead with barrier at chamber inlet
US20080129795A1 (en) 2006-12-04 2008-06-05 Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd Inkjet nozzle assembly having moving roof portion defined by a thermal bend actuator having a plurality of cantilever beams

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6631979B2 (en) * 2002-01-17 2003-10-14 Eastman Kodak Company Thermal actuator with optimized heater length
US6824249B2 (en) * 2002-08-23 2004-11-30 Eastman Kodak Company Tapered thermal actuator
JP2005219426A (ja) * 2004-02-09 2005-08-18 Ricoh Co Ltd 液体吐出ヘッド、液体カートリッジ、液体吐出装置、画像形成装置及び液体吐出ヘッドの製造方法
JP4480132B2 (ja) * 2004-02-18 2010-06-16 キヤノン株式会社 液体吐出用ヘッドの製造方法
JP2006231800A (ja) * 2005-02-28 2006-09-07 Sony Corp 液体吐出ヘッド、液体吐出装置、液体吐出方法、及び液体吐出ヘッドの吐出媒体
JP5205396B2 (ja) * 2007-03-12 2013-06-05 ザムテック・リミテッド 疎水性のインク噴射面を有する印刷ヘッドを製造する方法

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1999003681A1 (fr) * 1997-07-15 1999-01-28 Silverbrook Research Pty. Limited Jet d'encre a commande thermique
US20080043066A1 (en) * 1997-07-15 2008-02-21 Sliverbrook Research Pty Ltd Printhead with barrier at chamber inlet
US6623101B1 (en) 2000-10-20 2003-09-23 Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd Moving nozzle ink jet
US20050046672A1 (en) 2003-08-28 2005-03-03 Eastman Kodak Company Thermally conductive thermal actuator and liquid drop emitter using same
US20070146436A1 (en) * 2005-12-23 2007-06-28 Lexmark International, Inc Low energy, long life micro-fluid ejection device
US20080129795A1 (en) 2006-12-04 2008-06-05 Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd Inkjet nozzle assembly having moving roof portion defined by a thermal bend actuator having a plurality of cantilever beams

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See also references of EP2490896A4 *

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2013208900A (ja) * 2012-02-27 2013-10-10 Toshiba Tec Corp インクジェットヘッドおよびその製造方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JP2012530624A (ja) 2012-12-06
AU2009351617A1 (en) 2013-02-07
EP2490896A1 (fr) 2012-08-29
KR20120057608A (ko) 2012-06-05
EP2490896A4 (fr) 2014-07-23
EP2490896B1 (fr) 2016-05-25
AU2009351617B2 (en) 2013-06-27
SG178479A1 (en) 2012-04-27
JP5561747B2 (ja) 2014-07-30

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