JP2004160829A - Liquid jetting device and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid jetting device which can reduce a driving current of a heating resistor element by stabilizing a resistance value of the element, and can make a power supply compact. <P>SOLUTION: The liquid jetting device 1 has a liquid chamber 4 for storing a liquid to be jetted, the heating resistor element 7 set inside the liquid chamber 4 for generating bubbles in the liquid, and a liquid jetting nozzle 5 for jetting the liquid in the liquid chamber 4 along with the generation of bubbles of the liquid by the heating resistor element 7. The liquid is jetted from the liquid jetting nozzle 5 by impressing a driving electrical signal to the heating resistor element 7 and applying a heat energy to the liquid. The heating resistor element 7 is formed by forming a film of a compound of any one of Ta, Ti and W, and AlN. The resistance value of the heating resistor element 7 is thus stabilized, so that its driving current can be reduced, and the power supply can be made compact. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus that drives a heating resistor element to eject a predetermined liquid from a liquid ejection nozzle to an object and a method of manufacturing the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a heating element having excellent heat conductivity and high resistance. The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus which can stabilize the resistance value of the heat generating resistance element, reduce its driving current, and reduce the size of a power supply, and a method of manufacturing the same by using a material having a value.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A conventional liquid ejecting apparatus of this type, for example, an ink jet printhead, employs a method such as an electrostatic attraction method, a continuous vibration generation method (electromechanical conversion method) or a thermal method (electrothermal conversion method) to form small droplets of ink liquid. Is ejected from an ink ejection nozzle formed on a nozzle member and adheres to a recording medium to print a character or an image. In particular, the thermal type print head can easily form a color image, and thus has spread. In the thermal method, thermal energy is applied to an ink liquid to discharge droplets. The ink liquid that has been subjected to the thermal energy changes to a state involving a sudden increase in volume. The ink liquid is ejected from the ink ejection nozzle of the print head by the action force based on the change.
[0003]
In a print head that discharges such an ink liquid, a material such as Ta, TaNx, and TaAl is used as a heat-generating resistor element that generates thermal energy. Driving power is supplied to this heating resistor element by a MOS or bipolar drive transistor. This drive transistor is also controlled by a logic integrated circuit composed of a MOS or bipolar transistor. Then, in order to improve the image quality of printing, it is desired that the heating resistor elements be arranged at a high density. For example, in a print head whose printing density is equivalent to 600 DPI, it is necessary to arrange heating resistance elements at intervals of, for example, 42.333 μm. For this reason, it is a mainstream that the heating resistor, the driving transistor, and the logic integrated circuit are formed on the same semiconductor substrate.
[0004]
Ta, TaNx, TaAl, etc. as the above-mentioned heating resistance elements have their own problems. In Ta, since the specific resistance is 170 to 180 μΩ-cm and the resistance itself is low, it is necessary to devise a high resistance method such as processing the element into a two-part shape. In addition, TaNx (for example, TaN _0.8 )), When a film is formed by sputtering, TaN _0.8 The range of the nitrogen gas flow rate at which the film can be formed is very narrow, and it is difficult to control the film formation. Furthermore, in TaAl, the specific resistance is 270 to 280 μΩ-cm, and it is necessary to set the Al content to 40 to 60 atom% in atomic percentage in order to increase the resistance value, but the controllability of the Al content is poor. , Al content is often lower than 40 atom%.
[0005]
Therefore, a material having a high resistance value has been studied as an alternative to these conventional heating resistance elements. As a high resistance material, cermet, which is a compound of metal and ceramic (boride, carbide, nitride, oxide, silicide of metal), is being studied. Above all, in consideration of compatibility with a semiconductor manufacturing process for manufacturing a head chip, nitrides, oxides, and nitrided oxides of refractory metals such as Ta, Ti, and W, and Si are used as new heat generating resistance element materials. Is being considered. Specifically, a heating resistor using Ta, Si and O as component elements has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1). Further, a heating resistor including at least Ta, Si, O, and N as constituent elements of a composition has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 2).
[0006]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2000-289207 A (page 2)
[Patent Document 2]
JP 2001-322283 A (page 2)
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, when the Ta-Si-O-based compound described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 is used as a heating resistance element, the resistance value increases, but the resistance value easily changes when a driving electric pulse is applied. In addition, the wire is easily broken and is not necessarily a stable material as a heating resistor element material.
[0008]
Therefore, the present invention addresses such a problem, and stabilizes the resistance value of the heating resistor element by forming the heating resistor element from a material having excellent thermal conductivity and a high resistance value. It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid ejecting apparatus capable of reducing current and reducing the size of a power supply, and a method of manufacturing the same.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a liquid ejection device according to the present invention includes a liquid chamber for containing a liquid to be ejected, a heating resistance element arranged in the liquid chamber and for generating bubbles in the liquid, A liquid ejection nozzle for ejecting the liquid in the liquid chamber along with the generation of bubbles of the liquid by the heating resistance element, and applying a driving electric signal to the heating resistance element to apply heat energy to the liquid; A liquid discharge apparatus for discharging liquid from a liquid discharge nozzle, wherein the heating resistor element is formed of a compound of any of tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti), or tungsten (W) and aluminum nitride (AlN). It consists of.
[0010]
With such a configuration, the heating resistance element for generating bubbles in the liquid accommodated in the liquid chamber is formed by forming a film of a compound of Ta, Ti or W and AlN, thereby forming the heating resistance element. The element is made of, for example, a TaAlN compound, a TiAlN compound or a WAlN compound to stabilize the resistance value, and since the resistance value is high, the driving current can be reduced, and the power supply can be downsized.
[0011]
Further, in the method of manufacturing a liquid ejection device according to the present invention, a step of forming a driving circuit element on one surface of a semiconductor substrate, a step of forming an interlayer insulating film on the semiconductor substrate, and a step of forming tantalum ( Forming a compound of any of Ta), titanium (Ti) or tungsten (W) and aluminum nitride (AlN) to form a heat-generating resistor; and connecting the heat-generating resistor to the drive circuit element Forming a wiring layer to be formed, heat-treating the semiconductor substrate on which the wiring layer is formed, and forming a liquid chamber having a liquid ejection nozzle on one wall surface of the heat-treated substrate member. And to do.
[0012]
By forming the substrate member of the liquid discharge device by a semiconductor manufacturing process such as a thin film process, a photolithography process, and an etching process by such a method, the heating resistance element is formed of, for example, a TaAlN compound, a TiAlN compound, or a WAlN compound. It is possible to stabilize and increase the resistance value, and it is possible to form a high-density heating resistor element and a drive circuit element on the same semiconductor substrate.
[0013]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing an embodiment of a liquid ejection apparatus according to the present invention. This liquid discharge device discharges a predetermined liquid from a liquid discharge nozzle to an object by driving a heating resistor element. For example, a small droplet of an ink liquid is discharged by a thermal method (electric heat conversion method). This is an ink jet type print head that prints characters and images by discharging ink from an ink discharge nozzle formed on a nozzle member and attaching it to a recording medium.
[0014]
In FIG. 1, an ink jet print head 1 includes a nozzle member 2 and a substrate member 3. The nozzle member 2 constitutes one side surface of an ink chamber 4 as a liquid chamber for storing a liquid (ink liquid) to be discharged, and has a large number of inks for each color of yellow Y, magenta M, cyan C, and black K. A liquid discharge nozzle, that is, an ink discharge nozzle 5 is formed. The nozzle member 2 is formed of, for example, a sheet member having a thickness of about 15 to 20 μm, and is formed at a predetermined position thereof in a state where several hundred ink ejection nozzles 5 having a diameter of about 20 μm are aligned.
[0015]
The substrate member 3 is adhered to one surface of the nozzle member 2 via a liquid chamber forming member 6 described later. The substrate member 3 forms a side surface different from one side surface of the ink chamber 4, and has a heating resistance element 7 for discharging the ink liquid in the ink chamber 4 from the ink discharge nozzle 5. This is what is called a head chip. The heating resistance element 7 generates heat by applying a driving electric pulse to apply heat energy to the ink liquid contained in the ink chamber 4 to discharge the ink droplets 8 from the ink discharge nozzles 5. It is deposited on one surface of a semiconductor substrate 9 made of Si). The heating resistance element 7 has, for example, a square shape with one side of about 18 μm or a two-division shape formed of a division resistance element having a length of about 20 μm and a width of 9.6 μm.
[0016]
The liquid chamber forming member 6 laminated between the nozzle member 2 and the semiconductor substrate 9 has one end surface disposed close to the heating resistor element 7, and the surface of the nozzle member 2 and the surface of the semiconductor substrate 9. A space surrounded by the one end surface of the liquid chamber forming member 6 is an ink chamber 4. The liquid chamber forming member 6 is made of, for example, an exposure-curable dry film resist. After being laminated on the entire surface of the semiconductor substrate 9 on which the heat generating resistance elements 7 are formed, unnecessary portions are removed by a photolithography process. It is formed by. Note that the thickness of the liquid chamber forming member 6 is about 12 μm. The width of the ink chamber 4 is about 25 μm.
[0017]
The flow path plate 10 is bonded to the nozzle member 2. Inside the thickness of the flow path plate 10, an ink flow path 11 for supplying an ink liquid to the ink chamber 4 is formed. In addition, an ink supply pipe 12 communicating with the ink flow path 11 is connected to the flow path plate 10. One channel plate 10 is provided for each color ink, and four channel plates 10 are provided in parallel for four colors of Y, M, C, and K.
[0018]
In such a state, the heating resistance element 7 formed on the substrate member 3 and an external control unit (not shown) are electrically connected by a flexible substrate (not shown) and drive-controlled. The heating resistance element 7 is driven by applying a driving electric signal to apply heat energy to the ink liquid to eject the ink droplet 8 from the ink ejection nozzle 5.
[0019]
Here, in the present invention, the heating resistance element 7 is formed by forming a film of a compound of tantalum (Ta) and aluminum nitride (AlN). Further, a cavitation layer made of tantalum (Ta) or tantalum aluminum (TaAl) is formed as a coating layer for protecting the heating resistance element 7. The reason why AlN is used as the material of the heating resistance element 7 is that AlN is an insulator and has excellent thermal conductivity of 80 to 170 W / (m · K). Further, the reason why TaAl is formed as a coating layer for protecting the heating resistance element 7 is that TaAl, in which Al exists at the crystal grain boundary of the tetragonal structure β-Ta, is subjected to mechanical shock ( Cavitation is absorbed and alleviated, and at the same time, it functions as a protective layer against a chemical reaction due to the ink liquid component.
[0020]
Ta, which is a nitride of Ta ₂ When the standard heat of formation of N and AlN, which is a nitride of Al, is compared, the former is −21.73 kcal / g-mol, and the latter is −38.05 kcal / g-mol. By doing so, Al is nitrided, and a TaAlN compound containing AlN is formed. The inventors of the present application have found that in this TaAl compound, by changing the Al content, in particular, by setting the Al content to about 15 atom%, it is possible to form TaAl in which Al exists at the β-Ta crystal grain boundary. I have confirmed.
[0021]
When TaAl having an Al content of 15 atom% is formed by sputtering on the surface of the semiconductor substrate 9 using an alloy target (for example, Ta: Al composition = 6: 4) 13 made of TaAl as shown in FIG. And N in the deposition chamber ₂ When gas is added, N ₂ / Ar plasma is generated. This N ₂ The nitrogen active species in the / Ar plasma react with the TaAl film forming species in the TaAl sputtering film forming process. At this time, Ta ₂ Since the standard heat of formation of AlN has a larger negative value than that of N, nitridation of Al mainly proceeds, and AlN is generated. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 14 denotes a heated sample stage of the semiconductor substrate 9, which is on the anode side. Reference numeral 15 denotes a magnetron cathode, which is on the cathode side.
[0022]
In the case where the Al content is about 15 atom%, since Al exists at the crystal grain boundary of Ta, a TaAlN film in which AlN exists at the crystal grain boundary of Ta is formed as shown in FIG. You. AlN has a specific resistance of 1 × 10 ¹⁴ Since the insulator is μΩ-cm, it contributes to an increase in resistance. Further, the heat conductivity is 80 to 170 W / (m · K) (the heat conductivity of Ta is 54 W / (m · K)), which is a material having excellent heat conductivity. The inclusion contributes to an improvement in heat generation efficiency. Further, when AlN is present at the crystal grain boundary of Ta, the material also contributes to reinforcing the grain boundary, and becomes a material that is hardly broken.
[0023]
In the region where the Al content is 40 to 60 atom%, TaAl is in an amorphous state. ₂ It is possible to form TaAlN by nitriding TaAl by a reactive sputtering method using / Ar gas. In this case, as shown in FIG. ₄ N, Ta ₂ N, TaN _0.8 , AlN are mixed to form a film of TaAlN.
[0024]
In the above description, the heating resistance element 7 has been described as a film of TaAlN as a compound of Ta and AlN. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a film of TiAlN as a compound of titanium (Ti) and AlN is formed. May be. Alternatively, WAlN may be formed as a compound of tungsten (W) and AlN. TiAlN uses TiAl as the alloy target 13 and ₂ / Ar can be formed by a reactive sputtering method using a gas. WAlN uses WAl as the alloy target 13 and ₂ / Ar can be formed by a reactive sputtering method using a gas.
[0025]
The film formation of the heating resistance element 7 on the substrate member 3 is not limited to the sputtering method, but may be a film formed by a chemical vapor deposition method (CVD method).
[0026]
From the above, it is possible to form TaAlN, TiAlN or WAlN which is excellent in thermal conductivity and can realize high resistance, and by forming these as the heating resistance element 7 of the thermal type print head 1, It is possible to realize a print head in which heat energy loss due to parasitic resistance is reduced and stabilized, and drive current can be reduced.
[0027]
Next, a method of manufacturing the liquid ejection device configured as described above, for example, the print head 1, will be described with reference to FIGS. First, in FIG. 4, a cleaning process is performed on the semiconductor substrate 9 (Si substrate), a silicon nitride film is deposited on the semiconductor substrate 9, and a reactive ion etching process is performed through a lithography process to form a region on which a transistor is to be formed. To Si ₃ N ₄ Allow the film to remain. Then, a thermal oxidation process is performed to ₃ N ₄ A thermal silicon oxide film 16 serving as an element isolation region (LOCOS: Local Oxidation of Silicon) for isolating a transistor is formed in a region where the film is removed, for example, to a thickness of 500 nm. Thereafter, the thermal silicon oxide film 16 is etched, and the final film thickness becomes, for example, 260 nm.
[0028]
Next, a cleaning process is performed again, a gate having a tungsten silicide / polysilicon / thermal oxide film structure is formed in the transistor formation region, an ion implantation process for forming source / drain regions, and a heat treatment process are performed. -Oxide-semiconductor) transistor is formed. Through these steps, a drive circuit element 17 including a MOS drive transistor having a withstand voltage of about 25 V and a logic integrated circuit 18 including a MOS transistor operating at 5 V are formed. The MOS drive transistor having a withstand voltage of about 25 V is formed by forming a low-concentration diffusion layer or a thermal silicon oxide film between the gate and the drain, and relaxing the electric field of electrons accelerated at the portion to reduce the withstand voltage. Secure.
[0029]
Next, a PSG film, which is a silicon oxide film to which phosphorus has been added, is deposited to a thickness of, for example, 100 nm by a CVD method, and a BPSG film, which is a silicon oxide film to which boron and phosphorus have been added, has a thickness of, for example, 500 nm. Thus, a first interlayer insulating film 19a having a thickness of 600 nm is formed. Thereafter, a photolithography process is performed on the first interlayer insulating film 19a, and C ₄ F ₈ / CO / O ₂ A contact hole 20 is opened on the silicon semiconductor diffusion layer (source / drain) by using a reactive ion etching method using a / Ar-based gas.
[0030]
Next, dilute hydrofluoric acid cleaning is performed, Ti is deposited, for example, in a thickness of 30 nm, TiON barrier metal is deposited in a thickness of 70 nm, and Ti is further deposited in a thickness of 30 nm by sputtering, and Al containing 1 atom% of Si (or Cu atom of 0.5 atom% is added). Deposited Al) to a thickness of 500 nm. On this, TiON is deposited as an anti-reflection film, for example, to a thickness of 25 nm. Thereafter, a photolithography step and a dry etching step are performed to form a first-layer aluminum wiring (Al-Si or Al-Cu wiring) 21.
[0031]
Next, TEOS (tetraethoxysilane: Si (OC) is formed on the first layer aluminum wiring 21 by CVD. ₂ H ₅ ) ₄ ) Is used as a source gas to deposit a silicon oxide film. A coating type silicon oxide film containing an organic solvent called SOG (Spin on Glass) is applied on the upper layer. This laminated film is planarized by etching back the entire surface using a fluorine-based gas. By repeating this process twice, a silicon oxide film (SiO ₂ ) To form a second interlayer insulating film 19b.
[0032]
Next, in FIG. 5, a TaAlN film, for example, having a thickness of 50 to 100 nm is formed as the heating resistance element 7 on the second interlayer insulating film 19b by the reactive sputtering method. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the semiconductor substrate 9 is mounted on a sputter deposition chamber in a DC magnetron sputtering apparatus. Here, a Ta—Al alloy target 13 prepared by previously preparing Ta and Al at a ratio of 6: 4 and sintering is prepared, and N 2 is deposited in the sputtering film forming chamber. ₂ A gas and an Ar gas are introduced to cause glow discharge, and TaAlN is deposited by a reactive sputtering method.
[0033]
In this case, the heating temperature of the semiconductor substrate 9 is set to about 200 ° C., the applied DC power is about 2 to 4 kW, the Ar flow rate is constant at 25 sccm, ₂ The gas flow rate was varied from 5 to 25 sccm. The composition ratio of the Ta—Al alloy target 13 is Ta: Al = 6: 4. However, since the sputtering ratio of Ta and Al is different, the actually formed TaAl has an Al content of 15 atom%. Also, N ₂ By changing the gas flow rate, TaAlN having a specific resistance of 200 to 2000 μΩ-cm is formed.
[0034]
In the case where the Al content is 15 atom%, N ₂ If no gas is added, a film of TaAl having a structure in which Al exists at the β-Ta crystal grain boundary is formed. ₂ When the / Ar gas is used, TaAlN having a structure in which AlN exists at the crystal grain boundary of β-Ta is formed (see FIG. 3A). Also N ₂ By changing the gas addition amount, Ta ₄ N, Ta ₂ N, TaN _0.8 , AlN are mixed to form a film of TaAlN (see FIG. 3B). Thereafter, a photographic process is performed, and BCl ₃ / Cl ₂ By performing dry etching using a system gas, the heating resistor element 7 having a square shape or a two-part shape is formed.
[0035]
Next, in FIG. 6, Si is provided on the heating resistor 7 to protect the heating resistor 7. ₃ N ₄ A protective layer 22 made of a film is deposited, for example, to a thickness of 300 nm by the CVD method.
[0036]
Next, a portion serving as a contact region for connecting the heating resistance element 7 and a second-layer aluminum wiring 25 to be described later is defined. In FIG. 7, a photoresist process is performed on the deposited protective layer 22. Alms, CHF ₃ / CF ₄ / Si as the contact portion by dry etching using an Ar-based gas ₃ N ₄ Etch the film. A via hole 23 connecting the first-layer aluminum wiring 21 and the second-layer aluminum wiring 25 is formed by CHF. ₃ / CF ₄ / Open by dry etching using Ar-based gas.
[0037]
In FIG. 7, after opening the via hole 23, 200 nm of Ti is deposited, and as shown in FIG. 8, an Al film 24 to which 1 atom% of Si is added (or 0.5 atom% of Cu is added) is deposited to a thickness of, for example, 600 nm. Then, a TiON antireflection film is deposited thereon to a thickness of 25 nm.
[0038]
Next, a wiring pattern is formed on the Al film 24 by a photoresist process, and as shown in FIG. ₃ / Cl ₂ A second layer aluminum wiring (Al-Si or Al-Cu wiring) 25 is formed by dry etching using gas. The power supply wiring 25a and the ground (GND) wiring 25b to the heating resistance element 7 are formed by the aluminum wiring 25 of the second layer. In this case, Si ₃ N ₄ Since the layer is formed as the protective layer 22, it is possible to avoid damage to the heating resistance element 7 in this step. Since the first-layer aluminum wiring 21 and the second-layer aluminum wiring 25 are connected by the via hole 23, the heating resistor element 7 and the drive circuit element 17 are connected.
[0039]
Next, in FIG. 10, a Si overcoat layer is formed on the aluminum wirings 25, 25a and 25b of the second layer. ₃ N ₄ A protective layer 22 composed of a layer is deposited, for example, to a thickness of 400 nm by the CVD method. The protective layer 22 becomes, for example, a barrier layer for the ink liquid.
[0040]
Next, the semiconductor substrate 9 in this state is conveyed to a heat treatment furnace (not shown), and in a nitrogen gas (forming gas) atmosphere containing 4% hydrogen or a 100% nitrogen gas atmosphere, for example, at 400 ° C. for 60 minutes. Heat treatment is performed. This heat treatment stabilizes the contact between the first-layer aluminum wiring 21 and the second-layer aluminum wiring 25 at the contact portion, reduces the contact resistance, and further stabilizes the operation of the MOS transistor.
[0041]
Next, the heat-treated semiconductor substrate 9 is mounted on a sputter deposition chamber in a DC magnetron sputtering apparatus in FIG. 11, and a Ta film (β-Ta) as the cavitation layer 26 is deposited, for example, to a thickness of 200 nm. Thereafter, a desired protective layer pattern is defined by a photoresist process, and BCl ₃ / Cl ₂ The cavitation layer 26 is processed into a desired shape by dry etching using gas. The cavitation layer 26 absorbs and alleviates mechanical shock (cavitation) at the time of defoaming of the ink droplets, functions as a protective layer against a chemical reaction due to the ink liquid component, and serves as a coating layer for protecting the heat generating resistance element 7. . In this state, the substrate member 3 shown in FIG. 1 is manufactured, and becomes a so-called head chip.
[0042]
Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 12, a liquid chamber forming member 6 made of an organic material is adhered to the side surface of the portion of the substrate member 3 where the heating resistance element 7 is formed to form an ink chamber 4. The nozzle member 2 is bonded via the forming member 6. A large number of ink ejection nozzles 5 are formed in the nozzle member 2, and match the positions of the ink chambers 4. Thereby, the print head 1 as a liquid ejection device is manufactured.
[0043]
Although TaAlN having an Al content of 15 atom% has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when a TaAl alloy target 13 having a composition ratio of Ta: Al = 5: 5 is used, an amorphous TaAl having an Al content of 40 atom% is formed. When this is nitrided, Ta ₄ N, Ta ₂ N, TaN _0.8 It is also possible to form a film of TaAlN in which AlN and AlN are mixed, and to use this TaAlN as the heating resistor element 7.
[0044]
When the WAl alloy target 13 is used, a WAlN film in which W, WN and AlN are mixed is formed, and this is also useful as the heating resistor 7. Furthermore, when the TiAl alloy target 13 is used, a film of TiAlN in which TiN and AlN are mixed is formed, and this can also be applied as the heating resistance element 7. Both materials are BCl ₃ / Cl ₂ It can be processed by dry etching using gas or fluorine-based gas, and can be adapted to manufacture of a head chip using a semiconductor manufacturing process.
[0045]
Further, the film formation of the heating resistance element 7 on the substrate member 3 is not limited to the sputtering method, and may be formed by a chemical vapor deposition method (CVD method).
[0046]
Further, in the above description, the present invention is applied to the ink jet print head, but the invention is not limited to this, and the heating liquid resistance element is driven to discharge a predetermined liquid from the liquid discharge nozzle to the target. If it is, it can be applied to other liquid ejection devices.
[0047]
【The invention's effect】
Since the present invention is configured as described above, according to the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the first to third aspects, the heating resistance element for generating bubbles in the liquid contained in the liquid chamber is made of Ta, Ti or W. And a film of a compound of AlN, the heating resistance element is composed of, for example, a TaAlN compound, a TiAlN compound or a WAlN compound to stabilize the resistance value, and is driven because the resistance value is high. The current can be reduced. For this reason, the power supply can be downsized.
[0048]
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the cavitation layer made of Ta or TaAl is formed as a coating layer for protecting the heating resistance element, Al is formed at the crystal grain boundary of β-Ta having a tetragonal structure. The existing TaAl can, for example, absorb and alleviate mechanical shocks at the time of defoaming of the ink droplets, and can exhibit a function as a protective layer against a chemical reaction due to an ink liquid component.
[0049]
On the other hand, according to the method of manufacturing a liquid discharge device according to claims 5 to 7, the substrate member of the liquid discharge device is formed by a semiconductor manufacturing process such as a thin film process, a photolithography process, and an etching process, so that the heating resistance element is formed. For example, it is composed of a TaAlN compound, a TiAlN compound or a WAlN compound to stabilize the resistance value, and since the resistance value is high, the driving current can be reduced. Further, a high-density heating resistor element and a driving circuit element can be formed on the same semiconductor substrate.
[0050]
According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, by forming a cavitation layer made of Ta or TaAl as a coating layer for protecting the heating resistor element, Al is formed at a crystal grain boundary of β-Ta having a tetragonal structure. The existing TaAl absorbs and alleviates the mechanical impact of, for example, the defoaming of the ink droplets, and can form a protective layer that protects against a chemical reaction due to the ink liquid components.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing an embodiment of an ink jet type print head as an example of a liquid ejection apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a heating resistor element used for the print head is formed by a sputtering method.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a structure of, for example, a TaAlN compound as a heating resistor element formed by the sputtering method.
FIG. 4 is a process diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a liquid ejection device according to the present invention, and is an explanatory diagram illustrating a process for manufacturing an inkjet printhead as an example by a semiconductor manufacturing process.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a process of manufacturing a print head of an ink jet system by a semiconductor manufacturing process.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a step of similarly manufacturing a print head of an ink jet system by a semiconductor manufacturing process.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a step of similarly manufacturing a print head of an ink jet system by a semiconductor manufacturing process.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing a step of similarly manufacturing a print head of an ink jet system by a semiconductor manufacturing process.
FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing a step of similarly manufacturing a print head of an ink jet system by a semiconductor manufacturing process.
FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a step of similarly manufacturing a print head of an ink jet system by a semiconductor manufacturing process.
FIG. 11 is an explanatory view showing a step of similarly manufacturing a print head of an ink jet system by a semiconductor manufacturing process.
FIG. 12 is an explanatory view showing a step of similarly manufacturing a print head of an ink jet system by a semiconductor manufacturing process.
[Explanation of symbols]
1. Printhead (liquid ejection device)
2. Nozzle member
3 ... substrate member
4: Ink chamber (liquid chamber)
5. Ink ejection nozzle (liquid ejection nozzle)
6. Liquid chamber forming member
7. Heating resistance element
8 Ink droplets
9 ... Semiconductor substrate
10 ... channel plate
11. Ink flow path
12 ... Ink supply pipe
17 ... Drive circuit element
18. Logic integrated circuit
21. First layer aluminum wiring
25 ... second layer aluminum wiring
26 ... cavitation layer

Claims (8)

A liquid chamber containing a liquid to be discharged;
A heating resistance element arranged in the liquid chamber and for generating bubbles in the liquid,
A liquid discharge nozzle for discharging the liquid in the liquid chamber with the generation of the liquid bubbles by the heating resistance element,
A liquid ejection apparatus comprising: applying a drive electric signal to the heating resistance element to apply heat energy to the liquid to eject the liquid from the liquid ejection nozzle;
The liquid discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the heating resistor element is formed by forming a film of a compound of any of tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti), or tungsten (W) and aluminum nitride (AlN). 2. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat generating resistance element is formed by sputtering a substrate member. 2. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating resistor element is formed on a substrate member by a chemical vapor deposition method. 2. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a cavitation layer made of tantalum (Ta) or tantalum aluminum (TaAl) is formed as a coating layer for protecting the heating resistance element. Forming a drive circuit element on one surface of the semiconductor substrate;
Forming an interlayer insulating film on the semiconductor substrate;
Forming a compound of any of tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti) or tungsten (W) and aluminum nitride (AlN) on the interlayer insulating film to form a heat generating resistance element;
Forming a wiring layer connecting the heating resistor element and the drive circuit element;
Performing a heat treatment on the semiconductor substrate on which the wiring layer is formed;
Forming a liquid chamber having a liquid discharge nozzle on one wall surface for the heat-treated substrate member;
A method for manufacturing a liquid ejection device. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the heating resistance element is formed by a sputtering method. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the heating resistance element is formed by a chemical vapor deposition method. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein a cavitation layer made of tantalum (Ta) or tantalum aluminum (TaAl) is formed as a coating layer for protecting the heating resistance element.

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