JP3692842B2 - Inkjet printer head manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a manufacturing method capable of collectively forming ink discharge nozzles having a correct shape on an orifice plate of an ink jet print head in a short time.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, ink jet printers have been widely used. Inkjet printers include a thermal method in which ink is heated to generate bubbles and ink droplets are ejected by the pressure, and a piezo method in which ink droplets are ejected by deformation of a piezoresistive element (piezoelectric element). Since these inks, which are color materials, are ejected directly onto recording paper as ink droplets for printing, printing energy is low when compared with electrophotographic systems that use toner, which is a powdery printing material. Coloring is easy by mixing, and the print dots can be made small, so the image quality is high, the amount of ink used for printing is excellent, and the cost performance is excellent. Therefore, it is widely used especially as a personal printer. Printing method.
[0003]
The thermal system has two configurations depending on the ink droplet ejection direction. One is called a side shooter type that discharges ink droplets in a direction parallel to the heat generating surface of the heat generating element, and the other discharges ink droplets in a direction perpendicular to the heat generating surface of the heat generating element. This is called a roof shooter type having the above structure.
[0004]
  FIG. 15A is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration of a printer including such a roof shooter type ink jet printer head, and FIG. 15B schematically shows an ink discharge surface of the ink jet printer head. (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD 'of FIG.( d ) These are figures which show the silicon wafer with which this inkjet printer head is manufactured.
[0005]
First, the printer 1 shown in FIG. 1A is a small printer that is used personally at home. An ink jet printer head 3 that performs printing and an ink cartridge 4 that contains ink are attached to a carriage 2. It has been. On the one hand, the carriage 2 is slidably supported by the guide rail 5, and on the other hand is fixed to the toothed drive belt 6. As a result, the ink jet printer head 3 and the ink tank 4 are driven to reciprocate in the main scanning direction of printing as indicated by the double arrow B in the figure. A flexible communication cable 7 is connected between the inkjet printer head 3 and a control device (not shown) of the printer 1 main body, and print data and control signals are sent from the control device to the inkjet printer head 3 via the flexible communication cable 7. Is done.
[0006]
A platen 9 is disposed at the lower end of the frame 8 of the apparatus main body so as to face the ink jet printer head 3 and extend in the main scanning direction of the ink jet printer head 3. In contact with the platen 9, the paper 10 is intermittently conveyed by the paper feed roller 11 and paper discharge roller 12 in the printing sub-scanning direction indicated by the arrow C in the figure. During the period in which the intermittent conveyance of the paper 10 is stopped, the ink jet printer head 3 is driven by the motor 13 via the toothed drive belt 6 and the carriage 2 and ejects ink droplets in the state of being close to the paper 10 to make the paper surface. To print. Printing is performed on the entire surface of the paper 10 by repeating the intermittent conveyance of the paper 10 and the printing during the reciprocating movement by the ink jet printer head 3.
[0007]
In the past, monochrome printers have been mainstream in the past, but full-color printers are more mainstream nowadays. The ink jet printer head 3 used in the full color printer has four colors of ink applied to the orifice plate 15 stacked on the chip substrate 14 having a size of about 10 × 15 mm, as shown in FIG. Four parallel nozzle rows 16 for discharging are formed. Each nozzle row 16 has, for example, 128 orifices, that is, ink discharge nozzles 17 arranged in a row.
[0008]
As a method of manufacturing this ink jet printer head, there is a method in which a plurality of heating elements, a drive circuit for individually driving them and an ink discharge nozzle are collectively formed monolithically using silicon LSI formation technology and thin film formation technology. is there. According to this method, the heating elements corresponding to the 128 ink discharge nozzles 17 are formed on the 10 × 15 mm chip substrate 14 shown in FIG. Inkjet printer head 3 having a resolution of 360 dpi (dots / inch) in which 18 and drive circuit 19 are formed can be produced. If the resolution is 720 dpi, 256 heating elements, drive circuits, and ink discharge nozzles are formed.
[0009]
Such an ink jet printer head 3 is manufactured by forming a large number on the silicon wafer 21 shown in FIG. In addition to the ink discharge nozzle 17, the heat generating element 18, the drive circuit 19, and the like, individual wirings that individually drive the heat generating elements 18 are provided on each chip substrate 14 that is individually partitioned by a predetermined number on the silicon wafer 21. Electrode 22 and common electrode 23, wiring terminal 24 and power supply terminal 25 to them, partition wall 27 for forming ink flow path 26, ink receiving hole for receiving ink supplied from ink cartridge 4 external to ink flow path 26 28, a common ink supply groove 29, and the like are formed.
[0010]
The ink jet printer head 3 formed with the respective parts in the state of the silicon wafer 21 is finally cut along a scribe line using a dicing saw or the like, individually divided, and die-bonded to a mounting board. Then, the terminals are connected, and the ink jet printer head 3 in a practical unit is completed.
[0011]
In the ink jet printer head 3, the heat generating element 18 is selectively energized in accordance with the print information during printing, and instantaneously generates heat to generate a film boiling phenomenon, from the ink discharge nozzle 17 corresponding to the heat generating element 18. Ink droplets are ejected. In such an ink jet printer head 3, ink droplets are ejected in a substantially spherical shape having a size corresponding to the diameter of the ink ejection nozzle 17, and are printed on the paper surface with a diameter that is approximately twice that of the ink ejection nozzle 17.
[0012]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in order to make the ink discharge nozzles 17 perforated in the orifice plates 15 on each chip substrate 14, a metal film such as Al, Ni or Cu is laminated on the orifice plate 15, and then this is patterned. The orifice plate 15 is selectively etched by using a normal dry etching apparatus or an excimer laser or the like using the formed metal film as a mask.
[0013]
However, although the ink discharge nozzles 17 are required to be accurately formed at a predetermined position and with a predetermined size and shape, a large number of the ink discharge nozzles 17 can be properly opened on the thick orifice plate 15 at once. Since it is difficult, conventionally, a suitable number of pieces were divided into holes. For this reason, there is a problem that it takes time to make the ink discharge nozzle 17 perforated.
[0014]
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing an ink jet printer head in which a large number of ink discharge nozzles having a correct shape are collectively and appropriately opened on an orifice plate in a short time in view of the above-described conventional situation.
[0015]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  First, a method for manufacturing an ink jet printer head according to a first aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing an ink jet printer head for performing recording by applying pressure to ink and ejecting the ink from a plurality of ejection nozzles onto a recording medium. A step of installing a partition wall for partitioning a plurality of ink channels on the surface and a pressure energy generating element provided for each of the ink channels, and a step of forming an ink supply channel penetrating between the back surface of the substrate and the surface And shielding the flow path from the back surface of the substrate to the ink flow path via the ink supply path, and forming the discharge nozzle on the surface of the substrateThermoplastic polyimide adhesive was provided on both sidesInstalling the orifice plate;Forming a metal mask on the surface of the orifice plate;While the cooling medium gas is interposed on the back surface of the substrateBelow the glass transition point of the thermoplastic polyimidePlace the plurality of discharge nozzles in place on the orifice plate while cooling.Helicon waveThe method includes a step of collectively forming by etching and a step of releasing the shielding of the distribution path.
[0016]
The flow path shielding step is preferably performed by attaching a shielding sheet to the back surface of the substrate, for example, as in claim 2, and the solvent is disposed in the flow path, for example, as in claim 3. Alternatively, a soluble resin that is easily dissolved in water may be filled. In this case, the soluble resin preferably covers the pressure energy generating element as described in claim 4, for example.
[0017]
  Next, a method for manufacturing an ink jet printer head according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the method for manufacturing an ink jet printer head for performing recording by applying pressure to ink and ejecting the ink from a plurality of ejection nozzles onto a recording medium. A step of installing a partition wall for partitioning a plurality of ink flow paths and a pressure energy generating element provided for each ink flow path on the surface of the substrate, and the substrateWithout penetratingOn the surfaceonlyA step of forming an ink supply groove, a step of installing an orifice plate provided with a thermoplastic polyimide adhesive on the surface of the substrate on which the discharge nozzle is to be formed, and a metal mask on the surface of the orifice plate And forming the plurality of discharge nozzles on the orifice plate at a predetermined position by helicon wave etching while cooling the back surface of the substrate below the glass transition point of the thermoplastic polyimide while interposing a cooling medium gas. And the back side of the substrateIt is drilled from and formed on the surface sideForming an ink receiving hole communicating with the ink supply groove.
[0018]
  Furthermore, a method for manufacturing an ink jet printer head according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing an ink jet printer head in which pressure is applied to ink and the ink is ejected from a plurality of ejection nozzles onto a recording medium for recording. A partition partitioning a plurality of ink flow paths on the surface;the aboveInstalling a pressure energy generating element provided for each ink flow path, forming an ink supply path penetrating from the back surface of the substrate to the front surface, andShielding a flow path from the back surface of the substrate to the ink flow path via the ink supply path;The discharge nozzle should be formed on the surface of the substrateThermoplastic polyimide adhesive was provided on both sidesInstalling the orifice plate;Forming a metal mask on the surface of the orifice plate;The supply of the cooling medium gas to the back side of the substrate is started, and the substrate is moved while the gas is interposed.Below the glass transition point of the thermoplastic polyimideForming the plurality of discharge nozzles at predetermined positions on the orifice plate while cooling;Helicon waveEtching is started, and the supply of the cooling medium gas is stopped substantially immediately after the discharge nozzle has penetrated.Helicon waveFinish etchingHelicon waveAnd an etching process.
[0019]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C are views showing a manufacturing method of the monolithic type ink jet printer head in the first embodiment in the order of steps, and each of them is formed on a chip substrate of a silicon wafer in a series of steps. A schematic plan view and a cross-sectional view in a state of being formed are schematically shown. For convenience of explanation, these drawings show only one print head of the full-color inkjet printer head (the same as the configuration of the monochrome inkjet printer head). In addition, a plurality of (usually four) print heads are formed on one chip substrate. In addition, FIG. 6C shows the ink discharge nozzles 44 as 36 orifices, but in actuality, a large number such as 64, 128, 256, etc. are formed according to the design policy. .
[0020]
2 (a), (b), and (c) show the enlarged plan views of FIGS. 1 (a), (b), and (c) in the upper part, respectively, and the upper part shows the E- E 'cross-sectional arrow view (refer to the figure (a)), lower FF' cross-sectional arrow view (see the figure (a)) is shown in the lower stage. In addition, the cross-sectional view shown in the middle of FIGS. 1 (a), (b), and (c) is the same as the cross-sectional view shown in FIGS. 1 (a), (b), and (c), respectively. 2 (a), (b), and (c), 64, 128, or 256 ink discharge nozzles are represented by five ink discharge nozzles 44 for convenience of illustration. Show.
[0021]
First, a basic manufacturing method will be described. First, in step 1, a driver circuit and its terminals are formed on a silicon substrate of 4 inches or more by LSI formation processing, and an oxide film (SiO 2) having a thickness of 1 to 2 μm.₂ Next, in step 2, using a thin film formation technique, a layer of a heating resistor film composed of tantalum (Ta) -silicon (Si) -oxygen (O) and an adhesion layer such as Ti-W Then, electrode films made of Au or the like are sequentially stacked. Then, the electrode film and the heating resistor film are respectively patterned by a photolithography technique, and wiring electrodes are formed on both sides of a region to be a heating portion on the stripe-like heating resistor film. In this step, the position of the heat generating portion is determined.
[0022]
FIG. 1A and FIG. 2A show a state immediately after the above steps 1 and 2 are completed. That is, a drive circuit 31 and a drive circuit terminal 32 (see FIG. 1A) are formed on the chip substrate 30 under an insulating layer made of an oxide film, and a plurality of heating resistor layers are formed on the insulating layer. The common electrode 34 and the individual wiring electrode 36 are formed on both ends of the heat generating portion 33, and a plurality of heating elements including the common electrode 34, the heat generating portion 33, and the individual wiring electrode 36 are formed at predetermined intervals. The heat generating part rows 33 'and the individual wiring electrode rows 36' are formed in parallel. The common electrode 34 is formed with a common electrode power supply terminal 35 (see FIG. 1A).
[0023]
Subsequently, as step 3, a partition member made of an organic material such as photosensitive polyimide is formed to have a height of about 20 μm by coating so as to form an ink pressurizing chamber corresponding to each heat generating portion 33 and an ink flow path to these chambers. Then, after patterning by photolithography technology, curing (dry curing and baking) is performed by applying heat at 300 ° C. to 400 ° C. for 30 to 60 minutes, and the partition walls made of the photosensitive polyimide having a height of about 10 μm are formed on the chip substrate. 30 is formed and fixed. Further, as step 4, a common ink supply groove is formed on the surface of the chip substrate 30 by wet etching or sand blasting, and an ink receiving hole that opens to the lower surface of the chip substrate 30 is connected to the common ink supply groove. Form.
[0024]
FIG. 1B and FIG. 2B show a state immediately after the above-described step 3 and step 4 are finished. That is, the common ink supply groove 37 and the ink receiving hole 38 are formed so as to be surrounded by the common electrode 34. An ink seal partition wall 39-1 is formed on the common electrode 34 located on the left side of the common ink supply groove 37, and an ink seal partition wall 39-2 is formed on the portion where the right individual wiring electrode 36 is disposed. A partition wall 39-3 extending from the ink seal partition wall 39-2 to each heat generating portion 33 and the heat generating portion 33 is formed.
[0025]
If the ink seal partition wall 39-2 on the individual wiring electrode 36 is a comb body, the partition wall partition 39-3 extending between each heat generating portion 33 and the heat generating portion 33 has a shape corresponding to a comb tooth. There is no. As a result, by using the comb-tooth shaped partition wall 39-3 as a partition wall, the fine ink pressurizing chambers 41 in which the heat generating portions 33 are located at the root portions between the teeth are the same as the number of the heat generating portions 33. It is formed.
[0026]
Thereafter, as step 5, an orifice plate made of polyimide and having a thickness of 10 to 30 μm is stuck on the uppermost layer of the laminated structure, that is, the partition wall 39 (39-1, 39-2, 39-3) 290. The orifice plate is fixed by applying pressure while heating at ~ 300 ° C. Subsequently, a metal film having a thickness of about 0.6 to 1 μm such as Ni, Cu, or Al is formed.
[0027]
Further, as step 6, a metal film on the orifice plate is patterned to form a mask for selectively etching polyimide. Subsequently, the above-described metal film mask is formed on the orifice plate by a helicon wave etching apparatus described in detail later. Accordingly, a large number of ink ejection nozzles are collectively formed by making holes of 31 μmφ to 15 μmφ.
[0028]
FIG. 1C and FIG. 2C show a state immediately after the above-described step 5 and step 6 are finished. That is, the orifice plate 42 covers the entire area except the common power supply terminal 35 and the drive circuit terminal 32, and the ink pressurizing chamber 41 having a height of 10 μm formed by the partition wall 39-3 is a common ink supply groove. The opening is directed in the 37 direction. An ink flow path 43 having a height of 10 μm is formed to communicate the opening of the ink pressurizing chamber 41 with the common ink supply groove 37.
[0029]
The orifice plate 42 is formed with an orifice, that is, an ink discharge nozzle 44 at a portion facing the heat generating portion 33. Thereby, the mono-color inkjet printer head 45 provided with 64, 128, or 256 ink ejection nozzles 44 in one row is completed.
[0030]
As described above, the monocolor ink jet printer head 45 having the one row of ink discharge nozzles 44 is a monochrome ink jet printer head structure. In normal full color printing, however, yellow (Y), which is the three primary colors of subtractive color mixing. , Magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (Bk) dedicated to the black portions of characters and images, and a total of four colors of ink are required. Therefore, at least four nozzle rows are required.
[0031]
FIG. 3 (a) is a diagram showing a state in which a full-color inkjet printer head is configured by arranging four rows of the above-described mono-color inkjet printer heads 45. FIG. 3 (b) shows the full-color inkjet printer head on a silicon wafer. It is a figure which shows the state formed in large numbers. According to the manufacturing method described above, as shown in FIG. 3B, the chip substrate 46 set larger than the chip substrate 30 shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C is formed on the silicon wafer 47. A monocolor ink jet printer head 45 shown in FIG. 1 (c) is monolithically formed in four rows on the chip substrate 46, and a full color ink jet printer head 48 is shown in FIG. 3 (a). Can be manufactured, and the positional relationship of each nozzle row 49 can be accurately arranged by today's semiconductor manufacturing technology.
[0032]
Then, after processing in the state of the silicon wafer 47 by the manufacturing process described above, the silicon wafer 47 is finally cut along a scribe line using a dicing saw or the like, and is divided into each chip substrate 46 individually. A full-color inkjet printer head 48 shown in 3 (a) is completed. This is die-bonded to a mounting substrate and connected to a terminal to complete a full-color inkjet printer head 48 in a practical unit.
[0033]
Next, the ink discharge nozzle perforation by the helicon wave etching apparatus outlined in step 6 of the above-described ink jet printer head manufacturing method will be described in more detail. The reason why the helicon wave dry etching apparatus is used in this example is that the helicon wave dry etching apparatus can perform high-speed dry etching and increase the work efficiency. The helicon wave is a kind of electromagnetic wave propagating in the solid plasma, and is also called a whistler wave, and generates high-density plasma.
[0034]
FIG. 4A shows an inkjet print head 48 that is in the process of being subjected to the above-described pre-process for dry etching (however, only one heat generating portion 33 and its vicinity are used for the pressure energy generating element hereinafter. (B) is a diagram showing a state in which the inkjet print head 48 is dry-etched with a helicon wave dry etching apparatus. 2A shows the configuration on the chip substrate 46, the same components as those in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2C, and 2A, 2B, 2C. In FIG. 2, the same numbers as those in FIGS. 1 (a), (b), (c) and FIGS. 2 (a), (b), (c) are given.
[0035]
As shown in FIG. 2A, the orifice plate 42 is composed of three layers of an adhesive 51a, a polyimide film 52, and an adhesive 51b. The material of the adhesives 51a and 51b is, for example, thermoplastic polyimide or epoxy adhesive, and is coated on the front and back of the polyimide film 52 having a thickness of about 30 μm to a thickness of about 2 to 5 μm. When such a thermoplastic material such as the adhesive 51a or 51b reaches a temperature equal to or higher than the glass transition point, the elastic modulus is drastically decreased, the tackiness is increased, and the adhesive effect is exhibited.
[0036]
However, this property is a property required for the adhesive 51b on the back surface of the orifice plate 42 bonded to the partition wall 39 (39-1, 39-2, 39-3). Is an unnecessary property. Nevertheless, if only the adhesive 51b on the back surface is provided with the adhesive material 51a on the surface as well as the adhesive material 51b on the back surface of the orifice plate 42, the polyimide film 52 is processed in the manufacturing process. The polyimide film 52 is in the manufacturing process by giving the same thermal expansion characteristics to the front and back surfaces by the adhesive materials 51a and 51b as shown in FIG. This is to prevent the problem of raising.
[0037]
Such an orifice plate 42 is placed on the partition wall 39 (39-1, 39-2, 39-3) with the surface of the adhesive 51b facing the chip substrate 46, and the ink pressurizing chamber 41 or A lid is formed on the ink flow path 43, and the orifice plate 42 is heated to 200-250 ° C. for several tens of minutes in order to uniformly fix and bond the orifice plate 42 to the partition wall 39, and several Kg / cm²Apply the pressure of and fix.
[0038]
Subsequently, a metal film 53 having a thickness of about 0.5 to 1 μm, such as Ni, Cu, or Al, is formed as a mask material, and this is applied to the ink discharge nozzle 44 shown in FIG. 1 (c) or FIG. 2 (c). A corresponding pattern 54 is formed to form a mask for selectively etching the orifice plate 42. When a helicon wave dry etching apparatus is used to make the ink discharge nozzle 44 in the orifice plate 42 as in this example, the metal film 35 such as Ni, Cu or Al is used as a mask as described above. About 50 to 100 selectivity is obtained between the polyimide film 52 and the metal film 53. Therefore, the mask of the metal film 53 of 1 μm or less can be sufficiently used for etching the polyimide film 52 of about 30 μm.
[0039]
After the metal mask is formed, the chip substrate 46, that is, the silicon wafer 47 shown in FIG. 3B is put into a helicon wave etching apparatus, and the ink discharge nozzle 44 by dry etching is used as shown in FIG. 4B. Make a hole in the hole. Oxygen is used as a process gas for dry etching by a helicon wave etching apparatus. Oxygen for treatment O₂As shown in FIG. 4B, oxygen plasma 55 becomes oxygen ions 56 and oxygen radical atoms 57 and is sprayed on the metal mask surface in the helicon wave etching apparatus. Set up.
[0040]
By the way, the adhesive material 51a on the upper surface of the orifice plate 42 is not a serious problem when it is perforated by a normal dry etching apparatus or by excimer laser. However, when the helicon wave etching apparatus is used to perform the drilling operation at a high speed as in the present invention, the helicon wave etching uses a large ion current, so that the temperature rise of the work object is higher than when other etching methods are adopted. As a result, the following problems occur.
[0041]
Fig.5 (a) is a figure which shows the malfunction at the time of making a hole normally with a helicon wave etching apparatus, The figure (b) is a plane which shows the malfunctioning hole and its periphery of the figure (a). FIG. As shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b), when holes are normally made by the helicon wave etching apparatus, soot 58 is generated on the surface of the orifice plate 42. Etching residue remains or the shape of the discharge port 44 'is distorted. For this reason, there is a problem that ink is ejected in a direction different from the direction that should be ejected during printing, that is, the direction perpendicular to the surface of the orifice plate 42, and there is no need for minute details called satellites around the landing dots. There is a problem that the dots land.
[0042]
As a cause of wrinkles generated on the surface of the orifice plate 42, there is a large difference in thermal expansion coefficient between a metal mask such as Al, Cu or Ni and the adhesive 51a. However, as described above, the adhesive 51a on the surface of the orifice plate 42 is for preventing the orifice plate 42 from rolling up during the work process, and thus cannot be omitted.
[0043]
Therefore, in the method for making the ink discharge nozzle 44 to the orifice plate 42 by the helicon wave etching apparatus of the present invention, paying attention to the glass transition point Tg of the thermoplastic polyimide used as the adhesive 51a is about 200 ° C. Etching is performed while cooling the silicon wafer 29 to 200 ° C. or lower.
[0044]
FIG. 6 (a) is a diagram schematically showing a helicon wave etching apparatus, FIG. 6 (b) is a plan view of the wafer fixing stage, and FIG. 6 (c) is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 6 (a). It is. As shown in FIG. 2A, the helicon wave etching apparatus includes a wafer fixing stage 62 that projects from the process chamber 61 with a process chamber 61 as a center. The silicon wafer 47 shown in FIG. 3B is carried in from the left side of the apparatus as shown by an arrow G in FIG. 6A and is placed on the wafer fixing stage 62.
[0045]
The silicon wafer 47 is fixed by a mechanical chuck method (mechanically fixing method) or an electrostatic chuck method (electrostatically fixing method). The wafer fixing stage 62 is formed integrally with the support base 63 on the support base 63, and an RF (radio-frequency) bias of 13.56 MHz, for example, is grounded via the support base 63. Applied.
[0046]
Further, an antifreeze liquid from the low-temperature circulator 65 is circulated through the support base 63 in the wafer fixing stage 62. Further, a refrigerant gas 66 such as He gas for promoting heat conduction is introduced into a minute gap h generated between the wafer fixing stage 62 and the silicon wafer 47, which is a feature of the present invention, and a refrigerant feeding pump. 67, through a support base 63 and a coolant inlet path 68 disposed in the wafer fixing stage 62, and sent from a coolant outlet 69 opened on the wafer support surface of the wafer fixing stage 62, and a silicon wafer Cooling by the 47 low-temperature circulator 65 is promoted.
[0047]
That is, the helicon wave dry etching is performed by cooling the wafer fixing stage 62 of the helicon wave etching apparatus to −10 ° C. or less with a circulating antifreeze and interposing the refrigerant gas 66 between the wafer fixing stage 62 and the silicon wafer 47. In this case, the temperature rise of the silicon wafer 47 is effectively suppressed.
[0048]
Further, around the processing chamber 61, oxygen (O₂) A magnet 71 for confining the plasma 55 in the processing chamber 61 is disposed, and a source chamber 72 is disposed in the upper center of the processing chamber 61. An antenna 73 is arranged in two upper and lower stages around the source flow chamber 72, and an inner coil (inner coil) 74 and an outer coil (outer coil) 75 are arranged outside and outside in order to contain plasma. Has been.
[0049]
In the upper part of the source flow chamber 72, a pipeline 76 is opened, from which process gas (processing oxygen) is supplied. Further, a voltage of 13.56 MHz corresponding to the cycle of the ground side AC power source 64 is applied to the two-stage antenna 73 from a source power supply (source power source) 77, for example.
[0050]
With this configuration, the processing oxygen supplied from the pipeline 76 in the source flow chamber 72 is turned into plasma by the antenna 73 and sent into the processing chamber 61 by the inner coil 74 and the outer coil 75. The oxygen plasma 55 is passed through the support base 63 and the wafer fixing stage 62 in the processing chamber 61 through the silicon wafer 47 (that is, the chip substrate 46 of the ink jet printer head 48, actually in the state of the silicon wafer 47). The process is described as a chip substrate 46), and is attracted and accelerated by an RF bias voltage applied to it.
[0051]
A magnet 71 disposed on the peripheral wall surface of the processing chamber 61 prevents the electrons of the oxygen plasma 55 from disappearing on the wall surface. As a result, the oxygen plasma 55 flows down onto the chip substrate 46 in a uniform distribution, collides with the surface of the orifice plate 42 exposed by the mask pattern 54 of the metal film 53, and is etched. The processed process gas is discharged to the right side of the apparatus as indicated by an arrow J in FIG.
[0052]
In helicon wave etching, the electrode arrangement is not a parallel plate type as in RIE (reactive ion etching), but in the same way, the potential of the chip substrate 46 is in the direction of drawing oxygen ions with respect to the oxygen plasma 55. . As a result, the workpiece (orifice plate 47) is subjected to chemical etching using radical atoms 57 at the same time as the oxygen ions 56 are sputtered.
[0053]
For example, when the workpiece is polyimide, the main component is carbon, so CxHy + O → CO₂↑ + H₂Etching by the chemical reaction of O ↑. Therefore, in the above helicon wave etching, anisotropic etching such as hole processing can be performed with a high selectivity by using sputtering (physical etching) + radical reaction (chemical etching).
[0054]
By the way, although the chip substrate 46 is sufficiently cooled as described above, the above-described cooling method alone causes problems as shown in FIGS. When the reason was investigated, the following things became clear.
[0055]
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a cause of a problem that occurs even when the chip substrate 46 is etched while being cooled. That is, as shown in the figure, since the ink receiving hole 38 is opened on the back surface of the chip substrate 46, the refrigerant gas 66 is changed from the moment when the ink discharge nozzle 44 penetrates by the above helicon wave dry etching. As indicated by an arrow K in the figure, the ink escapes upward from the ink discharge nozzle 44 through the ink receiving hole 38, the common ink supply groove 37 and the ink flow path 43.
[0056]
Usually, in dry etching, residues such as the adhesive 51a adhere to the hole wall when the ink discharge nozzle 44 penetrates. Therefore, in order to remove them and finish to a desired appropriate shape, it takes 1 time. Overetching for about 3 to 3 minutes is performed. However, at this time, if the refrigerant gas 66 escapes upward from the ink discharge nozzle 44 as described above, the degree of vacuum in the gap h between the wafer fixing stage 62 and the back surface of the chip substrate 46 is increased, and the thermal conductivity is increased accordingly. Decreases, and the temperature of the chip substrate 46 rapidly increases.
[0057]
As a result, wrinkles are generated on the surface of the orifice plate 42 as shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b). At this time, the density of the oxygen plasma 55 'becomes non-uniform due to the refrigerant gas 66 blown out in a large amount above the orifice plate 42. As a result, the MOS transistors and capacitors of the drive circuit 31 are destroyed or deteriorated. It has also been found that this may cause damage to the drive circuit 31.
[0058]
In the first embodiment, in order to eliminate a problem caused by the refrigerant gas 66 escaping from the ink receiving hole 38 to the upper part through the ink discharging nozzle 44 when penetrating the ink discharging nozzle 44, the ink receiving hole is removed. 38 was temporarily sealed.
[0059]
FIG. 8A is a view showing an example in which a sheet with an adhesive is attached to the back surface of the chip substrate 46 to temporarily seal the ink receiving hole 38. FIG. 8B shows an ink discharge nozzle 44 by this method. FIG. 5C is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the ink discharge nozzle 44 having the correct shape when the holes are formed, and FIG. It is.
[0060]
A sheet 78 with an adhesive shown in FIG. 2A is a sheet having a two-layer structure in which a heat-peeling adhesive 81 is laminated on a polyester film 79 as a base material. The thermal peeling adhesive 81 has an adhesive force at room temperature, but has a property of being easily peeled off from the interface with the chip substrate 46 when the temperature exceeds a certain temperature. The peeling temperature is, for example, 90 ° C. or higher for the α type, 120 ° C. or higher for the β type, 150 ° C. or higher for the γ type, and the like.
[0061]
FIG. 9 is a chart showing the results of a test of the adhesive strength of the heat-peeling adhesive 81 using a PET film as the adherend. In the table, types α, β, and γ are shown in the leftmost column, and then the thermal peeling temperature (° C.) for each type is shown as “90, 120, 150”. As shown in the table, the adhesive of type β with a thermal peeling temperature of 120 ° C has an adhesive strength of 500 g / 20 mm before peeling even if the coating thickness is 15 μm thinner than the γ type with a thermal peeling temperature of 150 ° C. And the strongest compared to the other two types.
[0062]
In addition, when sticking the sheet 78 with the adhesive on the chip substrate 46, if air is caught in the interface between the chip substrate 46 and the thermal peeling adhesive 81, when the chip substrate 46 is carried into the helicon wave etching apparatus, In the vacuum, the above-described air that has been entrained expands and the chip substrate 46 is lifted from the wafer fixing stage 62, so a tool such as a roller or a brush is used so as not to entrain the air. And make it adhere.
[0063]
When the helicon wave etching shown in FIG. 6 (a) is performed in this way, the same uniform cooling state as shown in FIG. 6 (c) can be maintained even after the ink discharge nozzle 44 penetrates. Overetching can be performed with a margin, and the ink discharge nozzles 44 having a desired appropriate shape can be formed as shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C.
[0064]
After the helicon wave etching process is completed, the chip substrate 46 with the adhesive-attached sheet 78 attached is placed in an oven, and 3 ° C. at 90 ° C., 120 ° C. or 150 ° C. depending on the thermal peeling temperature of each adhesive. Heat for more than a minute. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8B, the thermal peeling adhesive 81 can be easily peeled without leaving the chip substrate 46 side.
[0065]
The following setting data is a process for making a hole in the orifice plate 42 by helicon wave etching on the chip substrate 46 when the adhesive sheet 78 coated with the thermal peeling adhesive 81 having a thermal peeling temperature of 90 ° C. is used. An example is shown.
[0066]
Orifice plate thickness; 16 μm
Ultimate vacuum: 5.6 × 10E-4
Process gas (oxygen): 50 sccm
Process pressure: 0.5Pa
Source power: 1000W
Bias power: 300W
Process time: 13 minutes
Circulator set temperature: -30 ° C
He flow rate for cooling: 10 sccm
Polyimide etching rate: about 1.6 μm / min
Under the above conditions, the etching time until the orifice plate penetrates is 10 minutes, and the over-etching time is 3 minutes. There was no decrease in the adhesive force of the adhesive-attached sheet 78 during processing, and the expansion of the chip substrate 46 due to the ink receiving hole 38 being blocked did not adversely affect the helicon wave dry etching.
[0067]
The temporary sealing of the ink receiving holes 38 of the chip substrate 46 is not limited to the sheet 78 with an adhesive, and for example, a dry film may be used.
FIG. 10 is a view showing an example in which the dry film 82 is laminated (laminated) on the back surface of the chip substrate 46 at 80 to 90 ° C. FIG. As described above, even if the dry film 82 is used, the ink receiving hole 38 can be closed. In this case, after completion of the piercing process by helicon wave dry etching, peeling is performed with a stripping solution such as monoethanolamine.
[0068]
FIGS. 11A to 11E are diagrams schematically showing a method of manufacturing the ink jet printer head in the second embodiment. The configurations shown in FIGS. 4 (a) to (c) are the same as those shown in FIGS. 4 (a), 8 (b), and (c) except that the order of manufacturing steps is slightly different. Accordingly, the same components as those in FIGS. 4A, 8B, and 8C are denoted by the same reference numerals.
[0069]
In the second embodiment, first, as shown in FIG. 11 (a), after a drive circuit (not shown) is formed on the chip substrate 46, the heat generating portion 33, the common electrode 34, the individual wiring electrode 36, In addition, a common ink supply groove 37 is formed, and a partition wall 39 (39-1, 39-2, 39-3 (not shown)) is further formed. Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, the orifice plate 42 is laminated, and as shown in FIG. 4C, a metal film 53 is formed, and a mask pattern 54 is formed. In this way, only the processing from the front side of the chip substrate 46 is performed, and the process proceeds to the hole making process by helicon wave dry etching, and the ink discharge nozzle 44 is formed as shown in FIG. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5E, an ink receiving hole 38 is formed from the back surface of the chip substrate 46 to communicate with the common ink supply groove 37 on the front side, and penetrates the ink flow path of the chip substrate 46.
[0070]
As described above, the formation of the ink receiving hole 38 shown in FIG. 5E in which the drilling operation is performed from the back surface of the chip substrate 46 has not yet been performed at the stage of the helicon wave dry etching shown in FIG. Therefore, when the ink discharge nozzle 44 penetrates, the ink flow path of the chip substrate 46 does not penetrate, so that the refrigerant gas 66 shown in FIG. Thus, as in the case of FIG. 8A or FIG. 10, the ink discharge nozzles 44 are provided in the same manner as in the case where the ink receiving holes 38 that are already vacant on the back surface of the chip substrate 46 are temporarily sealed. Even after the ink has penetrated, the uniform cooling state similar to that shown in FIG. 6C can be maintained, so that overetching can be performed with a margin, and the ink discharge nozzle 44 having a desired appropriate shape can be formed. form It can be.
[0071]
FIGS. 12A and 12B are views schematically showing a method for manufacturing the ink jet printer head in the third embodiment. The configuration shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B is the same as the configuration shown in FIGS. 4A and 8B and 8C, so FIGS. 12A and 12B. In FIG. 4, the same numbers as those in FIGS. 4 (a), 8 (b) and 8 (c) are given.
[0072]
In the third embodiment, first, as shown in FIG. 12 (a), the holes of the ink discharge nozzle 44 are formed by helicon wave dry etching shown in FIGS. 6 (a), 6 (b), and 6 (c). Make a void. The processing conditions in this case are the same as in the case of the first embodiment. Then, as shown in FIG. 12B, immediately after the ink discharge nozzle 44 penetrates, the refrigerant feed pump 67 is stopped to stop the blowing of the refrigerant gas 66 from the refrigerant blowing port 69 of the wafer fixing stage 62. (See FIGS. 6 (a), (b), (c)). Detection of the penetration of the ink discharge nozzle 44 will be described later.
[0073]
By stopping the blowing of the refrigerant gas 66 from the refrigerant blowing port 69 of the wafer fixing stage 62, the flow of the refrigerant gas 66 is stopped, the flow inertia and the pressure are lowered, and the ink discharge nozzle 44 moves in the direction of the penetrating ink. In this case, the refrigerant gas 66 in the vicinity of the ink receiving hole 38 is slightly removed, and most of the refrigerant gas 66 stays uniformly in the gap between the bottom surface of the chip substrate 46 and the top surface of the wafer fixing stage 62. Thereby, although it is a short period, the refrigerant | coolant function of the board | substrate cooling by the residence refrigerant | coolant gas 66 is maintained. Overetching is performed before the staying refrigerant gas 66 is dissipated.
[0074]
FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of helicon wave dry etching in the third embodiment. As shown in the figure, first, an orifice plate 42 is set on a substrate (silicon wafer 47), that is, laminated and fixed on a partition wall 39 (step S1). Next, a metal film 53 is formed on the surface of the orifice plate 42, and an etching mask 54 is formed on the metal film 53 (step S2).
[0075]
Subsequently, the substrate is placed in a helicon wave etching apparatus, fixed on the wafer fixing stage 62, the low temperature circulator 65 (see FIG. 6) is driven to circulate the antifreeze liquid, and the refrigerant feed pump 67 is driven. The flow of the refrigerant gas is started, and the substrate cooling refrigerant gas (He) 66 is sent between the substrate 47 and the wafer fixing stage 62 (step S3).
[0076]
Subsequently, helicon wave dry etching is started and penetration of the ink discharge nozzle is monitored (step S4). In this etching process, it takes about 10 minutes to penetrate the ink discharge nozzle. When the penetration point of the ink discharge nozzle is detected after about 10 minutes have elapsed (step S5), the coolant feed pump 67 is stopped to stop the flow of the coolant gas between the substrate 47 and the wafer fixing stage 62. (Step S6). In this process, approximately 100 msec elapses.
[0077]
Subsequently, the etching is continued for 1 minute, that is, after over-etching is performed for 1 minute, the helicon wave dry etching is stopped (step S7). This completes the perforation of the ink discharge nozzle 44 to the orifice plate 42.
[0078]
As described above, in this example, among the conditions shown in the case of the first embodiment, the time until the ink ejection nozzle penetrates the orifice plate is about 10 minutes. Since only the residual refrigerant gas is used for cooling, the over-etching processing time is set short and the over-etching time is 1 minute.
[0079]
Next, detection of the point of penetration of the ink discharge nozzle 44, which is a main part of this example, will be described. There are various methods such as emission spectroscopic analysis method, reflected light analysis method, gas analysis method, pressure measurement method, flow rate measurement method, etc. for detecting the point of penetration of the ink discharge nozzle 44. Any one of these methods can be used. Use.
[0080]
First, the emission spectroscopic analysis method detects light having a specific wavelength of a reaction product or a reaction gas generated in the plasma etching process in the above helicon wave dry etching, and monitors a change in light intensity with time. In the vicinity of the end point, since the substance contributing to the reaction decreases, the monitored signal changes. In this embodiment, light having a characteristic wavelength of a reaction product or reaction gas generated from polyimide is detected.
[0081]
Next, in the reflected light spectroscopy, when the object is composed of the object to be etched and the substrate, the reflected light of the object to be etched is observed during the etching, and the reflected light of the substrate is observed after the etching is penetrated. It will be a thing. In the case of the present embodiment, the reflected light of the polyimide, which is the orifice plate, is detected during etching, and the reflected light of Si, wiring material (Au, Al, etc.) or resistor (Ta-Si-O, etc.) is detected after etching. become.
[0082]
In addition, during the gas analysis method, during the etching, the ink discharge nozzle of the orifice plate does not penetrate, so the refrigerant gas flowing in the gap between the back surface of the substrate and the wafer fixing stage does not flow out to the substrate surface, but the ink discharge Refrigerant gas blows to the substrate surface immediately after penetrating the nozzle. The gas is detected. In this example, for example, He is detected.
[0083]
In addition, the pressure measurement method is such that during etching, the ink discharge nozzle of the orifice plate does not penetrate, so the refrigerant gas flowing in the gap between the back surface of the substrate and the wafer fixing stage does not flow out to the substrate surface. Refrigerant gas blows to the substrate surface immediately after penetrating the nozzle. That is, the etching end point is detected by the change in the pressure of the refrigerant gas before and after the ink discharge nozzle penetrates.
[0084]
In the flow rate measurement method, during the etching, the refrigerant gas flowing in the gap between the back surface of the substrate and the stage for fixing the wafer does not flow out to the substrate surface as described above. As a result, the point in time when the flow meter controlling the refrigerant gas changes is detected as the etching end point.
[0085]
FIGS. 14A to 14F are views schematically showing a method for manufacturing an ink jet printer head in the fourth embodiment. 1A shows the state of the chip substrate immediately after the above-described manufacturing steps 1 to 4, that is, the same state as FIG. 1B or FIG. 2B. The same number as (b) or FIG. 2 (b) is given.
[0086]
In this example, the processing method is slightly different from the state of FIG. That is, as shown in FIG. 4B, first, a water-soluble resin material such as PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) is coated on the surface of the chip substrate 46 as a protective film 84. Since the ink receiving hole 38 passes through the back surface of the chip substrate 46, when the protective film 84 enters the ink receiving hole 38 from the common ink supply groove 37, it is further prevented from entering the back surface of the chip substrate 46. It is preferable to attach an outflow prevention film (not shown) or the like to the back surface of the chip substrate 46, that is, the silicon wafer 47.
[0087]
The protective film 84 needs to be easily removed from the chip substrate 46 later. Therefore, for example, water-soluble resin materials such as PVA, polyvinyl ether, and polyethylene oxide that are soluble in water, and nylon and urea resins that are soluble in acidic solvents. Resin materials such as glyphtal resin and cellulose resin, resin materials such as polyester, urea resin and melamine resin that are soluble in alkaline solvents, or resin materials that are soluble in other solvents such as acetone, benzene, ethanol, chloroform, etc. Use.
[0088]
Moreover, as a coating method of this protective film 84, there are various methods such as spin coating, roll coating, spray coating, printing, pottering, molding, and any of these methods can be used.
[0089]
The protective film 84 coated on the partition wall 39 shown in FIG. 6B obstructs the subsequent application of the orifice plate 42. Therefore, the protective film 84 can be wiped off, scraped off, or other appropriate method. After the removal, the protective film 84 is cured by drying or the like. Further, the spill prevention film that has become unnecessary is peeled off. Next, in the same manner as in the normal manufacturing process, as shown in FIG. 4D, the orifice plate 42 is heated and bonded onto the partition wall 39 with an adhesive layer. A metal film 53 is formed, and a pattern 54 is formed.
[0090]
Subsequently, by helicon wave dry etching, as shown in FIG. 5E, the ink discharge nozzles 44 and especially holes (not shown) such as connection terminal portions are formed. In this case as well, over-etching is performed for an appropriate time after the holes of the ink discharge nozzles or the like have penetrated, but the etching process by the over-etching is received by the surface of the protective film 84 and is under the protective film 84. Etching is not directly applied to the heating element 33, the electrode portion, or the drive circuit 31, and therefore, there is no problem that the heating element 33 and the drive circuit 31 are damaged by overetching.
[0091]
Further, since the blowing of the refrigerant gas at the time of penetrating the ink discharge nozzle in the helicon wave dry etching described in the first to third embodiments is blocked by the protective film 84 blocking the ink flow path, the ink discharge nozzle penetrates. Thereafter, the cooling of the chip substrate 46 is maintained, whereby normal over-etching can be performed and the possibility of failure of the drive circuit due to blowing of the refrigerant gas is eliminated.
[0092]
Thereafter, the unnecessary protective film 84 is washed away with warm water and removed from the chip substrate 46 as shown in FIG. When a resin material other than water-soluble is used for the protective film 84, the protective film 84 is dissolved by an acid, alkali, solvent, or the like that can be dissolved. Moreover, the residue resulting from the dry etching which remained on the surface of the protective film 84 by the process which removes this protective film 84 can also be removed together.
[0093]
In the helicon wave dry etching described above, etching is performed using oxygen plasma. This oxygen plasma has a higher etching effect on organic substances such as resin materials than on inorganic substances and metals. Therefore, in the formation of the protective film 84 in this example, a resin material containing a metal or an inorganic substance having high etching resistance has a higher function as a protective film than using only the resin material. Specifically, PVA or other resin materials containing ceramics or glass particles such as alumina or silicon nitride, or metals such as Al, Ni, Cu, Fe, Co, or Ag are used as protective film materials. You may make it use.
[0094]
For the protective film, instead of the above resin or a resin material containing a metal or an inorganic material, a polyvinyl cinnamate photoresist, a rubber negative (cyclized polyisoprene / bisazide) photoresist, or novolak A resin-based positive photoresist, an azide compound-based photoresist, or the like may be used.
[0095]
In this case, after the protective film is coated on the chip substrate, exposure / development is performed to pattern the protective film so that the protective film remains on the portions other than the partition walls, and then the baking is performed to cure the protective film. Then, an orifice plate is attached, a metal film mask is formed, and the ink discharge nozzle is pierced by dry etching, and then the unnecessary protective film is peeled off with an alkali stripping solution or a solvent.
[0096]
This is because the protective film is provided with photosensitivity, so that a fine pattern can be formed using a photolithography technique, and fine processing can be performed in accordance with the miniaturization of the inkjet print head. Further, instead of the liquid photoresist as described above, a dry film resist material may be used. In this case, the dry film resist is attached by heating and pressing with a heating roller. Since this is a material that does not have fluidity compared with a liquid resist material, it is not necessary to attach an outflow prevention film to the back surface of the silicon wafer, and the process can be simplified.
[0097]
In the above embodiment, the ink discharge nozzle of the roof shooter type ink jet printer head has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be applied to the ink discharge nozzle of the side shooter type ink jet printer head. Further, the present invention is not limited to a thermal ink jet printer head, and can also be applied to an ink discharge nozzle of a piezo ink jet printer head.
[0098]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a helicon wave etching apparatus that can quickly open a large number of ink discharge nozzles at a high speed is used to cool the substrate from the ink discharge nozzles that penetrated during overetching. Since the ink discharge nozzle is perforated so that the refrigerant gas does not escape and the temperature of the inkjet head being manufactured does not rise, flaws are generated on the surface of the orifice plate, and residues generated by the perforation work remain in the ink discharge nozzle. This eliminates problems such as sagging, which enables the formation of ink discharge nozzles with the desired correct shape despite the formation of holes due to helicon wave dry etching that generates high temperatures, improving product yield and product cost. Contributes to the reduction of
[0099]
In addition, since a large amount of refrigerant gas is prevented from blowing to the upper surface of the substrate when penetrating the ink discharge nozzles, there is no risk of destruction of the drive circuit due to the refrigerant gas even though the refrigerant gas is used. It is possible to effectively use a helicon wave etching apparatus that can open the discharge nozzles at a high speed.
[0100]
Further, the ink flow path shielding member is used to block the escape path of the refrigerant gas and cover the heating element, thereby preventing the heating element from being damaged by overetching.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C are diagrams showing a method of manufacturing an ink jet printer head according to an embodiment in order of steps, and each is formed on a silicon chip substrate in a series of steps. A schematic plan view and cross-sectional view of the state are schematically shown.
Fig. 2 (a), (b), (c) is an enlarged view of the top view of Fig. 1 (a), (b), (c), and the middle is the upper E- E ′ cross-sectional arrow view, and the lower part is an upper FF ′ cross-section arrow view.
3A is a diagram showing a state in which a full-color inkjet printer head is configured by arranging four rows of mono-color inkjet printer heads, and FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a state in which many full-color inkjet printer heads are formed on a silicon wafer. It is.
FIG. 4A is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state before ink discharge nozzle holes are formed in the vicinity of the ink discharge nozzles, and FIG. 4B is a diagram showing a state in which holes are normally started by a helicon wave etching apparatus. .
5A is a diagram showing a defect when a hole is normally formed by a helicon wave etching apparatus, and FIG. 5B is a plan view showing the defect hole of FIG.
6A is a diagram schematically showing a helicon wave etching apparatus, FIG. 6B is a plan view of a wafer fixing stage, and FIG. 6C is a partially enlarged view of FIG.
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a cause of a problem that occurs even when a chip substrate is etched while being cooled.
8A is a diagram showing an example in which a sheet with an adhesive is pasted on the back surface of a chip substrate to temporarily seal an ink receiving hole, and FIG. 8B is a diagram showing the vicinity of an ink discharge nozzle having a correct shape formed by this method. FIG. 4C is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion, and FIG. 5C is a plan view showing a hole of the ink discharge nozzle in FIG.
FIG. 9 is a table showing the results of a test of the adhesive strength of a heat-peeling adhesive using a PET film as an adherend.
FIG. 10 is a view showing an example in which a dry film is laminated on a back surface of a chip substrate at 80 to 90 ° C. FIG.
FIGS. 11A to 11E are views schematically showing a method for manufacturing an ink jet printer head according to a second embodiment.
FIGS. 12A and 12B are views schematically showing a method of manufacturing an ink jet printer head in a third embodiment. FIGS.
FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for helicon wave dry etching in the third embodiment;
FIGS. 14A to 14F are diagrams schematically showing a method of manufacturing an ink jet printer head according to a fourth embodiment.
15A is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration of a printer having a conventional roof shooter type inkjet printer head, and FIG. 15B is a plan view schematically showing an ink ejection surface of the inkjet printer head. (c) is a sectional view taken along the line DD ′, and (c) is a view showing a silicon wafer on which an ink jet printer head is manufactured.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Printer
2 Carriage
3 Inkjet printer head
4 Ink cartridge
5 Guide rail
6 Toothed drive belt
7 Flexible communication cable
8 Body frame
9 Platen
10 paper
11 Paper feed roller
12 Paper discharge roller
13 Motor
14 Chip substrate
15 Orifice plate
16 nozzle array
17 Ink discharge nozzle
18 Heating element
19 Drive circuit
21 Silicon wafer
22 Individual wiring electrodes
23 Common electrode
24 Wiring terminal
25 Power supply terminal
26 Ink flow path
27 Bulkhead
28 Ink receiving hole
29 Common ink supply groove
30 chip substrate
31 Drive circuit
32 Drive circuit terminal
33 Heat generation part
33 'heating element row
34 Common electrode
35 Common electrode feed terminal
36 Individual wiring electrodes
36 'Individual wiring electrode array
37 Common ink supply groove
38 Ink receiving hole
39 Bulkhead
39-1, 39-2 Ink seal partition
39-3 Partition bulkhead
41 Ink pressurization chamber
42 Orifice plate
43 Ink channel
44 Ink discharge nozzle
45 Monocolor inkjet printer head
46 Chip substrate
47 Silicon wafer
48 full color inkjet printer head
49 Nozzle row
51a, 51b Adhesive
52 Polyimide film
53 Metal film
54 patterns
55, 55 'oxygen (O2) plasma
56 oxygen ions
57 Oxygen radical atoms
61 Process chamber
62 Wafer fixing stage
63 Support stand
64 Ground-side AC power supply
65 Low temperature circulator
h Clearance
66 Refrigerant gas
67 Refrigerant feed pump
68 Refrigerant delivery path
69 Refrigerant outlet
71 Magnet
72 Source chamber
73 Antenna
74 Inner coil (inner coil)
75 Outer coil (outer coil)
76 Pipeline
77 Source power supply
78 Sheet with adhesive
79 Polyester film
81 Heat release adhesive
82 Dry film

Claims (6)

In a method of manufacturing an ink jet printer head that performs recording by applying pressure to ink and ejecting the ink from a plurality of ejection nozzles onto a recording medium,
Installing a partition wall for partitioning a plurality of ink flow paths on the surface of the substrate and a pressure energy generating element provided for each of the ink flow paths;
Forming an ink supply path penetrating between the back surface and the front surface of the substrate;
Shielding a flow path from the back surface of the substrate to the ink flow path via the ink supply path;
Installing an orifice plate provided with a thermoplastic polyimide adhesive on the front and back of the substrate on which the discharge nozzle is to be formed;
Forming a metal mask on the surface of the orifice plate;
Forming the plurality of discharge nozzles collectively at a predetermined position by helicon wave etching on the orifice plate while cooling the back surface of the substrate to below the glass transition point of the thermoplastic polyimide while interposing a cooling medium gas;
And a step of releasing the shielding of the distribution path.   The method of manufacturing an ink jet printer head according to claim 1, wherein the shielding step of the distribution path is performed by attaching a shielding sheet to the back surface of the substrate.   2. The method of manufacturing an ink jet printer head according to claim 1, wherein the flow path shielding step is performed by filling the flow path with a soluble resin that is easily dissolved in a solvent or water.   4. The method of manufacturing an ink jet printer head according to claim 3, wherein the soluble resin covers the pressure energy generating element. In a method of manufacturing an ink jet printer head that performs recording by applying pressure to ink and ejecting the ink from a plurality of ejection nozzles onto a recording medium,
Installing a partition wall for partitioning a plurality of ink flow paths on the surface of the substrate and a pressure energy generating element provided for each of the ink flow paths;
Forming an ink supply groove only on the surface without penetrating the substrate;
Installing an orifice plate provided with a thermoplastic polyimide adhesive on the front and back of the substrate on which the discharge nozzle is to be formed;
Forming a metal mask on the surface of the orifice plate;
Forming the plurality of discharge nozzles collectively at a predetermined position by helicon wave etching on the orifice plate while cooling the back surface of the substrate to below the glass transition point of the thermoplastic polyimide while interposing a cooling medium gas;
A method of manufacturing an ink jet printer head, comprising: forming an ink receiving hole which is formed from the back surface side of the substrate and communicates with the ink supply groove formed on the front surface side . In a method of manufacturing an ink jet printer head that performs recording by applying pressure to ink and ejecting the ink from a plurality of ejection nozzles onto a recording medium,
Installing a partition wall for partitioning a plurality of ink flow paths on the surface of the substrate and a pressure energy generating element provided for each of the ink flow paths;
Forming an ink supply path penetrating from the back surface of the substrate to the front surface;
Shielding a flow path from the back surface of the substrate to the ink flow path via the ink supply path;
Installing an orifice plate provided with a thermoplastic polyimide adhesive on the front and back of the substrate on which the discharge nozzle is to be formed;
Forming a metal mask on the surface of the orifice plate;
The supply of the cooling medium gas to the back side of the substrate is started, and the plurality of discharge nozzles are placed at predetermined positions on the orifice plate while cooling the substrate below the glass transition point of the thermoplastic polyimide while interposing the gas. A helicon wave etching step for starting the helicon wave etching for forming the helicon wave, stopping the supply of the cooling medium gas substantially immediately after the discharge nozzle penetrates, and thereafter terminating the helicon wave etching after a predetermined time. A method of manufacturing an inkjet printer head, comprising:

Images