JP2010184422A - Manufacturing method for liquid jetting head - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for manufacturing a liquid jetting head by simple processes. <P>SOLUTION: This manufacturing method for the liquid jetting head 100 includes: a process in which a board 10 is prepared; a process in which a sacrifice layer 20 is formed above the board 10; a process in which an oscillation plate 30 is formed above the sacrifice layer 20; a process in which a piezoelectric element 40 is formed above the oscillation plate 30; a process in which a sealing plate 50 is installed above the oscillation plate 30, and the piezoelectric element 40 is sealed; a process in which the board 10 is peeled; a process in which a sidewall member 70 which becomes the sidewall of a pressure chamber 72 is formed by a liquid phase process on the surface which is the opposite side from the surface on which the sealing plate 50 has been installed of the oscillation plate 30; and a process in which a nozzle plate 90 is installed under the sidewall member 70 to form the pressure chamber 72. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a liquid jet head.

  The liquid ejecting head is used in, for example, an ink jet printer that records information by causing ink droplets to fly and attaching the droplets to a recording medium. An ink jet printer has a feature that a high resolution and high quality image can be printed at a high speed with a relatively small apparatus configuration.

  Examples of the liquid ejecting head include a nozzle plate having nozzle holes for ejecting liquid, a vibration plate driven by a piezoelectric element, a pressure chamber whose volume is changed by the vibration plate, and a sealing plate for protecting the piezoelectric element. The ones provided are listed. When a liquid ejecting head is used in a printer or the like, it is required to narrow the interval between nozzle holes in order to increase the resolution of a printed image. Densification is required.

  Attempts have been made to manufacture such a high-density liquid jet head, for example, as a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) by applying a semiconductor manufacturing technique. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-6722 discloses that a liquid ejecting head is manufactured by forming a piezoelectric element or wiring on a silicon substrate and then processing the silicon substrate to form a pressure chamber. ing.

JP 2004-006722 A

  It is extremely effective to apply a semiconductor device manufacturing technique to increase the density of the liquid jet head. However, the liquid ejecting head has a portion that has a larger structure than a general semiconductor device. Therefore, if the semiconductor device manufacturing technique is applied as it is to the manufacture of the liquid jet head, a process requiring a long time, such as etching, may occur. For example, there is a step of forming a pressure chamber of the liquid jet head. In addition, when the process time is long, there is a risk of contamination of foreign matters.

  An object of some embodiments of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a liquid jet head by a simple process.

One aspect of a method of manufacturing a liquid jet head according to the present invention is as follows.
Preparing a substrate;
Forming a sacrificial layer above the substrate;
Forming a diaphragm above the sacrificial layer;
Forming a piezoelectric element above the diaphragm;
Providing a sealing plate above the diaphragm, and sealing the piezoelectric element;
Peeling the substrate;
Forming a side wall member serving as a side wall of the pressure chamber by a liquid phase process on the surface of the diaphragm opposite to the surface on which the sealing plate is provided;
Providing a nozzle plate below the side wall member to form the pressure chamber;
including.

  In this way, the liquid jet head can be manufactured by a simple process.

  In the present invention, when a specific B layer (hereinafter referred to as “B layer”) provided above a specific A layer (hereinafter referred to as “A layer”) is referred to as “B” directly on the A layer. This includes the case where the layer is provided and the case where the B layer is provided on the A layer via another layer.

In the method for manufacturing a liquid jet head of the present invention,
The step of forming the side wall member may be performed by a nanoimprint method.

In the method for manufacturing a liquid jet head of the present invention,
The step of forming the side wall member may be performed by a printing method.

In the method for manufacturing a liquid jet head of the present invention,
The step of forming the side wall member can be performed by at least one selected from letterpress printing, intaglio printing, transfer printing, screen printing, and microcontact printing.

In the method for manufacturing a liquid jet head of the present invention,
The sidewall member may be formed of at least one selected from glass, silicon oxide, silicon, silicone resin, acrylic resin, epoxy resin, novolac resin, and polyimide resin.

In the method for manufacturing a liquid jet head of the present invention,
The step of peeling the substrate may be performed by altering the sacrificial layer.

In the method for manufacturing a liquid jet head of the present invention,
The sacrificial layer may be formed of amorphous silicon,
The step of peeling off the substrate may be performed by irradiating the sacrificial layer with laser light.

In the method for manufacturing a liquid jet head of the present invention,
The sacrificial layer can be formed of a resin,
The step of peeling off the substrate may be performed by dissolving the sacrificial layer in a solvent or melting it with heat.

  The method of manufacturing a liquid jet head according to the present invention has a feature that the pressure chamber can be formed efficiently and the liquid jet head can be manufactured by a simple process.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a manufacturing process of the liquid jet head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a manufacturing process of the liquid jet head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a manufacturing process of the liquid jet head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a manufacturing process of the liquid jet head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a manufacturing process of the liquid jet head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a manufacturing process of the liquid jet head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a manufacturing process of the liquid jet head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a manufacturing process of the liquid jet head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a manufacturing process of the liquid jet head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a manufacturing process of the liquid jet head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a manufacturing process of the liquid jet head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a manufacturing process of the liquid jet head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a manufacturing process of the liquid jet head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the liquid jet head according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a manufacturing process of a liquid jet head according to a second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a manufacturing process of a liquid jet head according to a second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a manufacturing process of a liquid jet head according to a second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a manufacturing process of a liquid jet head according to a third embodiment.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the following embodiment demonstrates the example of this invention.

1. 1st Embodiment FIGS. 1-14 is sectional drawing which shows typically the manufacturing process of the liquid jet head concerning this embodiment. The method of manufacturing the liquid jet head according to the present embodiment includes a step of preparing a substrate, a step of forming a diaphragm, a step of forming a piezoelectric element, a step of sealing the piezoelectric element, and a step of peeling the substrate And a step of forming a side wall member and a step of forming a pressure chamber.

1.1. Step of Preparing Substrate First, the substrate 10 is prepared (FIG. 1). The substrate 10 is removed in a later process. The removed substrate 10 can be used again as the substrate 10 in this step. In this way, it is not necessary to prepare a new substrate. The thickness of the board | substrate 10 should just be a grade which has the intensity | strength which can handle the board | substrate 10 as a board, for example, can be 100-1000 micrometers. One of the functions of the substrate 10 is to become a support in a process until a sealing plate 50 is provided later. The substrate 10 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a glass substrate, a semiconductor substrate, and a metal plate.

1.2. Step of Forming Sacrificial Layer Next, the sacrificial layer 20 is formed above the substrate 10. The sacrificial layer 20 may be formed between the substrate 10 and the vibration plate 30, and another layer may be formed between the substrate 10 and the vibration plate 30. The thickness of the sacrificial layer 20 can be, for example, 10 to 1000 nm. One of the functions of the sacrificial layer 20 is to facilitate the peeling of the substrate 10 in the step of peeling the substrate 10 described later. Examples of the material of the sacrificial layer 20 include amorphous silicon, a soluble material, and a thermoplastic resin material. When the material of the sacrificial layer 20 is amorphous silicon, the sacrificial layer 20 is formed by a vapor deposition method such as a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method or a precursor of amorphous silicon (silicon ink). For example, an ink in which cyclopentasilicon is dissolved in toluene or the like) is applied by a spin coating method or an ink jet method, and can be formed by a liquid phase film forming method in which a modification treatment or the like is performed. When the material of the sacrificial layer 20 is a soluble material or a thermoplastic resin, the sacrificial layer 20 is coated with a soluble material or a thermoplastic resin dissolved in an appropriate solvent by a spin coating method or an inkjet method, and is subjected to a drying process or the like. It can be formed by a liquid phase film formation method.

  Examples of the soluble material that can be used for the sacrificial layer 20 include polyvinyl alcohol, a water-soluble polyurethane resin, and a resist material. Examples of the thermoplastic resin that can be used for the sacrificial layer 20 include an acrylic resin and a polyamide resin.

1.3. Step of Forming Diaphragm Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the diaphragm 30 is formed above the sacrificial layer 20. The diaphragm 30 can be, for example, at least one layer selected from zirconium oxide, silicon oxide, and aluminum oxide, or a laminate of the layers. The diaphragm 30 may be laminated with a metal layer such as stainless steel. The diaphragm 30 can have a function of vibrating when the piezoelectric element 40 is driven. The diaphragm 30 has a function of changing the volume of the pressure chamber 72 by being deformed by the operation of the piezoelectric element 40 after the pressure chamber 70 is formed. That is, when the volume of the pressure chamber 72 filled with the liquid decreases, the pressure inside the pressure chamber 72 increases and the liquid is ejected from the nozzle hole 92 of the nozzle plate 90. The vibration plate 30 can be formed on the substrate 10 by a method such as sputtering, vacuum deposition, or CVD. In the example of FIG. 2, the sacrificial layer 20 is formed on the substrate 10, and the diaphragm 30 is formed thereon.

1.4. Step of Forming Piezoelectric Element Next, the piezoelectric element 40 is formed above the diaphragm 30. As shown in FIG. 5, the piezoelectric element 40 includes at least a lower electrode 42, a piezoelectric layer 44, and an upper electrode 46. 3 and 4 show an example of the process of forming the piezoelectric element 40 on the diaphragm 30. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the lower electrode 42 is formed on the diaphragm 30. The lower electrode 42 is paired with the upper electrode 46 and functions as one electrode sandwiching the piezoelectric layer 44. The lower electrode 42 can be, for example, a common electrode for the plurality of piezoelectric elements 40. In the example of FIG. 5, the lower electrode 42 is drawn as a common electrode for the four piezoelectric elements 40. The lower electrode 42 can be electrically connected to an external circuit (not shown). The thickness of the lower electrode 42 can be set to, for example, 100 to 300 nm. The material of the lower electrode 42 is not particularly limited as long as it has conductivity. For example, various metals such as nickel, iridium, and platinum, their conductive oxides (for example, iridium oxide), composite oxides of strontium and ruthenium. Alternatively, a lanthanum and nickel composite oxide can be used. Further, the lower electrode 42 may be a single layer of the exemplified materials or a structure in which a plurality of materials are laminated.

  The lower electrode 42 can be formed by forming a conductor layer on the entire upper surface of the vibration plate 30 by a method such as sputtering, vacuum deposition, or CVD, and then patterning by photolithography or the like. The lower electrode 42 may be formed by a method that does not require patterning, such as a printing method.

The piezoelectric layer 44 is provided above the lower electrode 42. The thickness of the piezoelectric layer 44 can be set to 500 to 1500 nm. The piezoelectric layer 44 is stretched and deformed when an electric field is applied by the lower electrode 42 and the upper electrode 46, and can be deformed thereby to perform mechanical output. A piezoelectric material can be used for the piezoelectric layer 44. As a material of the piezoelectric layer 44, a perovskite oxide represented by a general formula ABO ₃ (for example, A includes Pb and B includes Zr and Ti) can be preferably used. Specific examples of such materials include lead zirconate titanate (Pb (Zr, Ti) O ₃ ) (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as “PZT” in this specification), zirconate niobate titanate. Lead acid (Pb (Zr, Ti, Nb) O ₃ ) (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as “PZTN” in this specification), barium titanate (BaTiO ₃ ), potassium sodium niobate ((K, Na ) NbO ₃ ) and the like. Of these, PZT and PZTN are more preferable as the material of the piezoelectric layer 44 because the piezoelectric performance is particularly good.

  The piezoelectric layer 44 can be formed by a sol-gel method, a CVD method, or the like. In the sol-gel method, a series of operations of raw material solution application, preheating, and crystallization annealing may be repeated a plurality of times to obtain a desired film thickness. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the piezoelectric layer 44a before patterning is formed on the entire surface.

  The upper electrode 46 is formed on the piezoelectric layer 44. The upper electrode 46 is paired with the lower electrode 42 and functions as one electrode sandwiching the piezoelectric layer 44. The thickness of the upper electrode 46 is not limited as long as it does not adversely affect the operation of the piezoelectric element 40. The thickness of the upper electrode 46 can be set to, for example, 50 to 200 nm. The material and formation method of the upper electrode 46 are the same as those of the lower electrode 42. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the upper electrode 46a before patterning is formed on the entire surface.

  4 and 5, the piezoelectric element 40 can be formed by laminating the piezoelectric layer 44a and the upper electrode 46a and then patterning them. Patterning of the upper electrode 46a and the piezoelectric layer 44a can be performed by forming a mask or the like using a method such as photolithography. In this step, photolithography or the like may be performed a plurality of times. The etching in this step can be performed by a method such as dry etching. The crystallization annealing of the piezoelectric layer 44 may be performed after the upper electrode 46 is formed.

  The piezoelectric element 40 may include a protective layer (not shown). The protective layer can be formed on at least the side surface of the piezoelectric layer 44. The protective layer has a function of preventing impurities such as moisture, hydrogen, and reducing gas diffused from the outside from entering or diffusing into the piezoelectric layer 44 and deteriorating the piezoelectric layer 44. That is, the protective layer has a barrier property against impurities such as moisture. With this function, the piezoelectric layer 44 is protected from impurities, and effects such as reduction of leakage current flowing along the side surface of the piezoelectric layer 44 can be achieved. The thickness of the protective layer depends on the material, but is preferably 1 to 2000 nm. If the thickness of the protective layer is less than 1 nm, the barrier performance of impurities may not be sufficiently obtained. If the thickness is greater than 2000 nm, the mechanical operation of the piezoelectric element 40 may be restricted.

  The protective layer is preferably formed of a material having a high impurity barrier property and a Young's modulus as low as possible. Such materials include inorganic compounds such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, and aluminum oxide, paraxylylene resins, polyimide resins, polyamide resins, epoxy resins, phenol resins, melamine resins, urea resins, Organic compounds such as benzoguanamine resins, polyurethane resins, unsaturated polyester resins, allyl resins, alkyd resins, epoxy acrylate resins and silicone resins, or modified products thereof, and organic / inorganic hybrid materials Is mentioned. The protective layer can also be formed of at least one selected from the materials exemplified above.

  In addition, the piezoelectric element 40 can be provided with wiring that is electrically connected to the upper electrode 46 as required (not shown). For example, the wiring can be provided by being electrically connected to the upper electrode 46 and extending. The wiring can be connected to a circuit element or the like. When the piezoelectric element 40 has a protective layer, a through hole may be formed in the protective layer, and the wiring 250 and the upper electrode 46 may be connected.

  As described above, the piezoelectric element 40 as shown in FIG. 5 is formed. When the piezoelectric element 40 is operated after the pressure chamber 72 is formed, the diaphragm 30 can be deformed. Thereby, the volume of the pressure chamber 72 can be changed.

1.5. Step of Sealing Piezoelectric Element Next, a sealing plate 50 is provided above the vibration plate 30 to seal the piezoelectric element 40. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the process of sealing the piezoelectric element 40. In this step, a sealing plate 50 is provided above the vibration plate 30, and the piezoelectric element 40 is sealed in a cavity 52 formed between the sealing plate 50 and the vibration plate 30.

  The sealing plate 50 has a shape that can cover the piezoelectric element 40. The sealing plate 50 covers the plurality of piezoelectric elements 40 in the illustrated example, but may have a shape that covers one piezoelectric element 40. The sealing plate 50 is provided without being in contact with the piezoelectric element 40. When the sealing plate 50 is provided, a cavity 52 is formed between the sealing plate 50 and the vibration plate 30. The shape of the cavity 52 has a rectangular cross section in the illustrated example, but is not limited thereto.

  The cavity 52 can be a sealed space. The inside of the cavity 52 may have a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure. The cavity 52 may be filled with an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon. The functions of the sealing plate 50 are to protect the piezoelectric element 40 from coming into contact with foreign matter, and to facilitate the handling of the actuator structure 60 when the substrate 10 is peeled off in a later step. , Etc. Examples of the material of the sealing plate 50 include metals, ceramics, silicon, and glass.

  Examples of the method of providing the sealing plate 50 above the vibration plate 30 include a method of bonding via an adhesive, a method of anodic bonding, and a method of normal temperature bonding. The diaphragm 30 and the sealing plate 50 may be joined in a decompression chamber or in a pressurization chamber. Further, the diaphragm 30 and the sealing plate 50 may be joined in a heated or cooled environment. When the sealing plate 50 is provided, an actuator structure 60 is formed as shown in FIG.

1.6. Step of peeling substrate Next, the substrate 10 is peeled off. After the substrate 10 is peeled off, the substrate 10 can be reused if it is washed as necessary. The substrate 10 can be peeled according to the properties of the sacrificial layer 20. The substrate 10 may be mechanically peeled off when the adhesive force of the sacrificial layer 20 is small. Further, the substrate 10 may be peeled off by altering the sacrificial layer 20.

  When the sacrificial layer 20 is altered and peeled, a specific method for altering the sacrificial layer 20 is as follows. When the sacrificial layer 20 is formed of amorphous silicon, the sacrificial layer 20 is formed on, for example, an excimer laser (XeCl). Amorphous silicon can be denatured by irradiation with light. Thereby, the adhesive force of the sacrificial layer 20 becomes small, and the peeling of the substrate 10 can be facilitated. Moreover, when the sacrificial layer 20 is formed of a thermoplastic resin, the thermoplastic resin can be softened by heating. Thereby, peeling of the board | substrate 10 can be made easy. Furthermore, when the sacrificial layer 20 is formed of a soluble resin, the soluble resin can be dissolved by immersing the substrate 10 before peeling in a solvent capable of dissolving the soluble resin. Thereby, peeling of the board | substrate 10 can be made easy.

  When the substrate 10 is peeled through this step, an actuator having a structure in which the piezoelectric element 40 is formed above the vibration plate 30 and the piezoelectric element 40 is sealed by the sealing plate 50 as shown in FIG. A structure 60 is obtained. The actuator structure 60 includes the sealing plate 50, and can be handled as a single plate in the subsequent steps.

1.7. Step of Forming Side Wall Member Next, the side wall member 70 that forms the side wall of the pressure chamber 72 is formed on the surface of the vibration plate 30 opposite to the surface on which the sealing plate 50 is provided by a liquid phase process. In this embodiment, this step is performed using a so-called nanoimprint method. 8-12 is sectional drawing which shows this process typically. 8 to 12, the actuator structure 60 is depicted upside down from FIG.

  First, as shown in FIG. 8, a raw material layer 70 a is formed by applying a raw material solution for the side wall member 70. Since the raw material liquid of the side wall member 70 has fluidity, this step is a kind of liquid phase process. Application of the raw material liquid can be performed by a method of dropping a liquid droplet of the raw material liquid, a spin coating method, an ink jet method, or the like. The amount of the raw material liquid to be applied can be adjusted as appropriate, but is preferably larger than the volume of the side wall member 70 to be formed. In the illustrated example, the applied raw material layer 70a is formed in a flat layer shape, but may be formed in a droplet shape.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9, a template 80 prepared in advance is pressed against the surface of the actuator structure 60 on which the raw material layer 70a is formed. The template 80 has a concavo-convex shape, and in the illustrated example, the protrusion 82 is formed so as to have the shape of the pressure chamber 72. The unevenness of the template 80 is formed so that the pressure chamber 72 corresponds to the piezoelectric element 40. Further, the depth of the pressure chamber 70, that is, the step between the convex portion and the concave portion of the template 80 is preferably, for example, 10 to 150 μm. The template 80 can be formed of a polymer material such as PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane), glass, metal, or the like. By this step, the applied raw material layer 70a flows and deforms according to the shape of the template 80, and the side wall member 70 having a shape as shown in FIG. 12 is formed.

  In the example of FIG. 10, the template 80 is pressed so as to contact the diaphragm 30. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the template 80 and the diaphragm 30 are pressed so as not to contact each other. The raw material layer 70 a between the template 80 and the diaphragm 30 as shown in FIG. 11 can be part of the diaphragm 30 after being cured, and can vibrate together with the diaphragm 30. In this way, the diaphragm 30 can be prevented from coming into contact with the liquid introduced into the liquid ejecting head 100, and the reliability of the diaphragm 30 can be improved.

  Next, the formed material layer 70 is cured by applying heat, light, or the like. Examples of the material of the side wall member 70 include glass and silicone resin. Examples of the raw material liquid include low-melting glass and silicone resin (for example, model number SCR-1015 manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.). When low melting glass is used as the raw material liquid, it can be cured by heating and then melting to cool. In the case where a silicone resin is used as the raw material liquid, it can be cured by heating in a state where the template 80 is pressed against the actuator structure 60 as shown in FIG. When a material that is cured by light is used as the raw material liquid, the template 80 can be formed of a transparent material and can be cured by irradiation with light from the template 80 side.

  As described above, the side wall member 70 is formed on the vibration plate 30 side of the actuator structure 60 (FIG. 12). The so-called nanoimprint method as described above does not require a step such as etching and is very simple. Therefore, according to the so-called nanoimprint method, the manufacturing process of the liquid ejecting head 100 can be greatly simplified as compared with the case of the conventional photolithography method. In this specification, the name of the nanoimprint method is used, but this name is not limited to the size of the unevenness of the template 80 being in the nanometer order.

1.8. Step of Forming Pressure Chamber Next, the nozzle plate 90 is provided below the side wall member 70 to form the pressure chamber 72. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing this step. Before this step, a space to be a pressure chamber 72 is formed between the side wall members 70 as shown in FIG. In this step, a nozzle plate 90 is provided below the side wall member 70 as shown in FIG. When the nozzle plate 90 is provided below the side wall member 70, a pressure chamber 72 is formed. The pressure chamber 72 is a space defined by the diaphragm 30, the side wall member 70, and the nozzle plate 90. The pressure chamber 72 can communicate with a reservoir or the like (not shown).

  The nozzle plate 90 has a nozzle hole 92. A plurality of nozzle holes 92 may be formed in the nozzle plate 90. The nozzle hole 92 is formed so as to communicate with the pressure chamber 72. The nozzle plate 90 can be formed of, for example, stainless steel, nickel, titanium, silicon, or the like. As a method for forming the nozzle hole 92 in the nozzle plate 90, a mechanical punching method or a method in which an ion etching method or a dry etching method is combined with photolithography or the like can be used.

  For joining the nozzle plate 90 and the side wall member 70, for example, a joining method using an adhesive can be used.

  After the nozzle plate 90 is provided, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, by dicing along the dicing line 1, the separated liquid jet head 100 can be manufactured. As described above, the liquid jet head 100 as shown in FIG. 14 can be manufactured.

  The manufacturing method of the liquid jet head according to the present embodiment uses the nanoimprint method in forming the pressure chamber 70. Therefore, the liquid ejecting head can be formed by a very simple process. Moreover, since the nanoimprint method is used, there are no steps such as etching. Therefore, the lower surface of the side wall member 70 when the nozzle plate 90 is provided is in a very clean state. Therefore, according to the manufacturing method of the liquid jet head of this embodiment, a highly reliable liquid jet head can be provided.

2. Second Embodiment A method of manufacturing a liquid jet head according to the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the step of forming the side wall member is different. Therefore, steps other than the step of forming the side wall member will be given the same name and reference numeral to the same member, and description thereof will be omitted.

  In this embodiment, the case where the transfer printing method is used for the step of forming the side wall member is illustrated. 15 to 17 are cross-sectional views schematically showing the manufacturing process of the liquid jet head of this embodiment. In FIG. 17, the actuator structure 60 is drawn upside down from FIG. Before this step, the actuator structure 60 as shown in FIG. 7 is formed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Also in this embodiment, the raw material liquid of the side wall member 70 has fluidity as in the first embodiment, so this step is a kind of liquid phase process.

  In the present embodiment, first, as shown in FIG. 15, the raw material layer 70 a is formed by applying the raw material liquid of the side wall member 70 to the flat plate 200. The thickness of the raw material layer 70a may be the same as the thickness of the side wall member 70, or may be formed to allow for evaporation of a solvent or the like. This step can be performed using a spin coating method, an ink jet method, a slit coating method, a spray coating method, or the like. As a material of the flat plate 200, for example, PDMS can be used.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 15, the master plate 210 is brought into contact with the raw material layer 70 a on the flat plate 200. When the master plate 210 is separated, unnecessary portions of the raw material layer 70a are removed from the flat plate 200 as shown in FIG. The removed material layer 70 a is adsorbed on the convex portion of the master plate 210. In this example, the portion of the flat plate 200 from which the material layer 70 a has been removed becomes the pressure chamber 72. As the material of the master plate 210, various resins, glass, silicon, nickel and the like can be used. Among the exemplified materials of the master plate 210, it is more preferable to use a material having high affinity with the raw material liquid. In the present embodiment, the material of the side wall member 70 can be silicon, silicon oxide, acrylic resin, epoxy resin, silicone resin, novolac resin, and polyimide resin.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 17, the flat plate 200 is brought into contact with the surface of the diaphragm 30 of the actuator structure 60. Then, when the flat plate 200 is peeled off, the raw material layer 70a is transferred to the actuator structure 60, and a side wall member 70 as shown in FIG. 12 is formed by appropriately performing heating, light irradiation, or the like.

  In the step of forming the side wall member 70 of the present embodiment, prior to providing the raw material layer 70a on the actuator structure 60, preliminary drying of the solvent or the like contained in the raw material layer 70a may be performed. When preliminary drying is performed, for example, deformation of the raw material layer 70a is suppressed, and the dimensional accuracy of the side wall member 70 can be further increased. In addition, by performing preliminary drying, a change in shape when the raw material layer 70a is formed into the side wall member 70 by heating, light irradiation, or the like can be further reduced.

  In this embodiment, the transfer printing method is illustrated, but this step can be similarly performed by at least one of a relief printing method, an intaglio printing method, a screen printing method, and a micro contact printing method. In any case, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

  In the present embodiment, the sidewall member 70 is formed by a printing method. Therefore, in order to adjust the thickness of the side wall member 70, this process can be performed several times. That is, in this embodiment, it is possible to easily increase the thickness of the side wall member 70 by stacking the side wall members 70. In this way, it is easy to form a pressure chamber 72 having a large aspect ratio, that is, a deeper pressure chamber 72.

  As described above, the side wall member 70 is formed on the vibration plate 30 side of the actuator structure 60 as shown in FIG. The printing method as described above does not require a step such as etching, and is very simple. Therefore, according to the printing method, the manufacturing process of the liquid jet head can be greatly simplified as compared with the case of the conventional photolithography method.

  Thereafter, the liquid jet head 100 is manufactured in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

  The manufacturing method of the liquid jet head according to the present embodiment uses a printing method in forming the pressure chamber 70. Therefore, the liquid ejecting head can be formed by a very simple process. Moreover, since the printing method is used, there is no step such as etching. Therefore, the lower surface of the side wall member 70 when the sealing plate 90 is provided is in a very clean state. Therefore, according to the manufacturing method of the liquid jet head of this embodiment, a highly reliable liquid jet head can be provided.

3. Third Embodiment FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the manufacturing process of the liquid jet head of this embodiment. The manufacturing method of the liquid jet head according to the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the step of forming the side wall member is different. Therefore, steps other than the step of forming the side wall member will be given the same name and reference numeral to the same member, and description thereof will be omitted.

  In this embodiment, the case where a photosensitive resin or a photosensitive adhesive is used for the step of forming the side wall member is illustrated. In FIG. 18, the actuator structure 60 is depicted upside down from FIG. Before this step, the actuator structure 60 as shown in FIG. 7 is formed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Since the photosensitive resin or the photosensitive adhesive has fluidity as in the first embodiment, this step is a kind of liquid phase process.

  In the present embodiment, first, as shown in FIG. 17, a raw material layer 70 a is formed by applying a photosensitive resin or a photosensitive adhesive to the diaphragm 30 of the actuator structure 60. The thickness of the raw material layer 70a may be the same as the thickness of the side wall member 70, or may be formed to allow for evaporation of a solvent or the like. This step can be performed using a spin coating method or an ink jet method.

  Next, a pattern is formed using a mask 82 or the like on a photosensitive resin or a photosensitive adhesive. The pattern to be formed becomes the side wall member 70, and a region to be the pressure chamber 72 is formed in the raw material layer 70a. This step can be performed in the same manner as in the photolithography method. The photosensitive resin or the photosensitive adhesive may be either a positive type or a negative type. As the photosensitive resin, for example, a novolac resin can be used, and as a commercial product, trade name TMMR-S2000 of Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd. can be used. As the photosensitive adhesive, for example, an adhesive such as an epoxy resin, an epoxy-acrylate resin, an acrylate resin, and a polyimide silicone resin can be used, and as a commercially available product, trade name U-100 of Taiyo Ink Co., Ltd. Can be used. An example of the developer is an aqueous tetramethylammonium hydroxide solution.

  After this step, the photosensitive resin or the photosensitive adhesive is patterned on the actuator structure 60, and heating, light irradiation, etc. are performed as appropriate to form the sidewall member 70 as shown in FIG. When the side wall member 70 is formed of a photosensitive adhesive, the side wall member 70 and the nozzle plate 90 can be joined without using an adhesive or the like in the next step of forming the pressure chamber 72. .

  In the step of forming the side wall member 70 of the present embodiment, a photosensitive adhesive sheet may be used instead of the photosensitive adhesive. In this case, a layer similar to the material layer 70a in FIG. 18 can be formed by attaching a photosensitive adhesive sheet to the vibration plate 30 of the actuator structure 60. Examples of the photosensitive adhesive sheet 360 include a sheet formed of a material such as an epoxy, and examples of commercially available products include a product name P-3Y manufactured by Nitto Denko Corporation.

  As described above, the side wall member 70 is formed on the vibration plate 30 side of the actuator structure 60 as shown in FIG. The method using the photosensitive resin or the photosensitive adhesive as described above does not require a step such as etching and is very simple. Therefore, the manufacturing process of the liquid jet head can be simplified as compared with the conventional photolithography method.

  Thereafter, the liquid jet head 100 is manufactured in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

  In the method of manufacturing the liquid jet head according to the present embodiment, a photosensitive resin or a photosensitive adhesive is used in forming the pressure chamber 70. Therefore, the liquid ejecting head can be formed by a simple process. In addition, when a photosensitive adhesive is used, it is not necessary to provide an adhesive or the like between the side wall member 70 when the sealing plate 90 is provided. Therefore, according to the manufacturing method of the liquid jet head of this embodiment, a highly reliable liquid jet head can be provided.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made. For example, the present invention includes configurations that are substantially the same as the configurations described in the embodiments (for example, configurations that have the same functions, methods, and results, or configurations that have the same purposes and effects). In addition, the present invention includes a configuration in which a non-essential part of the configuration described in the embodiment is replaced. In addition, the present invention includes a configuration that achieves the same effect as the configuration described in the embodiment or a configuration that can achieve the same object. Further, the invention includes a configuration in which a known technique is added to the configuration described in the embodiment.

  The manufacturing method of the liquid jet head according to the present invention can form the pressure chamber very easily, and can form the liquid jet head very efficiently.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Dicing line, 10 ... Board | substrate, 20 ... Sacrificial layer, 30 ... Diaphragm, 40 ... Piezoelectric element,
42 ... Lower electrode, 44, 44a ... Piezoelectric layer, 46, 46a ... Upper electrode, 50 ... Sealing plate,
52 ... Cavity, 60 ... Actuator structure, 70 ... Side wall member, 70a ... Raw material layer,
72 ... Pressure chamber, 80 ... Template, 82 ... Mask, 90 ... Nozzle plate, 92 ... Nozzle hole,
100 ... Liquid ejecting head, 200 ... Flat plate, 210 ... Master plate

Claims (8)

Preparing a substrate;
Forming a sacrificial layer above the substrate;
Forming a diaphragm above the sacrificial layer;
Forming a piezoelectric element above the diaphragm;
Providing a sealing plate above the diaphragm, and sealing the piezoelectric element;
Peeling the substrate;
Forming a side wall member serving as a side wall of the pressure chamber by a liquid phase process on the surface of the diaphragm opposite to the surface on which the sealing plate is provided;
Providing a nozzle plate below the side wall member to form the pressure chamber;
A method of manufacturing a liquid jet head, comprising: In claim 1,
The process of forming the said side wall member is a manufacturing method of the liquid jet head performed by the nanoimprint method. In claim 1,
The step of forming the side wall member is a method of manufacturing a liquid jet head, which is performed by a printing method. In claim 3,
The step of forming the sidewall member is a method of manufacturing a liquid jet head, which is performed by at least one selected from a relief printing method, an intaglio printing method, a transfer printing method, a screen printing method, and a microcontact printing method. In any one of Claims 1 thru | or 4,
The method of manufacturing a liquid jet head, wherein the side wall member is formed of at least one selected from glass, silicon oxide, silicon, silicone resin, acrylic resin, epoxy resin, novolac resin, and polyimide resin. In any one of Claims 1 thru | or 5,
The method of manufacturing a liquid ejecting head, wherein the step of peeling the substrate is performed by altering the sacrificial layer. In claim 6,
The sacrificial layer is formed of amorphous silicon;
The step of peeling the substrate is performed by irradiating the sacrificial layer with a laser beam. In claim 6,
The sacrificial layer is formed of a resin,
The step of peeling the substrate is performed by melting the sacrificial layer with heat or dissolving it in a solvent.

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