INK JET RECORDING HEAD AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF

Abstract

An ink jet recording head includes: a substrate; a plurality of ink discharge ports formed to a front face side of the substrate, and a plurality of ink flow paths communicating with the ink discharge ports; an ink supply opening extending through the substrate and communicating with the plurality of ink flow paths; and a filter formed in an opening portion of the ink supply opening arranged in the front face side of the substrate, the filter being constituted of two or more stacked films having formed therein a plurality of opening portions. In this case, the stacked films are arranged with a spacing therebetween.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an exemplary ink jet recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the ink jet recording head illustrated in FIG. 1 taken along the line II-II.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the filter illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating part of a basic process of fabricating the ink jet recording head illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C and SD are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating part of the basic process of fabricating the ink jet recording head illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating part of the basic process of fabricating the ink jet recording head illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating another exemplary ink jet recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating an exemplary ink jet recording head according to conventional art.

Claims

1. An ink jet recording head comprising: a substrate;a plurality of ink discharge ports formed to a front face side of the substrate, and a plurality of ink flow paths communicating with the ink discharge ports;an ink supply opening extending through the substrate and communicating with the plurality of ink flow paths; anda filter formed to an opening portion of the ink supply opening arranged in the front face side of the substrate, the filter being constituted of two or more stacked films having formed therein a plurality of opening portions,wherein the stacked films are arranged with a spacing therebetween.

2. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein at least one or more reinforcement layers are stacked on at least one layer of the films constituting the filter.

3. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein when the diameter of the ink discharge ports is z,the diameter of those opening portions is y which are formed to one of the films constituting the filter, the one film being closest to the ink discharge ports,the diameter of those opening portions is x which are formed in one of the films constituting the filter, the one film being at a longest distance from the ink discharge port, thenx>y and z>y.

4. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the central positions of fine opening portions formed in each film constituting the filter agree in a liquid flow direction of the fine opening portions.

5. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the films constituting the filter are Si oxidized films or Si nitride films.

6. The ink jet recording head according to claim 2, wherein the reinforcement layer is formed of a thermoplastic resin layer.

7. A method of fabricating an ink jet recording head having: a substrate; a plurality of ink discharge ports formed to a front face side of the substrate and a plurality of ink flow paths communicating with the ink discharge ports; and a common ink supply opening extending through the substrate and communicating with the plurality of ink flow paths, the ink jet recording head being provided with a filter formed in an opening portion of the ink supply opening arranged in the front face side of the substrate, the filter being constituted of films having formed therein a plurality of fine opening portions, wherein when anisotropic etching is applied to the substrate from a rear face side thereof to form the ink supply opening, a sacrifice layer formed to a film preliminarily formed on the substrate, infilling the fine opening portions is dissolved in etching liquid, whereby the filter is formed simultaneously with the ink supply opening.

8. A method of fabricating an ink jet recording head having: a substrate; a plurality of ink discharge ports formed to a front face side of the substrate and a plurality of ink flow paths communicating with the ink discharge ports; and a common ink supply opening extending through the substrate and communicating with the plurality of ink flow paths, the ink jet recording head being provided with a filter formed in an opening portion of the ink supply opening arranged in the front face side of the substrate, the filter being constituted of films having formed therein a plurality of fine opening portions, oxidized wherein when a resin layer preliminarily formed to the front face side of the substrate and stacked on patterned films is removed, the filter is formed simultaneously with the ink flow path.