LIQUID DISCHARGE HEAD AND PRODUCING METHOD THEREFOR

Abstract

For providing a producing method for a liquid discharge head having an excellent reliability in the insulation of test electrode pad, the invention provides a method for producing a liquid discharge head including a liquid discharge energy generating element for generating a liquid discharge energy, a liquid discharge port, a liquid flow path, an electric circuit for driving the liquid discharge energy generating element, a first electrode pad for exchanging electrical signals with the exterior and a second electrode pad for testing the electric circuit, the method including, preparing a substrate provided with a first wiring layer for forming the first electrode pad and a second wiring layer for forming the second electrode pad, forming an insulating film on the substrate so as to expose the first wiring layer and to cover the second wiring layer, forming a metal film by an electroless plating method on the surface of the first wiring layer, and stripping the insulating film.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are schematic views illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the ink jet recording head obtained by the present invention, and are respectively a perspective view and a partial cross-sectional view corresponding to a portion A-A.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic views illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and are respectively a plan view and a cross-sectional view corresponding to a portion A-A in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 11A and 11B are schematic views illustrating a prior ink jet recording head, and FIG. 11A is a perspective view and FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view along the line 11B-11B in FIG. 11A.

Claims

1. A method for producing a liquid discharge head which includes a liquid discharge energy generating element for generating a liquid discharge energy, a liquid discharge port for discharging a liquid, a liquid flow path communicating with the liquid discharge port, an electric circuit for driving the liquid discharge energy generating element, a first electrode pad for exchanging electrical signals with exterior and a second electrode pad for testing the electric circuit and in which the liquid is discharged from the liquid discharge port by the liquid discharge energy, the method comprising: firstly preparing a substrate provided with a first wiring layer for forming the first electrode pad and a second wiring layer for forming the second electrode pad;secondly forming a protective layer on the substrate so as to expose the first wiring layer and to cover the second wiring layer;thirdly forming a metal film by an electroless plating method on a surface of the first wiring layer; andfourthly stripping the protective layer.

2. A producing method for a liquid discharge head according to claim 1, further comprising, after the fourth stripping, fifthly covering the second wiring layer with a resin.

3. A producing method for a liquid discharge head according to claim 2, wherein the fifth covering includes forming an adhesive layer, by the resin which forms the layer covering the second wiring layer, for adhering a flow path wall forming member which constitutes walls of the liquid flow path to the substrate.

4. A producing method for a liquid discharge head according to claim 3, wherein the resin is a thermoplastic polyetheramide resin.

5. A producing method for a liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein each of the first wiring layer and the second wiring layer is formed by one of aluminum and an aluminum alloy.

6. A producing method for a liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the metal film formed in the third metal film formation is a gold bump.

7. A producing method for a liquid discharge head according to claim 6, wherein the gold bump is formed by providing an electroless nickel-phosphorus layer, an electroless substituted gold layer and an electroless reduced gold layer in this order on the first wiring layer.

8. A producing method for a liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the second protective layer formation includes forming the protective layer by a screen printing.

9. A producing method for a liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the second protective layer formation includes forming the protective layer on a conductive portion that may cause an electroless plating reaction, excluding a portion where the metal film is to be formed by the electroless plating in the third process.

10. A liquid discharge head, which includes a liquid discharge energy generating element for generating a liquid discharge energy, a liquid discharge port for discharging a liquid, a liquid flow path communicating with the liquid discharge port, and an electric circuit for driving the liquid discharge energy generating element, and in which the liquid is discharged from the liquid discharge port by the liquid discharge energy, the liquid discharge head comprising: a first electrode pad which is formed by providing an electroless nickel-phosphorus layer, an electroless substituted gold layer and an electroless reduced gold layer in this order on the first wiring layer and which serves for exchanging electrical signals with the exterior;a second electrode pad formed by the second wiring layer and serving for testing the electric circuit; anda flow path wall forming member formed on the second wiring layer across an adhesive layer and serving to form the liquid flow path.