Patent Grant
7268315
Fluid-ejection devices, such as ink-jet print heads, usually include a die, e.g., formed on a wafer of silicon or the like using semi-conductor processing methods, such as photolithography or the like. A die normally includes resistors or piezoelectric elements for ejecting fluid, e.g., marking fluids, medicines, drugs, fuels, adhesives, etc., from the die, and a fluid-feed slot (or channel) that delivers the fluid to the resistors or piezoelectric elements so that the fluid covers the resistors or piezoelectric elements. Electrical signals are sent to the resistors or piezoelectric elements for energizing them. An energized resistor rapidly heats the fluid that covers it, causing the fluid to vaporize and be ejected through an orifice aligned with the resistor. An energized piezoelectric element expands to force the fluid that covers it through the orifice.
Traditionally, the fluid feed slot has been formed with an abrasive sand blast process. To facilitate the development of smaller parts, the fluid-feed slot in the wafer is now formed using an electromagnetic beam, such as a light or laser beam, which allows much greater dimensional control. Until recently, the fluid-feed slot was formed in the wafer using a laser beam, with a hydrofluorcarbon (HFC) assist gas. However, hydrofluorcarbon (HFC) assist gases are being phased out due to environmental concerns. For some fluid-feed slot formation processes, a water-assist process has replaced HFC assist processes. Some processes involve covering components formed on the wafer prior to forming the slot to protect them during the formation of the slot. However, such coatings are typically water-soluble and cause problems for the water-assist process.
In the following detailed description of the present embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments that may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice disclosed subject matter, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that process, electrical or mechanical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the claimed subject matter. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is defined only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
The components of fluid-ejection device 120 are formed on a wafer 122, e.g., of silicon, that may include a dielectric layer 124, such as a silicon dioxide layer. Hereafter, the term substrate 125 will be considered as including at least a portion of wafer 122 and at least a portion of dielectric layer 124. A number of print head substrates may be formed simultaneously on a single wafer die, each having an individual fluid-ejection device.
Liquid droplets are ejected from chambers 126, e.g., often called firing chambers, formed in the substrate 125, and more specifically, formed in a barrier layer 128 that for one embodiment may be from photosensitive material that is laminated onto substrate 125 and then exposed, developed, and cured in a configuration that defines chambers 126.
The primary mechanism for ejecting a liquid droplet from a chamber 126 is an ejection element 130, such as a piezoelectric patch or a thin-film resistor. The ejection element 130 is formed on substrate 125. For one embodiment, ejection element 130 is covered with suitable passivation and other layers, as is known in art, and connected to conductive layers that transmit current pulses, e.g., for heating the resistors or causing the piezoelectric patches to expand.
The liquid droplets are ejected through orifices 132 (one of which is shown cut away in
Chambers 126 are refilled with liquid after each droplet is ejected. In this regard, each chamber is continuous with a channel 136 that is formed in the barrier layer 128. The channels 136 extend toward an elongated feed channel (or slot) 140 (
The just mentioned components (barrier layer 128, resistors 130, etc.) for ejecting the liquid drops are mounted to a top (or upper surface) 142 of the substrate 125. For one embodiment, the bottom of the fluid-ejection device 120 may be mounted to a fluid reservoir portion, e.g., of an ink cartridge, or feed channel 140 may be coupled to a separate reservoir, such as an off-axis ink reservoir, e.g., by a conduit, at the bottom so that the feed channel 140 is in fluid communication with openings to the reservoir. Thus, refill liquid flows through the feed channel 140 from the bottom toward the top 142 of the substrate 125. The liquid then flows across the top 142 (that is, to and through the channels 136 and beneath the orifice plate 134) to fill the chambers 126.
For one embodiment, a controller 360 is connected to light source 340 and air/water source 355. For another embodiment, controller 360 includes a processor 362 for processing computer/processor-readable instructions. These computer-readable instructions, for performing the methods described herein, are stored on a computer-usable media 364, and may be in the form of software, firmware, or hardware. As a whole, these computer-readable instructions are often termed a device driver. In a hardware solution, the instructions are hard coded as part of a processor, e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip. In a software or firmware solution, the instructions are stored for retrieval by the processor 362. Some additional examples of computer-usable media include static or dynamic random access memory (SRAM or DRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically-erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM or flash memory), magnetic media and optical media, whether permanent or removable. Most consumer-oriented computer applications are software solutions provided to the user on some removable computer-usable media, such as a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM).
For one embodiment, controller 360 is connected to an optical sensor 370, such as a photo diode having a nanosecond or faster response time at the wavelength emitted by light source 340, such as silicon PIN detector model number ET-2030 for wavelengths between 300 and 1100 nm that is available from Electro-Optics Technology, Inc. (Traverse City, Mich., USA) for sensing whether light beam 330 penetrates upper surface 142 forming a “pinhole” 375 in upper surface 142. If light beam 330 penetrates upper surface 142 and pinhole 375 is sufficiently large, water from water-containing jet 350 can pass through pinhole 375 and reach protective layer 320, causing protective layer 320 to dissolve, leaving layer 310 unprotected. Portions of the dissolved protective layer 320 may also mix with substrate debris resulting in reduced solubility of the protective layer. Following cleaning, residual debris restricts or completely blocks the various channels 136 (
At substantially the same time as pinhole 375 is formed, a portion of light beam 330 passes through pinhole 375, passes through an optional filter 372, e.g., an ultra-violet filter, and is sensed by optical sensor 370. For one embodiment, optional filter 372 may be selected to limit the amount of laser light reaching the optical sensor 370 to reduce the likelihood of signal saturation or damage to sensor 370. For another embodiment, may be chosen to selectively block any extraneous light generated by the laser removal process (e.g., a narrow band-pass filter centered on the wavelength of light source 340), such as laser generated plasma emissions. Optical sensor 370 converts the sensed light beam into a signal indicative of the light beam and transmits the signal to controller 360. For one embodiment, controller 360 keeps track of the number of pinholes, and compares the number to a predetermined (or acceptable) number of pinholes. If the number of pinholes exceeds the predetermined number, an indication of too many pinholes is given, e.g., in the form of an audible and/or visual alarm, and/or light source 340 and water-containing jet 350 are stopped.
In some embodiments, optical sensor 370 is mounted off a central axis of light beam 330, e.g., off a central axis of a likely location of a pinhole 375, so that it senses the pinhole 375 at an angle relative to light beam 330, as shown in
For another embodiment, the amount of light, and thus a size of the pinhole, is related to an amplitude, e.g., voltage, of the signal. For some embodiments, the amplitude is compared to a predetermined (or an acceptable) amplitude corresponding to an acceptable pinhole size. If the amplitude exceeds the predetermined amplitude, an indication that the pinhole is too large is given, e.g., in the form of an audible and/or visual alarm, and/or light source 340 and water-containing jet 350 are stopped. For some embodiments, the predetermined number of pinholes depends on the size of the pinholes. For these embodiments, a collective size of the pinholes is determined by summing the size of each pinhole over the number of pinholes. The collective size may then be compared to a predetermined collective pinhole size. If the collective size exceeds the predetermined collective size, an indication of this is given, e.g., in the form of an audible and/or visual alarm, and/or light source 340 and water-containing jet 350 are stopped. For one embodiment, forming feed channel 140 with light beam 330 and water-containing jet 350 proceeds until a pinhole is sensed, thereby establishing a depth limit for feed channel 140 for which the water-containing jet 350 can be used.
In a further embodiment, optical sensor 370 may include a camera, e.g., an analog or digital camera, with a video card and a processor for converting and monitoring the output of individual video lines of the analog camera or individual pixels of the digital camera. For one embodiment, controller 360 may process signals from the camera. For another embodiment, a field of view of the camera can be adjusted by a correct choice of camera lens so that only the area being scanned directly with light beam 330 is monitored, thereby increasing the sensitivity.
After feed channel 140 reaches a predetermined depth, such as when a pinhole is sensed, water-containing jet 350 is turned off, any remaining water is removed from feed channel 140, and, as shown in
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein it is manifestly intended that the scope of the claimed subject matter be limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof.
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