Patent Grant
6887393
The invention relates to a printhead used in equipment or forming, through successive scanning operations, black and colour images on a print medium, usually though not exclusively a sheet of paper, by means of the thermal type ink jet technology, and to the relative manufacturing process.
Depicted in
The printer may be a stand-alone product, or be part of a photocopier, of a plotter, of a facsimile machine, of a machine for the reproduction of photographs and the like. The printing is effected on a physical medium 46, normally consisting of a sheet of paper, or a sheet of plastic, fabric or similar.
Also shown in
x axis: horizontal, i.e. parallel to the scanning direction of the carriage 42; y axis: vertical, i.e. parallel to the direction of motion of the medium 46 during the line feed function; z axis: perpendicular to the x and y axes, i.e. substantially parallel to the direction of emission of the droplets of ink.
The composition and general mode of operation of a printhead according to the thermal type technology, and of the “top-shooter” type in particular, i.e. those that emit the ink droplets in a direction perpendicular to the actuating assembly, are already widely known in the sector art, and will not therefore be discussed in detail herein, this description instead dwelling more fully on only those features of the heads and the head manufacturing process of relevance for the purposes of understanding this invention.
The current technological trend in ink jet printheads is to produce a large number of nozzles per head (≧300), a high definition (≧600 dpi), a high working frequency (≧10 kHz) and smaller droplets (≦10 pl) than those produced in earlier technologies.
Requirements such as these make it necessary to produce actuators and hydraulic circuits of increasingly smaller dimensions, greater levels of precision, and strict assembly tolerances. They also exasperate the problems generated by the different coefficients of thermal expansion among the different materials the head is made of.
Greater reliability is also required of the heads, especially where there is allowance for interchangeability of the ink tank: the service life of these heads, called semifixed refill heads, is close to that of the printers.
Thus there is a need to develop and produce fully integrated monolithic heads, in which the ink ducts, the selection microelectronics, the resistors and the nozzles are integrated in the “wafer”.
Achievement of a result such as this is furthered by the small dimensions of the drops, now of volumes less than 10 pl (pl=picolitre), and which require actuation energies of less than 3 μj (μj=microjoule) per actuator.
Numerous solutions for producing heads with a monolithic actuator have been proposed, such as for instance the one described in the Italian patent application TO 99A 000610 “Monolithic Printhead and Associated Manufacturing Process”.
In the same figure, in an enlarged section AA, parallel to the plane z-x, the following may be seen:
According to the patent application cited, the groove 45 is produced in part in a “dry etching” step and in part in a “wet etching” step, both known to those acquainted with the sector art. The wet etching proceeds according to geometrical planes defined by the crystallographic axes of the silicon, which set the orientation of the groove 45 along the x-y plane. To be able to produce the columns of nozzles 56 parallel to the groove 45, there is therefore the need to dispose of references accurately aligned to the crystallographic axes of the silicon: with the aid of
A circular shaped wafer 66 commonly has a reference 65, called “flat” by those acquainted with the sector art, oriented perpendicularly to one of the crystallographic axes of the silicon, with an error angle ε generally contained within ±1°. A geometric reference 63 is constructed perpendicular to the flat 65. The groove 45, etched in a wet process, will on the other hand be parallel to the crystallographic axis of the silicon, and thus rotated by the angle ε with respect to the geometric reference 63. If the columns of nozzles 56 were oriented parallel to the geometric reference 63, they would not be parallel to the groove 45, thereby compromising operativity of the head.
This makes it necessary to construct a crystallographic reference 62 (
To this end, various test notches 55 are etched, of circular shape and arranged according to an arc of a circle with centre C. Then a wet etching is performed which, local to each notch, produces a square-shape subetching having sides parallel to the crystallographic axes of the silicon. Generally the sides of the subetchings of two notches, indicated with a and b, happen to belong to one and the same straight line: the crystallographic axis sought is perpendicular to the radius r which joins a median point between a and b with C, and becomes visible when the crystallographic reference 62 is plotted, parallel to which the columns of the resistors 27 and of the corresponding nozzles 56 are aligned.
The process described enables to reduce the error angle ε for example to within ±0.1°, but is highly complex. It also requires that the mask defining the groove, which is necessarily on the face of the wafer that contains the crystallographic reference 62, be aligned to the masks which define the other parts of the actuator, which are on the opposite side of the wafer.
Methods have therefore been proposed by means of which it is possible to etch the groove 45 in such a way that the latter aligns automatically to a desired reference, such as for instance to the columns of the nozzles 56, even if the crystallographic axis of the silicon has a slightly different orientation. One of these methods is described for instance in the article “A Thermal Inkjet Printhead with a Monolithically Fabricated Nozzle Plate and Self-Aligned Ink Feed Hole” published in the Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, Vol. 8, No. 3, September 1999, and is herein described summarily with the aid of
On applying a voltage V between the cathode 81 and the metallic layer 71 a current field flows, indicated by the field lines 52, which assumes a shape defined with precision by the geometry of the insulating layer 35 of LOCOS SiO2 and by the silicon P+ contact 37. The substrate 140 of silicon P is etched electrochemically local to the field lines 52 until the metallic layer 71 is reached. In this way the electrochemical grooves 68 are made (
The electrochemical etching also has the advantage of being fast (from 20 to 30 μm per minute), much faster than wet anisotropic etching (from 0.5 to 1 μm per minute) and ICP dry etching (from 5 to 10 μm per minute).
The electrochemical grooves 68, however, have extremely rounded edges which increase their length on the side facing the cathode 81, which will be turned towards the ink tank during operation: when the different grooves 68 are close together, as is the case in colour heads with a large number of nozzles, the silicon between them is excessively diminished, and no longer has a flat surface coplanar with the edges of the die, rendering a subsequent sealing operation difficult. Also in a monochromatic head, which has a single groove as can be seen in
The object of this invention is to produce a monolithic head in which the grooves are self-aligned with precision to the columns of resistors and nozzles.
Another object is to avoid the process of making the crystallographic reference.
Another object is to avoid the procedure of precision alignment to the crystallographic reference, instead using only the geometric reference.
Yet another object is to produce the grooves with well-defined edges at the ink feeding side.
Another object is to make the grooves with edges parallel to the columns of resistors.
A further object is to produce the grooves with edges of limited and precise dimensions on the ink feeding side.
Another object is to produce the grooves without diminishing the silicon between any two of the same.
A further object is to have flat and coplanar surfaces between the grooves and on the edges of the die, ensuring correct sealing without needing to increase die dimensions.
Another object is to perform the last groove etch step in a short time, close in duration to that of the other steps of the production process, so as not to slow down the production flow or avoid use in parallel of numerous and burdensome equipment.
A further object is to produce a first portion of the etch of the groove that allows an intermediate storage of the semiprocessed wafers.
These and other objects, characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment, provided purely by way of non-restrictive example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1—represents an axonometric view of an ink jet printer;
FIG. 2—represents an axonometric view of an ink jet head;
FIG. 3—represents an axonometric view and a section view of an actuator of a monolithic head, according to the known art;
FIG. 4—represents a wafer of semiconductor material, provided with an orienting flat;
FIG. 5—represents a wafer of semiconductor material, in which test notches have been made;
FIG. 6—represents a section of a wafer of semiconductor material, in which an electrochemical etch is made according to the known art;
a—represents the section of the wafer of
b—represents the section of a monochromatic die as it appears at the end of the electrochemical etching according to the known art;
FIG. 8—illustrates the flow diagram of the manufacturing process according to the invention;
FIG. 9—illustrates a section of an actuator at the start of the manufacturing process according to the invention;
FIG. 10—illustrates a section of the actuator after the dry etching step;
FIG. 11—illustrates a section of the actuator after the wet etching step;
FIG. 12—illustrates a section of the actuator after the production of a structure and sacrificial layers;
FIG. 13—illustrates a section of the actuator ready for the electrochemical etching step;
FIG. 14—illustrates a section of the actuator during the electrochemical etching step;
FIG. 15—illustrates a section of the finished actuator;
FIG. 16—illustrates a section of an actuator in a second embodiment;
FIG. 17—illustrates the flow diagram of a manufacturing process according to a third embodiment;
FIG. 18—illustrates a section of the actuator according to the third embodiment, after the steps of dry etching, wet etching and production of a structure and sacrificial layers;
FIG. 19—illustrates a section of the actuator according to the third embodiment after the electrochemical etching step;
FIG. 20—illustrates a section of the finished actuator according to the third embodiment;
FIG. 21—represents a section of the actuator according to a fourth embodiment, after the steps of dry and wet etching, and production of the sacrificial layers;
FIG. 22—represents a view of the die according to the fourth embodiment;
FIG. 23—represents a section of the finished actuator according to the fourth embodiment.
The manufacturing process of a monolithic actuator for printhead with self-aligned groove is now described, with the aid of the flow diagram of FIG. 8.
In a step 200, a wafer 66 of silicon is prepared, a portion of which can be seen in a section parallel to the plane x-z in
The wafer 66 also features the geometric reference 63, visible in the projection parallel to the x-y plane.
In a step 201 a layer 107 of photoresist is deposited on the lower face 171 of the wafer, between 4 and 5 μm thick for example.
In a step 202, again described with the aid of
The rectangular aperture 73 is aligned in such a way that its sides of length M are parallel to the geometric reference 63.
In a step 203, described with the aid of
This etching, indicated with the numeral 45′, has two walls parallel to the y-z plane and constitutes a first part of the future groove 45, which accordingly assumes precise, delimited dimensions.
In a step 205, etching of the groove 45′ continues by means of a wet technology, which uses KOH or TMAH for instance, as is known to those acquainted with the sector art. Etching of the groove 45′ proceeds according to geometric planes defined by the crystallographic axes of the silicon, as illustrated in
The wet etch partially attacks the parallel walls of the dry etching as well, making them divergent, and produces a “subattack” under the layer 165 of Si3N4, following which corners 110 result.
As the wet etching of the groove 45′ proceeds according to geometric planes defined by the crystallographic axes of the silicon, the bottom 111 of the groove 45′ is practically never perfectly aligned to the geometric reference 63, but generally exhibits the error angle ε and as a result a misalignment D between its extremities, as may be seen in the bottom part of
The misalignment D can easily assume unacceptable values: if for example the length M is equal to half an inch (12.7 mm) and the error angle ε is equal to 0.5°, we obtain:
D=M·tan ε=12.7 mm·0.0087=111 μm
As the resistors 27 are located approximately at about 100 μm from the bottom of the groove 45, a misalignment D of 111 μm is intolerable.
Alternatively arrangements may be made to use a wafer selected with error ε limited for instance to 0.25°. If the length M is maintained at 12.7 mm, we obtain D =55 μm, which is still unacceptable.
Even when we produce the crystallographic reference 62, which allows the error ε to be reduced to within 0.1°, but the length M is great, for example of 1 inch (25,4 mm), the misalignment obtained is still unacceptable:
D=M·tan ε=25.4 mm·0.0017=44 μm
The corners 110, on the other hand, are aligned to the geometric reference 63 parallel to the column of resistors 27, as the first mask was aligned in this way.
Progress of the wet etching is somewhat slow (from 0.5 to 1 μm per minute) but this does not constitute a drawback in this step, as many wafers can be processed simultaneously in a single bath, using a process stop dictated by time, depth T of the etch not being critical.
In a step 206 any residues of the layer 107 of photoresist and the two protection layers 166 of fluoro-polymer are removed, using a known plasma etching process, in oxygen for example.
In a step 207 the LPCVD layer 165 of Si3N4 on the lower face 171 is removed using a plasma etching, for instance, in CF4. On the other hand, the layer 165 on the upper face 170 is left. Alternatively this step 207 may be omitted.
In a step 208 the layers indicated in
The anti-cavitation layer 26 is interrupted by an aperture that includes the window 122, but it is electrically connected to the layer 37 of silicon P+ by means of conducting “vias”, not shown in any of the figures.
In a step 210, again described with reference to
In a step 212, casts 156 are made, having the same shape as the future nozzles 56, preferably truncated cone shape, also preferably made of positive photoresist, of the AZ 4903 type produced by Hoechst or SPR 220 by Shipley for instance. The manufacturing characteristics and function of the casts 156 are described in detail in the patent application TO 2000A 000526 “Process for Manufacturing a Monolithic Printhead with Truncated Cone Shape Nozzles”.
The two steps 212 and 213 may be carried out with a single application of photoresist and a double exposure.
In a step 213 a structure 75 is made, which may be made of negative photoresist, either epoxy type (for example, EPON SU-8 by Micro Chemical Corporation) or polyamide (for example, Probimide 7020 by Olin Hunt).
In a step 214 the layer 167 of LPCVD Si3N4 made on the lower face 171 and on the inside of the groove 45′ during the step 207 is removed, with particular attention being paid to removing it from the bottom 111.
In a step 215, described with reference to
In a step 216, again described with reference to
In this way, a current field is established, indicated by the field lines 52, which traverses the groove 45′ and the substrate 140 of silicon P, producing an electrochemical etching of the bottom 111, which is progressively removed until the layer 37 of silicon P+ is reached.
In a step 217, described with reference to
This terminates the etching of a end portion 45″ by way of completion of the groove 45. The end portion 45″ has a depth Q of about 200 μm and is etched in about 10 minutes; it still has converging walls, which generally form an angle different from α.
During this step, the walls of the portion 45′ of the groove are also partially eroded, but this does not alter the functionality of the groove 45. The lower face 171 and the edges that this forms with the groove 45 are not eroded to any appreciable extent, the structure of silicon between adjacent grooves therefore remains unaltered.
The shape and orientation of the end portion 45″ are defined with exactness by the geometry of the N-well layer 36, of the layer 37 of silicon P+, which conveys on itself the current field, and of the window 122 in the LOCOS layer 35. In this way, the length along the y axis of the end portion 45″ is exactly aligned to the geometric reference 63, not shown in this figure, and therefore to the columns of resistors 27 and of the corresponding nozzles 56, in a way completely independent of the error angle ε.
When the layer 37 of silicon P+ is almost completely eliminated, some of its residues may remain electrically separated from the “vias” of connection with the anti-cavitation layer 26, and therefore, no longer being traversed by current, they are not eliminated by the electrochemical etching. In this case, a further wet or dry etching may be necessary to completely eliminate each residue of the layer 37 of silicon P+.
In a step 220, described with reference to
In a step 224, the wafer 60 is cut into the single dice 61 by means of a diamond wheel, not shown in any of the figures.
Finally in a step 225, the finishing operations, well-known to those acquainted with the sector art, are carried out.
2nd Embodiment
This embodiment is described with reference again to the flow diagram of FIG. 8. It involves execution of the same steps as already described for the preferred embodiment, except for step 205, wet etching of the oblique walls of the groove 45.
In this way, at the start of step 216, electrochemical etching of the substrate of silicon P, on the lower face 171 there is only the “dry” groove of depth K, of 200 μm for instance, as indicated in FIG. 16. The electrochemical etching must therefore proceed for a depth R, for instance of 400 μm, and has a duration for instance of 20 minutes.
3rd Embodiment
This embodiment is described with the aid of the flow diagram of
In the step 211, sacrificial layers 54′ of a metal, for instance copper, are made; in this step of the work, the section of a die is as illustrated in FIG. 18.
The sacrificial layers 54′ are preferably between 10 and 25 μm thick, and are made in an electrochemical growth process such as the one described in the cited Italian patent application TO 99A 000610. The electrochemical growth can use as the electrode the anti-cavitation layer 26, as described in detail in the cited Italian patent application TO 99A 000987. An upper layer 151 of photoresist is used as the mould for the growing of the metallic sacrificial layers 54′.
The silicon P+ layer 37 which, with its own shape will determine the shape of the end portion 45″ of the groove 45, is still visible in FIG. 18.
The anti-cavitation layer 26 can act as an equipotential electrode, connecting one or more of its points to the positive polarity of V, as it forms a single equipotential surface interconnected through the whole wafer, and is also electrically connected to the layer 37 of silicon P+.
In this embodiment, the anti-cavitation layer 26 has a window coincident with the window 122 in the insulating layer 35 of LOCOS SiO2, and is also covered by a layer of gold of thickness preferably between 100 and 200 Å, not visible in any of the figures, the function of which is to act as “seed layer” for the metallic sacrificial layers 54′, as described in the cited Italian patent application TO 99A 000610.
In the bottom part of
Next the already described steps 212, 213, 214, 215 and 216 are carried out.
In the step 218, the electrochemical etching of the layer 37 of silicon P+ continues until the structure 75 and the sacrificial layers 54′ are reached. The latter, being made of conducting material, do not automatically stop the process and are in turn etched: this does not constitute a problem as the sacrificial layers 54′ will still be eliminated in a successive step of the process, but it does require a stop to be arranged in the electrochemical etching, for example on a time basis. At the end of this step, the die in process looks as illustrated in the sections of FIG. 19.
A further wet or dry etching may be necessary to fully eliminate each residue of the layer 37 of silicon P+.
In the step 221, described with reference to
In the step 222, again described with reference to
Finally the steps 224 and 225, already described, are performed.
4th Embodiment
This embodiment may be produced either by way of the process corresponding to the flow diagram of
According to this embodiment, the layer of tantalum-aluminum, which is deposited in any case in order to produce the resistors 27, is also applied local to the P+ contact 37 where it is indicated using the numeral 27′, in order to ensure a better ohmic contact with the P+ contact 37 itself.
Shown in
In this embodiment, the two metals 25 and 31, or one only of these, are extended to cover the layer 27′ of tantalum-aluminum local to the P+ contact 37. In this way, a layer is produced having low electrical resistivity, for example 25 mΩ/□, which is about one thousandth of the resistivity of the P+ contact 37 which could be, for instance, 25 Ω/□. This improves uniformity of the potential between all the P+ contacts 37 and on the inside of the contacts themselves, and therefore makes etching of the P+ contacts 37 even.
The step 217, electrochemical etching of the P+ contact 37, is continued until a good part of the aluminum of the two metals 25 and 31 is removed, thereby ensuring complete elimination of the P+ contact 37. The residual aluminum is then removed in a specific chemical attack.
Alternatively, the contact with the layer 26 may be made by way of the first metal 25.
If the process corresponding to the flow diagram of
Finally also shown in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| TO2000A0813 | Aug 2000 | IT | national |
This is a U.S. National Phase Application Under 35 USC 371 and applicants herewith claim the benefit of priority of PCT/IT01/00448 filed on Aug. 22, 2001, which was published Under PCT Article 21(2) in English, and of Application No. T02000A000813 filed in Italy on Aug. 23, 2000.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCTIT01/00448 | 8/22/2001 | WO | 00 | 2/19/2003 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO0216140 | 2/28/2002 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5308442 | Taub et al. | May 1994 | A |
| 5635966 | Keefe et al. | Jun 1997 | A |
| 5658471 | Murthy et al. | Aug 1997 | A |
| 6143190 | Yagi et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 0713774 | May 1996 | EP |
| 0841167 | May 1998 | EP |
| 0956954 | Nov 1999 | EP |
| WO 0103934 | Jan 2001 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20030156161 A1 | Aug 2003 | US |
