Process for forming inkjet nozzle devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10822228-B2
Application number	US-202016790531-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2020
Priority date	Feb 17, 2015
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

A process for forming inkjet nozzle devices on a frontside surface of a wafer substrate. The process includes the steps of: (i) providing the wafer substrate having a plurality of etched holes defined in the frontside surface, each etched hole being filled with first and second polymers such that the second polymer is coplanar with the frontside surface; (ii) forming the inkjet nozzle devices on the frontside surface using MEMS fabrication steps; and (iii) removing the first and second polymers via oxidative ashing, wherein first and second polymers are different.

First claim

The invention clamied is:

1. A process for forming inkjet nozzle devices on a frontside surface of a wafer substrate, the process comprising the steps of:
(i) providing the wafer substrate having a plurality of etched holes defined in the frontside surface, each etched hole being filled with first and second polymers such that the second polymer is coplanar with the frontside surface;
(ii) forming the inkjet nozzle devices on the frontside surface using one or more MEMS fabrication steps;
(iii) removing the first and second polymers via oxidative ashing,

wherein the first and second polymers are different.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein each hole has a depth of at least 10 microns.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein each hole has an aspect ratio of >1:1.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the first polymer is less viscous than the second polymer.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the first polymer is a thermoplastic polymer.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the second polymer is photoimageable.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein second polymer is superjacent the first polymer.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein each inkjet nozzle device comprises a nozzle chamber in fluid communication with at least one hole.

9. The process of claim 8 , wherein a respective inlet for each nozzle chamber is defined by one of said holes.

10. The process of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: wafer thinning and backside etching of ink supply channels.

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein each ink supply channel meets with one or more filled holes.

12. The process of claim 11 , wherein each ink supply channel is relatively wider than said one or more holes.

Assignees

• Memjet Technology Ltd

Inventors

• North Angus
• O'Reilly Ronan
• Mcavoy Gregory

Classifications

• B81C2201/0104

  Chemical-mechanical polishing [CMP] · CPC title

• B41J2/1631

  photolithography · CPC title

• B41J2/1628

  dry etching · CPC title

• B81C2201/0121

  involving addition of material followed by removal of parts of said material, i.e. subtractive planarization · CPC title

• B81C1/00087

  Holes · CPC title