Sicpa Holding Sa

Telecom Italia S.p.a.

Olivetti Tecnost S.p.a.

Anna Merialdo

Lucia Giovanola

Paolo Schina

Silvia Baldi

Renato Conta

Danilo Bich

The present application relates to a method of manufacturing an ink-jet printhead comprising: providing a silicon substrate () including active ejecting elements (); providing a hydraulic structure layer () for defining hydraulic circuits configured to enable a guided flow of ink; providing a silicon orifice plate () having a plurality of nozzles () for ejection of the ink; assembling the silicon substrate () with the hydraulic structure layer () and the silicon orifice plate (); wherein providing the silicon orifice plate () comprises: providing a silicon wafer () having a planar extension delimited by a first surface () and a second surface () on opposite sides of the silicon wafer (); performing a thinning step at the second surface () so as to remove from the second surface () a central portion () having a preset height (H), the silicon wafer () being formed, following the thinning step, by a base portion () having a planar extension and a peripheral portion () extending from the base portion (), transversally with respect to the planar extension of the base portion (); and forming in the silicon wafer () a plurality of through holes, each defining a respective nozzle () for ejection of the ink. The method according to the present invention is characterized in that the silicon wafer () is a silicon-on-insulator wafer, wherein the silicon-on-insulator wafer comprises a silicon device layer () adjacent to the first surface (), a silicon handle layer () adjacent to the second surface () and an insulator layer () in-between.

Method of manufacturing an ink-jet printhead

A method of manufacturing an ink jet printhead includes: providing a silicon substrate including active ejecting elements; providing a hydraulic structure layer; providing a silicon orifice plate having a plurality of nozzles for ejection of the ink; and assembling the silicon substrate with the hydraulic structure layer and the silicon orifice plate. Providing the silicon orifice plate includes: providing a silicon wafer having a substantially planar extension delimited by a first and a second surfaces; performing a thinning at the second surface so as to remove a central portion having a preset height; and forming in the silicon wafer a plurality of through holes, each defining a respective nozzle for ejection of the ink.

Method of manufacturing an ink-jet printhead having frusto-pyramidal shaped nozzles

A method of manufacturing an ink jet printhead includes: providing a silicon substrate including active ejecting elements; providing a hydraulic structure layer; providing a silicon orifice plate having a plurality of nozzles for ejection of said ink; and assembling the silicon substrate with said hydraulic structure layer and said silicon orifice plate. Providing the silicon orifice plate comprises: providing a silicon wafer having a substantially planar extension delimited by a first and a second surfaces; performing a thinning step at the second surface so as to remove a central portion having a preset height; and forming in the silicon wafer a plurality of through holes, each defining a respective nozzle for ejection of the ink.

In an ink jet printhead, the ink feeding duct (), passing through the thickness of the silicon substrate, and in hydraulic communication with the ejection cells () through an outlet area () on the front surface () of the substrate (), is built in three successive stages of erosion of the substrate (), the first of which is performed on the rear surface () of the substrate, to produce a first cavity () having a depth (P), and a further cavity () communicating and having a depth (P), extending in the direction of the front surface (), and presenting a back wall () separated from the front surface () by a diaphragm (); the second stage is performed on the opposite front surface () to cut a channel () in the direction of the diaphragm (), of depth (P) and defining the contour of the outlet area () on the front surface (), and the third stage is performed from said rear surface () as a continuation of the erosion performed in the first stage, to remove the diaphragm () and open the duct () between the rear () and front () surfaces.

Process for construction of a feeding duct for an ink jet printhead

A monolithic thermal ink jet printhead () comprising a groove (), a plurality of chambers () and nozzles () is manufactured by means of steps of: () partially etching the groove () by means of a 'dry' process and a 'wet' process; () depositing a plurality of sacrificial layers (); () obtaining a plurality of casts (); () completing the etching of the groove () by means of an electrochemical process; and () removing the casts () and the sacrificial layers () in such a way as to obtain a plurality of nozzles () and chambers ().

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Ivrea, Italy

Anna Merialdo