Fujifilm Corporation

Fujifilm Dimatix, Inc.

Fujilfilm Corporation

Gregory De Brabander

Mark Nepomnishy

Andreas Bibl

Paul A Hoisington

Jeffrey Birkmeyer

John A Higginson

Mats G Ottosson

Shinya Sugimoto

Zhenfang Chen

Yoshimasa Okamura

Processes for forming an actuator having a curved piezoelectric membrane are disclosed. The processes utilize a profile-transferring substrate having a curved surface surrounded by a planar surface to form the curved piezoelectric membrane. The piezoelectric material used for the piezoelectric actuator is deposited on at least the curved surface of the profile-transferring substrate before the profile-transferring substrate is removed from the underside of the curved piezoelectric membrane. The resulting curved piezoelectric membrane includes grain structures that are columnar and aligned, and all or substantially all of the columnar grains are locally perpendicular to the curved surface of the piezoelectric membrane.

Forming a device having a curved piezoelectric membrane

Processes for making a membrane having a curved feature are disclosed. Recesses each in the shape of a reversed, truncated pyramid are formed in a planar substrate surface by KOH etching through a mask. An oxide layer is formed over the substrate surface. The oxide layer can be stripped leaving rounded corners between different facets of the recesses in the substrate surface, and the substrate surface can be used as a profile-transferring substrate surface for making a membrane having concave curved features. Alternatively, a handle layer is attached to the oxide layer and the substrate is removed until the backside of the oxide layer becomes exposed. The exposed backside of the oxide layer includes curved portions protruding away from the handle layer, and can provide a profile-transferring substrate surface for making a membrane having convex curved features.

Forming a membrane having curved features

Processes for making a profile-transferring substrate surface and membranes having curved features are disclosed. A profile-transferring substrate surface having a curved feature is created by isotropic plasma etching through a shadow mask. The shadow mask has a through hole which has a lower portion adjacent to the bottom surface of the shadow mask and an upper portion that is above and narrower than the lower portion. The isotropic plasma etching through the shadow mask can create a curved dent in a planar substrate in a central portion of an area enclosed by the bottom opening. After the shadow mask is removed. A uniform layer of material deposited over the exposed surface of the substrate will include a curved feature at the location of the curved dent in the substrate surface.

Forming curved features using a shadow mask

A method of forming a nozzle plate of a fluid ejection device includes etching a bore in the first side of the multi-layer substrate, depositing a liner in the bore, removing a layer from a second side of the multi-layer substrate, wherein the removing exposes a closed end of the liner, applying a non-wetting coating to the closed end of the liner and an area surrounding the closed end of the liner, and removing the closed end of the liner, wherein removing the closed end of the liner opens a nozzle.

Durable non-wetting coating on fluid ejector

Techniques are provided for making a funnel-shaped nozzle in a semiconductor substrate. The funnel-shaped recess includes a straight-walled bottom portion and a curved top portion having a curved sidewall gradually converging toward and smoothly joined to the straight-walled bottom portion, and the curved top portion encloses a volume that is substantially greater than a volume enclosed by the straight-walled bottom portion.

Forming a funnel-shaped nozzle

Processes for making a membrane having a curved feature are disclosed. A profile-transferring substrate surface having a curved feature is created by vacuum bonding a membrane to a top surface of a substrate, where the top surface has a cavity formed therein. The surface of the membrane is exposed to a fluid pressure such that the membrane deforms and the undersurface of the membrane touches the bottom of the cavity. The curved feature formed in the deformed membrane can be made permanent by annealing the bonding areas between membrane and substrate. A uniform layer of material deposited over the exposed surface of the membrane will include a curved feature at the location where the membrane has bent into the cavity. After at least one layer of material has been uniformed deposited on the membrane, the cavity can be etched open from the bottom to remove the membrane from the underside.

A fluid ejector having an inner surface, an outer surface, and an orifice that allows fluid in contact with the inner surface to be ejected. The fluid ejector has a non-wetting monolayer covering at least a portion of the outer surface of the fluid ejector and surrounding an orifice in the fluid ejector. Fabrication of the non-wetting monolayer can include removing a non-wetting monolayer from a second region of a fluid ejector while leaving the non-wetting monolayer on a first region surrounding an orifice in the fluid ejector, or protecting a second region of a fluid ejector from having a non-wetting monolayer formed thereon, wherein the second region does not include a first region surrounding the orifice in the fluid ejector.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Gregory De Brabander