The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 02, 2003
Filed:
Mar. 28, 2001
Brian Christopher Hart, Georgetown, KY (US);
James Michael Mrvos, Lexington, KY (US);
Carl Edmond Sullivan, Stamping Ground, KY (US);
Gary Raymond Williams, Lexington, KY (US);
Qing Ming Wang, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Lexmark International, Inc., Lexington, KY (US);
Abstract
The invention provides a method for making thin film metal oxide actuator device. According to the method a first conductive layer is deposited on a silicon substrate. Next a thin film metal oxide layer is deposited on the first conductive layer. A negative photoresist material is applied to the metal oxide layer to provide a photoresist layer. The photoresist layer is patterned using light radiation energy and developed to provide one or more exposed portions of the metal oxide layer. The photoresist layer is etched with a reactive ion plasma sufficient to remove the photoresist layer and the metal oxide layer under the photoresist layer from the first conductive layer leaving the one or more exposed portions of metal oxide layer on the first conductive layer. A second conductive layer is attached to the metal oxide layer to provide a thin film metal oxide actuator device. The method may be practiced without the use of more dangerous or hazardous wet chemical etching techniques which may provide undesirable undercutting of the metal oxide layers or may leave contaminants on the patterned metal oxide layers.