JP2006175761A - Method for manufacturing droplet discharge head and method for manufacturing droplet discharge device - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head that can selectively perform liquid repellency treatment only on the surface of a nozzle substrate having a complicated shape.
A liquid droplet discharge device including a nozzle substrate on which a nozzle portion is formed and a discharge chamber communicating with the nozzle portion of the nozzle substrate, the liquid in the discharge chamber being discharged from the nozzle portion. In the method for manufacturing the head 1, the transfer unit 100 is moved along the surface of the nozzle substrate, and the liquid repellent film 101 is applied to the nozzle substrate. Further, the transfer part 100 is moved along the surface of the nozzle base material, and the liquid repellent film 101 is applied in the vicinity of the nozzle part 8 of the nozzle base material. In this case, the liquid repellent treatment is performed after the nozzle portion 8 is processed. The transfer unit 100 may be a cylindrical transfer roller, or the periphery of the transfer unit 100 may be formed of a metal member or a resin member.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head and a method for manufacturing a droplet discharge device, and more particularly to a method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head and a droplet capable of selectively forming a liquid repellent film on the surface of a nozzle substrate by transfer. The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a discharge device.

As a conventional method of manufacturing an ink discharge head, when performing water-repellent treatment on a discharge port forming substrate, a step of making the substrate surface hydrophilic, a step of providing an intermediate layer having a coupling material, and a water-repellent layer By setting the process to be provided, a water repellent layer bonded to the nozzle substrate is formed (for example, see Patent Document 1).
In addition, as a method of manufacturing the nozzle substrate of the ink ejection device, a photosensitive resin film is pressed against the back surface of the nozzle base material, and a portion of the clay enters the nozzle portion while controlling the temperature of the clay, which is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays. In addition, by applying eutectoid plating to the surface of the nozzle base material and regulating the amount of part of it entering the nozzle part with a cured photosensitive resin film, a uniform nozzle that does not cause flight bending or ejection failure A substrate is formed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP-A-4-279358 (page 2, FIG. 3) JP-A-7-125220 (2nd page, FIG. 1)

According to the conventional method of manufacturing an ink ejection head shown in Patent Document 1, many steps are required for the water-repellent treatment on the surface of the nozzle substrate, which is expensive and technically problematic.
In addition, according to the method for manufacturing a nozzle substrate of an ink ejection apparatus shown in Patent Document 2, if the surface is subjected to a water-repellent treatment after masking a photosensitive resin film on the back surface, the liquid-repellent film forming step is caused by the film. Restrictions occur, and conversely, mask restrictions occur.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and in a nozzle substrate having a complicated shape, a method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head capable of selectively performing a liquid-repellent treatment only on the substrate surface And a method of manufacturing a droplet discharge device.

A droplet discharge head manufacturing method according to the present invention includes a nozzle substrate on which a nozzle portion is formed, and a discharge chamber that communicates with the nozzle portion of the nozzle substrate, and the droplet that discharges the liquid in the discharge chamber from the nozzle portion. A method for manufacturing an ejection head, in which a transfer portion is moved along the surface of a nozzle substrate, and a liquid repellent film is applied to the nozzle substrate.
Only the surface of the nozzle substrate having a complicated shape can be selectively liquid-repellent.

Further, in the method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to the present invention, the transfer portion is moved along the surface of the nozzle substrate, and the liquid repellent film is applied in the vicinity of the nozzle portion of the nozzle substrate.
Only the vicinity of the nozzle portion on the surface of the nozzle substrate having a complicated shape can be selectively subjected to the liquid repellent treatment.

In the method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to the present invention, the liquid repellent treatment is performed after the nozzle portion is processed.
Since the liquid repellent treatment can be selectively performed after the nozzle portion is formed, a complicated liquid repellent treatment step after the nozzle portion formation is not required. That is, when the liquid repellent treatment is performed after the nozzle portion is formed, generally a complicated masking process is required, but these can be easily performed, and the cost and environment are excellent.

In the method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to the present invention, the transfer portion is a cylindrical transfer roller.
Only the surface of the nozzle substrate having a complicated shape can be reliably subjected to the liquid repellent treatment by the cylindrical transfer roller.

In the method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to the present invention, the periphery of the transfer portion is configured by a metal member or a resin member.
Since the periphery of the transfer portion is a metal member or a resin member, the liquid repellent treatment can be performed satisfactorily.

In the method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to the present invention, hydroxyl groups are exposed on the surface of the metal member that forms the periphery of the transfer portion.
Due to the hydroxyl groups exposed on the surface of the metal member that forms the periphery of the transfer portion, the surface adhesion amount of the liquid repellent is improved.

A method of manufacturing a droplet discharging head according to the present invention, the metal member forming the periphery of the transfer portion is made of SiO _2.
The surface adhering amount of the liquid repellent is improved by SiO ₂ which is a metal member constituting the periphery of the transfer portion.

In the method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to the present invention, the liquid repellent film is made of a liquid repellent silane coupling agent.
Since the liquid repellent film is made of a liquid repellent silane coupling agent, the adhesion to the nozzle substrate is strong.

In the method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to the present invention, the liquid repellent silane coupling agent is a fluorine-based silane coupling agent.
Since the liquid repellent film is made of a liquid repellent fluorine-based silane coupling agent, the adhesion to the nozzle substrate is very strong.

In the method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to the present invention, the concentration of the liquid repellent silane coupling agent is 0.05 to 0.30 wt%.
Since the concentration of the liquid repellent silane coupling agent is 0.05 to 0.30 wt%, the adhesion of the liquid repellent to the nozzle substrate is good.

In the method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to the present invention, the concentration of the liquid repellent silane coupling agent is 0.10 to 0.17 wt%.
Since the concentration of the liquid repellent silane coupling agent is 0.10 to 0.17 wt%, the adhesion of the liquid repellent to the nozzle substrate is very good.

In the method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to the present invention, the kinematic viscosity of the liquid repellent silane coupling agent is 4e ^{−7 to} 1.4e ⁻⁵ m ² / s.
Since the kinematic viscosity of the liquid repellent silane coupling agent is 4e ^{−7 to} 1.4e ⁻⁵ m ² / s, the liquid repellent treatment is good.

In the method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to the present invention, the liquid repellent film is made of a titanate or aluminate coupling agent.
Since the liquid repellent film is made of a titanate or aluminate coupling agent, it has high adhesion to the nozzle substrate.

Further, in the method for manufacturing the droplet discharge head according to the present invention, the pressing pressure of the transfer portion is 0.2 to 0.4 MPa, and the temperature of the transfer portion is a temperature from the normal temperature to the boiling point of the solvent.
Since the pressing pressure of the transfer part is 0.2 to 0.4 MPa, and the temperature of the transfer part is from room temperature to the boiling point of the solvent or less, the liquid repellency treatment is good and the liquid repellency adheres to the nozzle substrate. Strong nature.

In the method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to the present invention, transfer is performed by applying air pressure from the upstream side to the downstream side of the nozzle portion.
Since the air pressure is pressed from the downstream side of the nozzle portion, the liquid repellent treatment can be performed easily and uniformly.

A method for manufacturing a droplet discharge device according to the present invention is to manufacture a droplet discharge device by any one of the above-described methods for manufacturing a droplet discharge head.
Provided is a droplet discharge device including a droplet discharge head that can selectively perform a liquid repellent treatment on the surface of a nozzle substrate having a complicated shape and is excellent in terms of cost and environment.

Embodiment 1. FIG.
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an ink discharge head according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the drive circuit 21 is schematically shown. Further, in FIG. 1, as an example of the ink discharge head, a face injection type ink discharge head using an electrostatic drive method is illustrated.
The ink discharge head 1 according to the first embodiment is mainly configured by bonding a cavity substrate 2, an electrode substrate 3, and a nozzle substrate 4. The nozzle substrate 4 is made of silicon, for example, a cylindrical first nozzle hole 6 and a cylindrical second nozzle hole 7 communicating with the first nozzle hole 6 and having a diameter larger than that of the first nozzle hole 6. Nozzle portion 8 having is formed. The first nozzle hole 6 is formed to open to the ink discharge surface 10 (the surface opposite to the bonding surface 11 with the cavity substrate 2), and the second nozzle hole 7 is the bonding surface with the cavity substrate 2. 11 so as to open.
The nozzle substrate 4 is preferably made of single crystal silicon so that predetermined processing described later can be easily performed.

The cavity substrate 2 is made of, for example, single crystal silicon, and has a plurality of recesses serving as discharge chambers 13 whose bottom wall is the diaphragm 12. The plurality of discharge chambers 13 are formed in parallel from the front side of the sheet of FIG. 1 to the back side of the sheet. Further, the cavity substrate 2 is formed with a recess serving as a reservoir 14 for supplying ink to each discharge chamber 13 and a recess serving as a narrow groove-shaped orifice 15 that communicates the reservoir 14 with each discharge chamber 13. Yes. In the ink discharge head 1 shown in FIG. 1, the reservoir 14 is formed from a single recess, and one orifice 15 is formed for each discharge chamber 13. The orifice 15 may be formed on the bonding surface 11 of the nozzle substrate 4.
Furthermore, an insulating film 16 (such as a droplet protective film 24 described later) made of silicon oxide or the like is formed on the entire surface of the cavity substrate 2 by, for example, CVD or thermal oxidation. This insulating film 16 is for preventing dielectric breakdown and short-circuit when the ink discharge head 1 is driven, and for preventing the cavity substrate 2 from being etched by droplets inside the discharge chamber 13 and the reservoir 14. is there.

An electrode substrate 3 made of borosilicate glass, for example, is bonded to the cavity substrate 2 side of the cavity substrate 2. A plurality of electrodes 17 facing the diaphragm 12 are formed on the electrode substrate 3. The electrode 17 is formed, for example, by sputtering ITO (Indium Tin Oxide). An ink supply hole 18 that communicates with the reservoir 14 is formed in the electrode substrate 3. The ink supply hole 18 is connected to a hole provided in the bottom wall of the reservoir 14 and is provided to supply droplets such as ink to the reservoir 14 from the outside.
When the cavity substrate 2 is made of single crystal silicon and the electrode substrate 3 is made of borosilicate glass, the cavity substrate 2 and the electrode substrate 3 can be joined by anodic bonding.

Here, the operation of the ink discharge head 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. A drive circuit 21 is connected to the cavity substrate 2 and each electrode 17. When a pulse voltage is applied between the cavity substrate 2 and the electrode 17 by the drive circuit 21, the diaphragm 12 is bent toward the electrode 17, and the ink accumulated in the reservoir 14 flows into the ejection chamber 13. When the voltage applied between the cavity substrate 2 and the electrode 17 disappears, the diaphragm 12 returns to the original position, the pressure inside the discharge chamber 13 increases, and ink is discharged from the nozzle 8.
In the first embodiment, an electrostatic drive type droplet discharge head is shown as an example of the droplet discharge head. However, the manufacturing method of the nozzle substrate 4 shown in the first embodiment is a piezoelectric drive method or a bubble jet. The present invention can also be applied to a droplet discharge head such as a (registered trademark) system.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the nozzle substrate 4 as viewed from the ink ejection surface 10 side. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of first nozzle holes 6 are opened on the ink ejection surface 10 side of the nozzle substrate 4. The second nozzle hole 7 is formed on the back side of the paper surface of each nozzle hole 6 in FIG. Further, the discharge chamber 13 of the cavity substrate 2 is formed for each first nozzle hole 6 (nozzle portion 8), and each discharge chamber 13 is elongated in the AA line direction of FIG. To do.
Below, the manufacturing method of the nozzle substrate 4 is demonstrated. In the ink ejection head 1 according to the first embodiment, it is assumed that the central axes of the first nozzle hole 6 and the second nozzle hole 7 coincide with each other with high accuracy. Accordingly, it is possible to improve the straightness of the ink when the ink is ejected from the nozzle 8 part.

3 to 11 are vertical cross-sectional views illustrating manufacturing steps of the ink ejection head according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 3 to 9 mainly show the manufacturing process of the nozzle substrate 4, and FIGS. 9 and 10 show the manufacturing process of the bonded substrate 5 in which the cavity substrate 2 and the electrode substrate 3 are bonded. 3 to 9 show a peripheral portion of the nozzle portion 8 in a longitudinal section along the line AA in FIG. First, a process of manufacturing the ink ejection head 1 by manufacturing the nozzle substrate 4 from the silicon base material 30 and bonding the nozzle substrate 4 to the bonding substrate 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 9.
First, for example, a silicon substrate 30 having a thickness of 525 μm is prepared, and a silicon oxide film 31 is uniformly formed on the entire surface of the silicon substrate 30 (FIG. 3A). The silicon oxide film 31 is formed, for example, by thermal oxidation for 4 hours in a mixed atmosphere of oxygen and water vapor at a temperature of 1075 ° C. using a thermal oxidation apparatus.

Next, a resist 32 is coated on one surface of the silicon base material 30, and the portion 7a that becomes the second nozzle hole 7 is patterned to remove the resist 32 in the portion 7a that becomes the second nozzle hole 7 (FIG. 3). (B)). The surface coated with the resist 32 will later become the bonding surface 11 of the nozzle substrate 4.
Then, for example, the silicon oxide film 31 is half-etched with a buffered hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution in which a hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution and an ammonium fluoride aqueous solution are mixed 1: 6, so that the silicon oxide film 31 in the portion 7a to be the second nozzle hole 7 is thinned. (FIG. 3C). At this time, the silicon oxide film 31 on the surface where the resist 32 is not formed is also thinned.
Then, the resist 32 formed on one surface of the silicon oxide film 31 is removed (FIG. 3D).

Thereafter, the resist 33 is again coated on the surface to be the bonding surface 11, and the portion 6 a to be the first nozzle hole 6 is patterned to remove the resist 33 in the portion 6 a to be the first nozzle hole 6 (FIG. 4 (E)).
Then, for example, the silicon oxide film 31 is half-etched with a buffered hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution in which a hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution and an ammonium fluoride aqueous solution are mixed 1: 6, and the silicon oxide film 31 in the portion 6a that becomes the first nozzle hole 6 is removed. (FIG. 4F). At this time, all the silicon oxide film 31 on the surface where the resist 33 is not formed is also removed.
Then, the resist 33 formed in the step of FIG. 4E is peeled off (FIG. 4G).
Next, anisotropic etching is performed from the portion 6a to be the first nozzle hole 6 by dry etching by ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) discharge to form, for example, a recess 6b having a depth of 25 μm (FIG. 4H). . In addition, this recessed part 6b is the origin of the recessed part 6c used as the 1st nozzle hole 6 (refer FIG.5 (J)). C ₄ F ₈ and SF ₆ can be used alternately as etching gases for this anisotropic dry etching. At this time, C ₄ F ₈ is used to protect the side surface of the recess 6 b so that the etching does not proceed in the side direction of the recess 6 b, and SF ₆ is used to promote the etching of the recess 6 b in the vertical direction.

Thereafter, the silicon oxide film 31 is half-etched to remove the silicon oxide film 31 in the portion 7a to be the second nozzle hole 7 (FIG. 5I). At this time, the other portions of the silicon oxide film 31 are also thinned.
Then, by dry etching by ICP discharge again, anisotropic dry etching is performed, for example, by a depth of 40 μm from the portion 7 a (including the recess 6 b) that becomes the second nozzle hole 7, and the recess 6 c that becomes the first nozzle hole 6. And the recessed part 7b used as the 2nd nozzle hole 7 is formed (FIG.5 (J)).
Then, after all the silicon oxide film 31 remaining on the silicon base material 30 is removed with, for example, a hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution, a silicon oxide film 34 having a thickness of, for example, 0.1 μm is uniformly formed on the entire surface of the silicon base material 30 (FIG. 5 (K)). The silicon oxide film 34 is formed by performing thermal oxidation for 2 hours in an oxygen atmosphere at a temperature of 1000 ° C. using, for example, a thermal oxidation apparatus. In FIG. 5K, since the silicon oxide film 34 is formed by thermal oxidation, the inner wall of the recess 6c that becomes the first nozzle hole 6 and the inner wall of the recess 7b that becomes the second nozzle hole 7 are also uniform. A silicon oxide film 34 can be formed.

  Next, the release layer 41 is spin-coated on one surface of the first support substrate 40 made of a transparent material such as glass, and the resin layer 42 is spin-coated thereon. Then, the surface of the first support substrate 40 on which the release layer 41 and the resin layer 42 are spin-coated and the surface of the silicon substrate 30 on which the recesses 7b and the like serving as the second nozzle holes 7 are formed face each other. By curing the layer 42, the first support substrate 40 and the silicon base material 30 are bonded together (FIG. 6L). 6, 7, and 8, the orientation of the silicon base material 30 is upside down from FIGS. 3 to 5.

Here, the peeling layer 41 and the resin layer 42 in the step of FIG.
The peeling layer 41 causes peeling (referred to as in-layer peeling or interface peeling) at the inside of the peeling layer 41 or at the interface with the silicon substrate 30 when light such as laser light is applied (FIG. 9 (T)). reference). That is, the peeling layer 41 is ablated (ablated or removed) by receiving or losing a certain intensity of light so that the bonding force between atoms or molecules of the material constituting the peeling layer 41 disappears or decreases. When the release layer 41 receives light of a certain intensity, the component of the material constituting the release layer 41 becomes a gas and causes peeling. Thereby, in the process of FIG. 9 (T) below, the first support substrate 40 can be detached from the thinned silicon base material 30 (nozzle substrate 4).
The first support substrate 40 is preferably made of glass that transmits light. Thus, when the first support substrate 40 is peeled from the silicon base material 30, the release layer 41 is irradiated with light from the back surface of the first support substrate 40 (the surface opposite to the surface to which the silicon base material 30 is bonded). Thus, it is possible to give sufficient peeling energy.

  The material constituting the release layer 41 is not particularly limited as long as it has the above functions. For example, amorphous silicon (a-Si, amorphous silicon), silicon oxide, silicate compound, silicon nitride , Ceramic nitrides such as aluminum nitride and titanium nitride, organic polymer materials whose atomic bonds are cut by light irradiation, or aluminum, lithium, titanium, manganese, indium, tin, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, praseodymium, Examples thereof include metals such as gadolinium and samarium, and alloys containing at least one of the above metals. Among these materials, it is preferable to use amorphous silicon as a constituent material of the peeling layer 41, and it is more preferable that hydrogen is contained in the amorphous silicon. By using such a material, when the peeling layer 41 receives light, hydrogen is released and an internal pressure is generated in the peeling layer 41, so that peeling can be promoted. In this case, the content of hydrogen in the release layer 41 is preferably 2% by weight or more, and more preferably 2 to 20% by weight.

  The resin layer 42 is for absorbing the unevenness of the silicon base material 30 and joining the silicon base material 30 and the first support substrate 40. The material constituting the resin layer 42 is not particularly limited as long as it has a function of bonding the silicon base material 30 and the first support substrate 40. For example, a thermosetting adhesive or a photocurable adhesive is used. A curable adhesive can be used. The resin layer 42 is preferably made mainly of a material having high dry etching resistance.

  In the first embodiment, the release layer 41 and the resin layer 42 are formed as separate layers. However, for example, these layers may be configured from one layer. This can be realized, for example, by forming a layer having a function of bonding the silicon base material 30 and the first support substrate 40 and having a function of causing peeling by light energy or thermal energy.

Here, returning to the manufacturing process of FIG. 6, after bonding the silicon base material 30 and the first support substrate 40, grinding is performed from the opposite surface of the silicon substrate 30 to the surface where the first support substrate 40 is bonded. Then, the silicon substrate 30 is thinned to the vicinity of the recess 6 c that becomes the first nozzle hole 6. Then, by dry etching using CF ₄ or CHF ₃ or the like as an etching gas, the silicon oxide film 34 at the tip of the recess 6c to be the first nozzle hole 6 is removed to penetrate the nozzle portion 8 (FIG. 6M). ). When penetrating the nozzle portion 8, the silicon oxide film 34 at the tip of the concave portion 6 c to be the first nozzle hole 6 may be removed using a CMP apparatus, but the inside of the nozzle portion 8 is polished after CMP processing. Since the agent must be removed by washing with water, it is desirable to perform dry etching. Further, to make the silicon substrate 30 thin, for example, dry etching using SF ₆ as an etching gas may be performed.

Next, a cylindrical shape impregnated with a water-repellent silane coupling agent along the opposite surface 10a (the ink discharge surface 10 of the nozzle substrate 4) of the surface of the silicon substrate 30 to which the first support substrate 40 is bonded. The transfer roller 100 is rotated so that a silane coupling agent is applied to the opposite surface 10a, and only the surface of the opposite surface 10a is selectively water-repellent to form a liquid repellent film 101.
That is, as will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 7, the cylindrical transfer roller 100 is placed on the surface 10a opposite to the surface to which the first support substrate 40 of the silicon base material 30 is bonded (FIG. 7N). ). Next, when the transfer roller 100 is rotated along the opposite surface 10a and moved in the direction B, the water repellency is formed on the opposite surface 10a of the silicon substrate 30 after the transfer roller 100 passes along with the movement. The liquid repellent film 101 made of the silane coupling agent is formed (FIG. 7O).

When the transfer roller 100 reaches the tip of the nozzle portion 8, an insertion film 101 a that enters the inner wall side of the first nozzle hole 6 is formed here (FIG. 7 (P)), and further rotated and moved in the direction B. Then, the liquid repellent film 101 is formed (FIG. 8Q).
Thus, a liquid repellent film 101 made of a silane coupling agent is formed on the opposite surface 10a of the silicon substrate 30 (FIG. 8R).

The pressing pressure by the transfer roller 100 at this time is, for example, 0.2 to 0.4 MPa, and the temperature of the transfer roller 100 is a temperature from room temperature to the boiling point of the solvent or less.
When the transfer is performed by applying a constant air pressure from below the nozzle portion 8 during the above transfer, the formation of the liquid repellent film 101 can be made uniform.
In forming the liquid repellent film 101, the transfer roller 100 is pressed from above the silicon base material 30 to form the liquid repellent film 101. However, the ink repellent treatment portion of the silicon base material 30 is positioned below. Alternatively, the transfer roller 100 may be disposed on the lower side of the silicon substrate 30 and pressed from the lower side to the upper side to form the liquid repellent film 101.

The ink repellent treatment is performed using a water repellent silane coupling agent that can be applied. The concentration of the water-repellent silane coupling agent impregnated in the transfer roller 100 is preferably 0.05 to 0.30 wt%, particularly preferably 0.10 to 0.17 wt%.
The water-repellent silane coupling agent may be a fluorine-based silane coupling agent (for example, Daikin Industries' OPTOOL DSX), a titanate coupling agent, or an aluminate coupling agent. Good.
The kinematic viscosity of the water-repellent silane coupling agent is 4e ^{−7 to} 1.4e ⁻⁵ m ² / s.

The structure of the transfer roller 100 is a cylindrical shape in the above description, but other structures may be used.
As the material around the transfer roller 100, it is preferable to use a metal, a resin, or the like. However, considering the amount of surface adhesion, a metal such as SiO ₂ having a large amount of hydroxyl groups (—OH groups) exposed on the surface is used. preferable.
In the above ink repellent treatment, the ink repellent treatment is performed by the transfer roller 100 after the nozzle portion 8 is processed. However, after the ink repellent treatment is performed by the rotating roller 100, the nozzle portion 8 may be processed.
As described above, the processing of the silicon base material 30 itself is finished, and the nozzle substrate 4 is completed.

Next, similarly to the step of FIG. 6L, the release layer 51 is spin-coated on one surface of the second support substrate 50 made of a transparent material such as glass, and the resin layer 52 is spin-coated thereon. Then, the surface of the second support substrate 50 on which the release layer 51 and the resin layer 52 are spin-coated and the surface of the silicon base 30 opposite to the surface on which the first support substrate 40 is bonded face each other. By curing the layer 52, the second support substrate 50 and the silicon substrate 30 are bonded together. Next, the first support substrate 40 is irradiated with laser light or the like to peel the first support substrate 40 from the part of the release layer 41, and then the resin layer 42 is slowly peeled off from the silicon base material 30. . At this time, the resin layer 42 is peeled off from the outer peripheral portion of the silicon substrate 30 (FIG. 9 (S)).
Then, the liquid repellent film 101 attached to the inner walls of the first nozzle hole 6 and the second nozzle hole 7 is removed from the second nozzle hole 7 side by plasma treatment (FIG. 9 (T)). The liquid repellent film 101 attached to the inner walls of the first nozzle hole 6 and the second nozzle hole 7 was formed when the liquid repellent film 101 was formed in the steps of FIGS. . In this plasma treatment, since the liquid repellent film 101 is protected by the resin layer 52, only the liquid repellent film 101 attached to the inner walls of the first nozzle hole 6 and the second nozzle hole 7 is removed.

Next, the adhesive layer 37 is formed by transferring an adhesive or the like to the opposite surface of the silicon base material 30 (nozzle substrate 4) to which the second support substrate 50 is bonded, and the electrode substrate 3 is bonded. The cavity substrate 2 and the silicon substrate 30 are bonded (FIG. 9U).
Then, similarly to the step of FIG. 9 (T), the second support substrate 50 is peeled off from the part of the release layer 51 by irradiating laser light or the like from the second support substrate 50 side, and the resin layer 52 is made of silicon. Slowly peel off from the substrate 30. At this time, the resin layer 52 is peeled off from the outer peripheral portion of the silicon substrate 30 as in the step of FIG.
Finally, for example, the bonded substrate to which the cavity substrate 2, the electrode substrate 3, and the nozzle substrate 4 are bonded is separated by dicing (cutting), and the droplet discharge head 1 is completed.
6 to 7, a tape such as a dicing tape may be used instead of the first support substrate 40 and the second support substrate 50. However, since the deformation of the silicon base material 30 becomes large only with the thinned silicon base material 30 and the tape, it is desirable to hold the bonded surface of the tape with a vacuum suction jig or the like.

10 and 11 are vertical cross-sectional views showing a manufacturing process of the bonded substrate 5 in which the cavity substrate 2 and the electrode substrate 3 are bonded. Hereinafter, a manufacturing process of the bonded substrate 5 in which the cavity substrate 2 and the electrode substrate 3 are bonded will be briefly described. In addition, the manufacturing method of the cavity substrate 2 and the electrode substrate 3 is not limited to what is shown by FIG.10 and FIG.11.
First, the recess 19 is formed by etching the glass substrate 3a made of borosilicate glass or the like with hydrofluoric acid using, for example, a gold / chromium etching mask. The recesses 19 have a groove shape that is slightly larger than the shape of the electrode 17 and are formed in a plurality.
Then, an electrode 17 made of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) is formed inside the recess 19 by, for example, sputtering.
Thereafter, the hole 18a to be the ink supply hole 18 is formed by a drill or the like to form the electrode substrate 3 (FIG. 10A).

Next, for example, after both surfaces of a silicon substrate 2a having a thickness of 525 μm are mirror-polished, a thickness of 0.1 μm made of TEOS (Tetra Ethyl Ortho Silicate) is formed on one surface of the silicon substrate 2a by plasma CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition). A silicon oxide film 22 is formed (FIG. 10B). Note that a boron doped layer for etching stop may be formed before the silicon oxide film 22 is formed. By forming the diaphragm 12 from a boron-doped layer, the diaphragm 12 with high thickness accuracy can be formed.
Then, the silicon substrate 2a shown in FIG. 10 (b) and the electrode substrate 3a shown in FIG. 10 (a) are heated to, for example, 360 ° C., and an anode is connected to the silicon substrate 2a and a cathode is connected to the electrode substrate 3a. Then, anodic bonding is performed by applying a voltage of about 800 V (FIG. 10C).
After anodic bonding of the silicon base material 2a and the electrode base material 3, the entire silicon base material 2a is made, for example, thick by etching the bonding substrate obtained in the step of FIG. The thickness is reduced to 140 μm (FIG. 10D).

Then, a TEOS film having a thickness of, for example, 1.5 μm is formed on the entire upper surface of the silicon substrate 2a (the surface opposite to the surface to which the electrode substrate 3a is bonded) by plasma CVD.
Then, a resist for forming a recess 13a to be the discharge chamber 13, a recess 14a to be the reservoir 14, and a recess 15a to be the orifice 15 is patterned on the TEOS film, and the TEOS film in this portion is removed by etching.
Thereafter, the silicon substrate 2a is etched with a potassium hydroxide aqueous solution or the like to form a recess 13a that becomes the discharge chamber 13, a recess 14a that becomes the reservoir 14, and a recess 15a that becomes the orifice (FIG. 11E). At this time, the part which becomes the electrode extraction part 23 is also etched and thinned. In the wet etching step of FIG. 11 (e), for example, a 35% by weight potassium hydroxide aqueous solution can be used first, and then a 3% by weight potassium hydroxide aqueous solution can be used. Thereby, surface roughness of the diaphragm 12 can be suppressed.

After the etching of the silicon substrate 2a is completed, the bonding substrate is etched with a hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution to remove the TEOS film formed on the silicon substrate 2a. Further, laser processing is performed on the hole portion 18a that becomes the ink supply hole 18 of the electrode base material 3 so that the ink supply hole 18 penetrates the electrode base material 3 (FIG. 11 (f)).
Next, a droplet protective film 24 made of TEOS or the like is formed with a thickness of 0.1 μm, for example, by CVD, for example, on the surface of the silicon substrate 2a where the recesses 13a to be the discharge chambers 13 are formed (FIG. 11 ( g)).
Then, the electrode take-out part 23 is opened by RIE (Reactive Ion Etching) or the like. Further, the silicon substrate 2 a is machined or laser processed to penetrate the ink supply hole 18 to the concave portion 14 a serving as the reservoir 14. Thereby, the bonded substrate 5 in which the cavity substrate 2 and the electrode substrate 3 are bonded is completed. This bonded substrate 5 is bonded to the nozzle substrate 4 in the step of FIG.
Note that a sealant (not shown) for sealing the space between the diaphragm 12 and the electrode 17 may be applied to the electrode extraction portion 23.

According to the first embodiment, since the transfer roller 100 is moved along the surface of the nozzle base material and the liquid repellent film 101 is applied to the nozzle base material, only the surface of the nozzle base material having a complicated shape is applied. Can be selectively subjected to ink repellent treatment.
Further, since the ink repellent treatment can be selectively performed after the nozzle portion 8 is formed, a complicated ink repellent treatment step after the nozzle portion 8 is formed is not required. That is, when the ink repellent treatment is performed after the nozzle portion 8 is formed, a complicated masking process is generally required. However, these can be easily performed, which is excellent in terms of cost and environment.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an ink discharge apparatus equipped with the ink discharge head obtained by the manufacturing method of the first embodiment.
The ink discharge apparatus 200 equipped with the ink discharge head 1 obtained in the first embodiment is excellent in cost and environment when the ink discharge head 1 is manufactured, and the discharge performance of the ink discharge apparatus 200 is also excellent. Yes.
In addition, the ink discharge head 1 obtained by the manufacturing method according to the first embodiment can be used to manufacture a color filter for a liquid crystal display and an organic EL display by changing droplets in addition to the ink discharge apparatus shown in FIG. The present invention can also be applied to formation of a light emitting portion of the apparatus, discharge of a biological liquid, and the like.
The ink discharge head 1 obtained by the manufacturing method of Embodiment 1 can also be used for a piezoelectric drive type liquid droplet discharge apparatus and a bubble jet (registered trademark) type liquid droplet discharge apparatus.

  The method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head, the droplet discharge head, and the droplet discharge apparatus according to the present invention are not limited to the embodiments of the present invention, and can be changed within the scope of the idea of the present invention. it can.

1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a droplet discharge head according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The top view which looked at the nozzle substrate from the droplet discharge surface side. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a manufacturing process of a nozzle substrate according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a step subsequent to the manufacturing step of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a step subsequent to the manufacturing step of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a process subsequent to the manufacturing process of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a step subsequent to the manufacturing step of FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a step subsequent to the manufacturing step of FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a step subsequent to the manufacturing step of FIG. 8. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the manufacturing process of the bonded substrate which joined the cavity substrate and the electrode substrate. FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a step subsequent to the manufacturing step of FIG. 10. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an ink discharge apparatus equipped with an ink discharge head obtained by the manufacturing method of Embodiment 1.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ink discharge head, 2 Cavity board | substrate, 3 Electrode board | substrate, 4 Nozzle board | substrate, 6 1st nozzle hole, 7 2nd nozzle hole, 8 Nozzle part, 10 Ink discharge surface, 11 Joining surface, 12 Vibration plate, 13 Discharge Chamber, 14 Reservoir, 15 Orifice, 16 Insulating film, 17 Electrode, 18 Ink supply hole, 21 Drive circuit, 100 Transfer roller, 101 Liquid repellent film, 200 Ink ejection device.

Claims (16)

In a method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head, comprising a nozzle substrate on which a nozzle portion is formed, and a discharge chamber communicating with the nozzle portion of the nozzle substrate, wherein the liquid in the discharge chamber is discharged from the nozzle portion.
A method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head, wherein a transfer portion is moved along a surface of a nozzle base material to apply a liquid repellent film to the nozzle base material.   2. The method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the transfer portion is moved along the surface of the nozzle base material to apply a liquid repellent film near the nozzle portion of the nozzle base material.   The method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the liquid repellent treatment is performed after the processing of the nozzle portion.   The method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the transfer portion is a cylindrical transfer roller.   The method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the periphery of the transfer portion is made of a metal member or a resin member.   6. The method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 5, wherein a hydroxyl group is exposed on a surface of a metal member constituting the periphery of the transfer portion. Method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the metal member constituting the periphery of the transfer portion is equal to or formed of SiO _2.   The method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the liquid repellent film is made of a liquid repellent silane coupling agent.   9. The method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 8, wherein the liquid-repellent silane coupling agent is a fluorine-based silane coupling agent.   10. The method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 8, wherein the concentration of the liquid repellent silane coupling agent is 0.05 to 0.30 wt%.   The method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 10, wherein a concentration of the liquid repellent silane coupling agent is 0.10 to 0.17 wt%.   12. The method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 8, wherein the liquid repellent silane coupling agent has a kinematic viscosity of 4e-7 to 1.4e-5m2 / s. .   8. The method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the liquid repellent film is made of a titanate or aluminate coupling agent.   The liquid according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the pressing pressure of the transfer part is 0.2 to 0.4 MPa, and the temperature of the transfer part is from room temperature to the boiling point of the solvent or less. A method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head.   The method of manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the transfer is performed by applying air pressure from the upstream side to the downstream side of the nozzle portion. A method for manufacturing a droplet discharge device, wherein the droplet discharge device is manufactured by the method for manufacturing a droplet discharge head according to claim 1.

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