US 6,982,022 B2 | ||
Formation of photopatterned ink jet nozzle plates by transfer methods | ||
Shan Clark, Forest Grove, Oreg. (US); Gary Kneezel, Webster, N.Y. (US); Ram Narang, Macedon, N.Y. (US); Bidan Zhang, Lagrandeville, N.Y. (US); and Almon Fisher, Rochester, N.Y. (US) | ||
Assigned to Xerox Corporation, Stamford, Conn. (US) | ||
Filed on May 21, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/442,543. | ||
Prior Publication US 2004/0231780 A1, Nov. 25, 2004 | ||
Int. Cl. B32B 31/00 (2006.01); B41J 2/16 (2006.01); G03C 5/00 (2006.01) |
U.S. Cl. 156—230 | 9 Claims |
1. A process for forming an ink jet printhead which comprises:
(a) providing a lower substrate in which one surface thereof has an array of drop generating elements and addressing electrodes
having terminal ends formed thereon;
(b) depositing onto the release surface of an intermediate film support by spin-coating, to form a coating having a peripheral
bead, a photopatternable layer comprising a precursor polymer of a phenolic novolac resin capable of being soft baked to a
dry semi-solid, adhesive condition;
(c) prebaking the photopatternable layer to said dry, semi-solid, adhesive condition;
(d) laminating the dry, semi-solid adhesive layer to said one surface of the lower substrate where the surface of the lower
substrate has a surface area diameter less than that of the peripheral bead so as to laminate and transfer a planar portion
of the spin-coated layer to the lower substrate under heat and pressure and separating it from the release surface of the
intermediate film support;
(e) exposing the photopatternable layer to actinic radiation in an imagewise pattern corresponding to ink nozzles and developing
to form a nozzle plate section, and (f) removing the precursor polymer from the unexposed areas, thereby forming ink nozzle
recesses which are aligned to communicate with the drop generating elements and terminal ends of the electrodes of the lower
substrate laminated thereto, step (e) being carried out either before or after step (d).
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