| (19) |
 |
|
(11) |
EP 0 761 448 A3 |
| (12) |
EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
| (88) |
Date of publication A3: |
|
22.10.1997 Bulletin 1997/43 |
| (43) |
Date of publication A2: |
|
12.03.1997 Bulletin 1997/11 |
| (22) |
Date of filing: 22.08.1996 |
|
| (51) |
International Patent Classification (IPC)6: B41J 2/16 |
|
| (84) |
Designated Contracting States: |
|
DE FR GB |
| (30) |
Priority: |
28.08.1995 US 519906
|
| (71) |
Applicant: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC. |
|
Greenwich,
Connecticut 06836 (US) |
|
| (72) |
Inventors: |
|
- Jackson, Tonya H.
Nicholasville,
Kentucky 40356 (US)
- Komplin, Steven R.
Lexington,
Kentucky 40515 (US)
- Murthy, Ashok
Lexington,
Kentucky 40515 (US)
- Williams, Gary R.
Lexington,
Kentucky 40517 (US)
|
| (74) |
Representative: Skailes, Humphrey John |
|
Frank B. Dehn & Co.,
European Patent Attorneys,
179 Queen Victoria Street
London EC4V 4EL
London EC4V 4EL (GB) |
|
| |
|
| (54) |
Method of forming an inkjet printhead nozzle structure |
(57) A composite structure containing a nozzle layer and an adhesive layer is provided
and the adhesive layer is coated with a polymeric sacrificial layer. The coated composite
structure is laser ablated to form one or more nozzles in the structure and the sacrificial
layer is removed. The sacrificial layer is preferably a water soluble polymer and
is most preferably polyvinyl alcohol which is removed by directing jets of water at
the sacrificial layer until it is substantially removed from the adhesive layer.