CMOS process compatible fabrication of print heads

(19)

(11)

EP 0 763 430 A3

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)	Date of publication A3:
	05.11.1997 Bulletin 1997/45

(43)	Date of publication A2:
	19.03.1997 Bulletin 1997/12

(21)	Application number: 96113914.4

(22)	Date of filing: 30.08.1996

(51)	International Patent Classification (IPC)⁶: B41J 2/16

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	DE FR GB

(30)

Priority:

06.09.1995 AU PN5222/95

(71)	Applicant: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
	Rochester, New York 14650 (US)

(72)	Inventor:
	Silverbrook, Kia Rochester, New York 14650-2201 (US)

(74)	Representative: Reichert, Werner Franz, Dr. et al
	Kodak Aktiengesellschaft, Patent Department 70323 Stuttgart 70323 Stuttgart (DE)

(54)	CMOS process compatible fabrication of print heads

(57) A manufacturing process for printing heads (50) which integrates many nozzles into a single monolithic silicon structure. The nozzles (200) are etched through the silicon substrate, allowing two dimensional arrays of nozzles (200) for printing. The manufacturing process can be based on existing CMOS, BiCMOS and bipolar semiconductor manufacturing processes, allowing fabrication in existing semiconductor fabrication facilities. Drive transistors (201), shift registers, and fault tolerance circuitry can be fabricated on the same wafer as the nozzles (200). The manufacturing process uses anisotropic wet etching using EDP on a 〈100〉 wafer to form ink channels and nozzle barrels simultaneously. The size of the nozzle barrels can be controlled by the relative starting times of the etch of the nozzle barrels and the ink channels. The manufacturing process has major advantages in being highly CMOS compatible, with all processes relating to nozzle formation occurring after final level metal in CMOS process flow.

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