Liquid Ejection Head Expanded Portion Narrow Pitch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid ejection heads face challenges in reducing the size of flow passage members due to limitations in injection molding, making it difficult to achieve higher precision and lower costs by increasing the number of boards from a wafer, as the pitch of supply ports and flow passages cannot be reduced sufficiently.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves a silicon substrate with an expanded portion at the opening of the supply port, which connects to a resin flow passage member, allowing for secure communication between supply ports and flow passages even with narrower pitches, and minimizing the reduction in flow passage width, enabling the use of a resin flow passage member with a larger opening area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the pitch of supply ports and flow passages is reduced to increase the number of boards from a wafer, then productivity and cost-effectiveness are improved, but the flow passage width is excessively reduced making effective communication difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional reduction approach (simply reducing pitch in the plane) to a three-dimensional solution by forming an expanded portion that protrudes from the silicon substrate surface. This vertical dimension allows the flow passage opening to be enlarged without increasing the planar pitch, thereby maintaining communication effectiveness while enabling closer spacing of supply ports and flow passages.
Solution Approach 2:
The expanded portion is formed in advance during the semiconductor manufacturing process, before the flow passage member is attached. This preliminary formation of the enlarged opening ensures that the communication interface is prepared beforehand, allowing for precise alignment and effective connection between the supply port and the flow passage even when pitches are reduced.
2Device complexity
If injection molding is used to reduce the size of flow passage members, then device complexity is reduced and manufacturing is simplified, but the minimum pitch is limited preventing further size reduction
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly reducing the entire flow passage member size through conventional injection molding, the invention applies local quality enhancement by forming an expanded portion at the specific location where communication with the supply port occurs. This localized enlargement allows the flow passage member to maintain its simplified injection-molded structure while achieving effective communication at reduced pitches through the protruding expanded portion.
Data Source
AI summary
In a liquid ejection head and a method of manufacturing the ejection head, an ejection port board is provided with an expanded portion that communicates with a supply port and has an open end that is larger than an opening of the supply port.