JPH042529B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a photosensitive glass plate having minute openings, such as an ink nozzle plate of an inkjet recording head for recording characters, figures, images, etc. on a recorded object. The present invention relates to a method for masking photosensitive glass for manufacturing.

2. Description of the Related Art As an inkjet recording head using a nozzle plate in which minute openings are formed in a flat plate such as photosensitive glass, one having a structure as shown in FIG. 3 is known.

As shown in FIG. 3, an air outlet 2 is provided in an insulating nozzle plate 1 attached to a body member 10. As shown in FIG. A nozzle plate 3 is attached to the body member 10 in parallel with the nozzle plate 1, and the nozzle plate 3 has an ink discharge port 4 formed therein opposite to the air discharge port 2. A ring-shaped protrusion 5 that protrudes from the nozzle plate 3 is provided on the side of the ink discharge port 4 in the direction of the air discharge port 2 . An air flow is sent from the periphery to the air layer 6 formed by the nozzle plate 1 and the nozzle plate 3, and flows out from the air discharge port 2. A constant pressure is applied to the ink inside the ink ejection port 4, and when the inkjet recording head is not driven,
The air pressure near the ink discharge port 4 and the ink pressure within the ink discharge port 4 are approximately equal, and the mechanism of ink generated in the ink discharge port 4 is adjusted so as to be maintained in a stationary state. The signal source 7 is connected to the electrode 8 and the ink discharge port 4 so that a potential difference is generated between the electrode 8 provided on the surface of the nozzle plate 1 and around the air discharge port 2 and the ink within the ink discharge port 4.
It is electrically connected to a conductive ink supply pipe 9 that communicates with the ink supply pipe 9 .

Then, the signal source 7 connects the electrode 8 and the ink discharge port 4.
When a potential difference occurs in the ink inside, the meniscus generated at the ink discharge port 4 is stretched in the direction of the air discharge port 2 due to the electric field caused by the potential difference. The ink meniscus that has been maintained for a certain length or more by the electric field is torn off by the sudden change in pressure gradient caused by the air flow, and flies as ink droplets from the air discharge port 2. At this time, by providing the ring-shaped protrusion 5 at the ink discharge port 4 as described above, the air flow is bent more sharply due to the influence of the ring-shaped protrusion 5, and the air flow is disposed near the ink discharge port 4. A dead zone occurs, and in this dead zone there is almost no pressure gradient in the airflow. Therefore, even if the ink meniscus slightly fluctuates at the ink ejection port 4, the ink will not be ejected, and there is an advantage that the stability of the ink meniscus can be improved.

Next, a conventional method of manufacturing the nozzle plate 3 having the ring-shaped protrusion 5 as described above will be explained with reference to FIG. What is shown in FIG. 4 is a manufacturing method previously filed by the present inventors as Japanese Patent Application No. 59-92249.
As shown in FIG. 4a, an exposure mask 102 is placed on a photosensitive glass 101, and exposure is performed by applying ultraviolet light. At this time, in the exposure mask 102, the ring-shaped part 103 blocks light, and the other parts 10
4 allows light to pass through. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4b, the portion 105 of the photosensitive glass 101 that is exposed to the light is exposed to light, and the subsequent heat treatment
Li ₂ O-siO ₂ crystals are generated and etching with a hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution becomes easy. In the photosensitive glass 101, the cylindrical portion 106 (the direction of the hatching has been changed for ease of understanding) that was not exposed to light has not undergone any crystal modification. Next, as shown in FIG. 4c, both sides of the photosensitive glass 101 are half-etched with an aqueous hydrofluoric acid solution. Part 10 that is crystallized at this time
5 is etched faster than the non-crystallized cylinder upper part 106 as shown by 107 and 108, ring-shaped protrusions 109 and 110 are formed on both sides of the photosensitive glass 101. Next, as shown in FIG. 4d, the entire surface of the photosensitive glass 101 on the ring-shaped projection 109 side is masked with electron wax 111, which is a hydrofluoric acid-resistant material. Electron wax 111 is a paraffin-based adhesive, which is used to increase the temperature of photosensitive glass 101 and turn it into a liquid for masking. From the outer surface of this electron wax 111, the glass substrate 11
Paste 2. On the other hand, the entire opposite ring-shaped projection 110 side of the photosensitive glass 101 is masked with electron wax 113.
Electron wax 113 is photosensitive glass 10
The electron wax 113 applied near the ring-shaped protrusion 110 gradually wets and spreads to prevent it from entering the ring-shaped protrusion 110. masked. Next, as shown in FIG. 4e, the photosensitive glass 101 is etched a second time from inside the ring-shaped protrusion 110 on the masked side with electron wax 113 until it penetrates to the ring-shaped protrusion 109 on the opposite side. Let's do it. 11
4 indicates the etched and penetrated part, 115
indicates the side-etched part. Thereafter, the electron waxes 113 and 111 are peeled off by washing with water and ultrasonic cleaning with trichlorethylene, and the guide frame substrate 112 is removed. As shown in FIG. A photosensitive glass (nozzle plate 3 shown in FIG. 3) having a ring-shaped protrusion 5) shown in FIG. 3 and a penetrating portion 114 (ink ejection opening 4 shown in FIG. 3) can be formed.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, the following problems arose in the method of masking the electron wax 113 shown in FIG. 4d in the above manufacturing method. In the above masking method, the surface roughness of the end surface 110a of the ring-shaped protrusion 110 is smaller than the surface roughness of the surface 108a formed by etching in the photosensitive glass 101 and the side surface 110b of the ring-shaped protrusion 110. Taking advantage of the poor wettability of the electron wax 113 in the ring-shaped protrusion 110a, the electron wax 113 is stopped near the peripheral edge 110c of the ring-shaped protrusion 110 to prevent the electron wax 113 from entering the ring-shaped protrusion 110. I'm masking. If the electron wax 113 enters the ring-shaped protrusion 110 to this extent, etching using a hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution in the next step will not be possible, so masking conditions must be determined strictly. The electron wax 113 has a lower viscosity as the temperature increases, so the end surface 11 of the ring-shaped protrusion 110
Since the wettability at 0a becomes better and it gets into the ring-shaped protrusion 110, it is necessary to adjust the temperature. In addition, the speed of wetting changes depending on the temperature, and it is impossible to completely eliminate the wettability of the electron wax 113 on the end surface 110a, so it will get into the ring-shaped protrusion 110 after a long period of time. It is necessary to adjust the time. When the amount of electron wax 113 applied is further increased, the ring-shaped protrusion 1
10 end face 110a and electron wax 11
The contact angle with 3 increases, improving wettability.
As a result, the electron wax 113 gets into the ring-shaped protrusion 110, so it is necessary to adjust the amount applied. However, it is difficult to control the temperature, time, amount of coating, etc., and there is a problem that mass production is poor. Particularly when there are a large number of nozzles, electron wax may get into them due to poor adjustment, making it impossible to mask reliably.

Therefore, the present invention can easily perform masking with ease of adjustment, ease the conditions such as selection of a hydrofluoric acid-resistant material for masking, and furthermore ensure reliable masking even when there are multiple protrusions. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for masking photosensitive glass that enables the following.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the photosensitive glass masking method of the present invention includes a step of exposing photosensitive glass in a predetermined pattern and heat treatment, and a step of exposing and heat treating the photosensitive glass. a step of half-etching the heat-treated photosensitive glass to form a protrusion of a predetermined shape; and a step of arranging a flexible member so as to contact the protrusion formed in the step of forming the protrusion, and making it resistant to hydrofluoric acid. a step of applying a hydrofluoric acid-resistant material for forming a material layer to at least a portion other than the protruding portion; and a step of melting the applied hydrofluoric acid-resistant material to a portion other than the protruding portion where the flexible member is disposed. It consists of a process of development.

Effects The present invention can reliably shield the inside of the protrusion from the outside with the above-described configuration, and can perform masking reliably without being restricted by the photosensitive glass temperature, holding time, or amount of applied hydrofluoric acid-resistant material. can be done.

EXAMPLE Hereinafter, an example in which the present invention was applied to the manufacture of a nozzle plate for an inkjet recording head will be described. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. 1st
As shown in FIG. Ring-shaped protrusions 19 and 20 are formed. This processing step is the same as that shown in FIGS. 4a to 4c. The ring-shaped projection 19 side on one side of the photosensitive glass 11 is masked with electron wax 21 at a temperature of 50° C. or higher, and a glass substrate 22 is attached to this electron wax. Then, on the opposite side of the photosensitive glass 11, the surface facing the ring-shaped protrusion 20 is masked with electron wax 23, which is a hydrofluoric acid-resistant material. Electron Wax 23 is a paraffin-based adhesive (Sodenshi Kogyo Co., Ltd.)
At temperatures above approximately 48℃, it becomes liquid. Therefore, first, the temperature of the photosensitive glass 11 is set to 48°C or higher,
Electron wax 23 is applied around the ring-shaped protrusion 20 without entering the ring-shaped protrusion 20, as shown in FIG. 1a. Next, the temperature of the photosensitive glass 11 is lowered to room temperature, and as shown in FIG.
4 is placed on the ring-shaped protrusion 2 and an appropriate load is applied using a weight 25. Since the silicone rubber 24 has excellent elasticity, it deforms so as to bite into the tip of the ring-shaped protrusion 20, covering the entire surface of the end surface 20a, the vicinity of the end surface 20a of the outer surface 20b and the inner surface 20d, and forming the ring-shaped protrusion. The inner space of the portion 20 is closed and separated from the outside. Next, the entire temperature of the photosensitive glass 11 is raised to 60° C. or higher and melted. Since there is a gap 26 between the silicone rubber 24 and the photosensitive glass 11 provided by the ring-shaped protrusion 20, the molten electron wax 23 can wet and spread all around the ring-shaped protrusion 20. can. When held for a predetermined time, the electron wax 23 masks the entire area around the ring-shaped protrusion 20. At this time, the internal space and the outside of the ring-shaped protrusion 20 are completely separated by the silicone rubber 24, so even if the temperature is raised to about 80°C or the holding time is extended, the ring-shaped protrusion 20
There is no possibility that the electron wax 23 will get into the 0. Therefore, by simply adjusting the load on the silicone rubber 24 and adjusting the amount of electron wax 23 applied, reliable masking can be performed. After masking, the photosensitive glass 11 is cooled to room temperature, and the silicone rubber 24 and weight 25 are removed as shown in FIG. 1c. Since the silicone rubber 24 and the electron wax 23 have little adhesion, they can be removed cleanly.

After completing the masking in this way, etching is performed from the inside of the ring-shaped protrusion 20 as described above to form a nozzle plate 3 as shown in FIG.
can be manufactured.

FIG. 2 shows a masking method according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2a, an electron wax 21 and a glass substrate 22 are provided on one side of the photosensitive glass 11 on the side of the ring-shaped protrusion 19. In this embodiment, before applying the electron wax 23 to the opposite side of the photosensitive glass 11, a silicone rubber 24 and a weight 25 are placed on the ring-shaped protrusion 20 to cover the tip of the ring-shaped protrusion 20. Its internal space is closed off from the outside. In this state, the temperature of the photosensitive glass 11 is raised to 60° C. or higher to melt it, and electron wax 23 is applied to the surface of the photosensitive glass 11. The electron wax 23 wets the gap 26 between the photosensitive glass 11 and the silicone rubber 24 and spreads around the ring-shaped protrusion 20 to perform masking. After masking, photosensitive glass 1
1, the silicone rubber 24 and the weight 25 are removed as shown in FIG. 2b.

In this embodiment, since the internal space and the outside of the ring-shaped protrusion 20 are completely separated by the silicone rubber 24, even if an excess of electron wax 23 is applied, the electron wax 23 will not penetrate the ring-shaped protrusion 20. Since there is no risk of it getting inside, there is no need to strictly adjust the amount of electron wax 23 applied, and there is no problem even when there are a large number of nozzles and the distance between the nozzles is narrow, making it suitable for mass production.

In each of the above embodiments, the case where the protruding part of the photosensitive glass is ring-shaped has been explained, but it may also be triangular, square, etc., and there is no problem even if it has a shape other than a nozzle, such as a partition, a frame, etc. There isn't.
In addition to electron wax, for example, epoxy adhesive may be used as the hydrofluoric acid-resistant material.
This makes it possible to widen the range of usage conditions such as viscosity, curing temperature, curing time, and materials. Furthermore, rubber materials other than silicone rubber or synthetic resins can be used for the flexible member.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, the tip of the protruding portion of the photosensitive glass provided by half etching is covered with a soft member, and the photosensitive glass is exposed at a predetermined gap between the photosensitive glass and the flexible member. Since the hydrofluoric acid-resistant glass is masked with a hydrofluoric acid-resistant material, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) Since the inner space and the outer periphery of the protrusion are completely separated by a flexible member, there is no need to strictly adjust the temperature of the photosensitive glass, the holding time, and the amount of hydrofluoric acid-resistant material applied, and the It is possible to perform masking with excellent mass productivity.

(2) A wide range of conditions such as the material, viscosity, curing temperature, and curing time of the hydrofluoric acid-resistant material can be set.

(3) Masking can be performed without problems even when the number of protrusions is large and the distance between the protrusions is narrow.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1A to 1C are sectional views showing a first embodiment of the masking method of the present invention, FIGS. 2A and 2B are sectional views showing a second embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 3 is an example of an inkjet recording head. FIGS. 4a to 4f are sectional views showing a conventional manufacturing method of a nozzle plate used in an inkjet recording head. 11... Photosensitive glass, 19, 20... Ring-shaped protrusion, 21, 23... Electron wax (hydrofluoric acid resistant material), 24... Silicone rubber (soft member), 25... Weight.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A step of exposing photosensitive glass in a predetermined pattern and heat treatment, and half-etching the photosensitive glass exposed and heat treated in the exposure and heat treatment step to form a protrusion in a predetermined shape. a step of arranging a soft member so as to contact the protrusion formed in the step of forming the protrusion, and applying a hydrofluoric acid-resistant material for forming a hydrofluoric acid-resistant material layer to at least a portion of the area other than the protrusion; A method for masking photosensitive glass comprising the steps of: applying the hydrofluoric acid-resistant material to a portion other than the protruding portion where the flexible member is disposed, and melting and developing the applied hydrofluoric acid-resistant material. 2. In the step of arranging a flexible member so as to contact the protrusion and applying a hydrofluoric acid-resistant material to at least a portion other than the protrusion to form a hydrofluoric acid-resistant material layer, the application of the hydrofluoric acid-resistant material is performed. The method of masking photosensitive glass according to claim 1, characterized in that the method is performed before placing the flexible member. 3. In the step of arranging a flexible member so as to contact the protrusion and applying a hydrofluoric acid-resistant material to at least a portion other than the protrusion to form a hydrofluoric acid-resistant material layer, the coating of the hydrofluoric acid-resistant material is performed. 2. The photosensitive glass masking method according to claim 1, wherein the masking method is performed after the flexible member is placed. 4 Claim 1 in which the protrusion is ring-shaped
A method for masking photosensitive glass according to items 1 to 3. 5. The method for masking photosensitive glass according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the hydrofluoric acid-resistant material is electron wax.