Importance

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Abstract

A method of manufacturing a thermal ink jet printhead wherein a reusable mandrel consisting of either a metal pattern on an insulating or semiconductive substrate or an insulating pattern on a metal substrate or metal layer is used in the process of electroforming a plurality of metal substrates used for starting a batch fabrication process. Next, thin film layers of insulating, resistive, and conductive materials are formed on the surfaces of the metal substrates to thereby define heater resistors and lead-in conductors for the plurality of thermal ink jet printheads being formed. Then, a barrier layer such as Vacrel is photodefined on the surface of the thin film insulating, resistive, and conductive layers to thereby define a plurality of ink drop ejection chambers surrounding each of the previously formed heater resistors. Next, a plurality of orifice plates are secured, respectively, to the barrier layers in each of the printheads being formed. Finally, the plurality of metal substrates may be removed from the mandrel, such as by stripping away, without the requirement for substrate dicing, and an appropriate mask on the mandrel may be used to create an ink feed hole in each of the metal substrates. The metal substrates are further provided with a break tab line during the electroforming process which is aligned with break patterns in both the above thin film layers and orifice plates. In this manner, the individual thin film printheads may be easily broken away and separated one from another.

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First Claim