Manufacturing method of ink-jet haead

Abstract

In a method for manufacturing an ink-jet print head in which ink channels are formed on a member including a piezoelectric body, and ink is jetted from each of the ink channels by applying a voltage to electrodes provided on the piezoelectric body according to each of the ink channels, thereby driving the piezoelectric body, the method includes the steps of: plating a surface of a channel plate having a plurality of grooves for the ink channels thereby forming a thin-film plating layer which is thinner than a desired thickness; removing a part of the thin-film plating layer by a laser beam; and plating again the channel plate thereby forming an additional plating layer on the thin-film plating which has not been removed by the laser beam, and thereby forming the electrodes of the desired thickness.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for manufacturing an ink-jet print head in which ink channels are formed on a member including a piezoelectric body, and ink is jetted from each of the ink channels by applying a voltage to electrodes provided on the piezoelectric body according to each of the ink channels thereby driving the piezoelectric body, the method comprising the steps of: 
 plating a surface of a channel plate having a plurality of grooves for the ink channels thereby forming a thin-film plating layer which is thinner than a desired thickness;    removing a part of the thin-film plating layer by a laser beam; and    plating again the channel plate thereby forming an additional plating layer on the thin-film plating which has not been removed by the laser beam, and thereby forming the electrodes of the desired thickness.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electrodes are made of nickel or copper.  
     
     
         3 . A method for manufacturing an ink-jet print head in which ink channels are formed on a member including a piezoelectric body, and ink is jetted from each of the ink channels by applying a voltage to electrodes provided on the piezoelectric body according to each of the ink channels thereby driving the piezoelectric body, the method comprising the steps of: 
 adsorbing a catalyst onto a channel plate having a plurality of grooves for the ink channels;    removing a part of the catalyst by a laser beam; and    plating at least one side surface and a bottom surface of the channel plate, thereby forming a plating layer serving as the electrodes on the catalyst which has not been removed by the laser beam.    
     
     
         4 . A method for manufacturing an ink-jet print head in which ink channels are formed on a member including a piezoelectric body, and ink is jetted from each of the ink channels by applying a voltage to electrodes provided on the piezoelectric body thereby driving the piezoelectric body according to each of the ink channels, the method comprising the steps of: 
 adhering a channel plate having a plurality of grooves for the ink channels and a cover plate together, thereby forming a print head chip;    forming a plating layer serving as the electrodes on both inside and outside of each of a plurality of pipe-shaped channels, which have been formed on the print head chip for the ink channels; and    removing a part of a plating layer formed on an outside surface of the print head chip by a laser beam, thereby forming the electrodes inside the pipe-shaped channels and on an outside surface of the print head chip.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the plating layer formed as the electrodes have a plating layer thickness thinner than a desired thickness, and the method further comprises the step of plating again the inside of each of the plurality of pipe-shaped channels and the outside surface of the print head chip after the step of the removing the part of the thin-film of the plating layer by the laser beam, thereby forming an additional plating layer on the thin-film of the plating layer which has not been removed by the laser beam.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the electrodes are made of nickel or copper.  
     
     
         7 . A method for manufacturing an ink-jet print head in which ink channels are formed on a member including a piezoelectric body, and ink is jetted from each of the ink channels by applying a voltage to electrodes provided on the piezoelectric body thereby driving the piezoelectric body according to each of the ink channels, the method comprising the steps of: 
 adhering a channel plate having a plurality of grooves for the ink channels and a cover plate together, thereby forming a print head chip;    adsorbing a catalyst on the print head chip;    removing a part of the catalyst formed on an outside surface of the print head chip by a laser beam; and    plating an inner wall of each of the plurality of the ink channels and the outside surface of the print head chip, thereby forming a plating layer serving as the electrodes, on the catalyst which has not been removed by the laser beam.