Method of forming nozzles

Abstract

A nozzle in a nozzle plate for an inkjet printhead is formed by directing a laser beam at a nozzle plate. Accurate control of the divergence of the beam is achieved by splitting the beam into sub-beams, each sub-beam having divergence with an origin lying apart from the point at which the beam is created by splitting, and thereafter recombining the sub-beams. Greater accuracy in the taper and inlet shape of the manufactured nozzle is thereby obtained.

1 - 31 . (canceled)  
     
     
         32 . A method of forming a nozzle in a nozzle plate for an inkjet printhead comprising the steps of forming a nozzle having a nozzle outlet and of subsequently directing a finishing laser beam at the nozzle to remove material by ablation and thereby provide an internal finish.  
     
     
         33 . A method according to  claim 32 , wherein the step of forming the nozzle comprises the step of directing at the nozzle plate a forming laser beam having a power that is less than that of the finishing laser beam.  
     
     
         34 . A method according to  claim 32 , wherein the nozzle tapers from nozzle inlet to nozzle outlet and wherein the finishing laser beam impinges on that face of the nozzle plate in which the nozzle outlet is formed.  
     
     
         35 . A method according to  claim 32 , wherein the step of directing a finishing laser beam at the nozzle occurs after the nozzle plate has been secured in an ink jet printhead.  
     
     
         36 . A method according to  claim 32 , wherein an optical element in the path of the finishing laser beam is rotated to cause a periodically varying beam intensity in the nozzle.  
     
     
         37 . A method according to  claim 32 , wherein beam splitting optics are inserted in the path of the finishing laser beam to enable more than one nozzle to be finished at the same time.  
     
     
         38 . A method of finishing a nozzle formed in a nozzle plate for an inkjet printhead, comprising directing a high power laser beam at the nozzle to remove material by ablation and thereby provide an internal finish.  
     
     
         39 . A method according to  claim 38 , wherein the nozzle tapers from nozzle inlet to nozzle outlet and wherein the laser beam impinges on that face of the nozzle plate in which the nozzle outlet is formed.  
     
     
         40 . A method according to  claim 38 , wherein the step of directing a laser beam at the nozzle occurs after the nozzle plate has been secured in an ink jet printhead.  
     
     
         41 . A method according to  claim 38 , wherein an optical element in the path of the laser beam is rotated to cause a periodically varying beam intensity in the nozzle.  
     
     
         42 . A method according to  claim 38 , wherein beam splitting optics are inserted in the path of the laser beam to enable more than one nozzle to be finished at the same time.  
     
     
         43 . A method of providing an internal finish to a nozzle for an ink jet printer, comprising the steps of providing a nozzle, directing a laser beam at a surface in which a nozzle outlet is formed and employing high laser power thereby providing a good internal finish to the nozzle.  
     
     
         44 . A method of conditioning an ink jet nozzle comprising: 
 forming an ink jet nozzle, and    directing a laser beam at an outlet side of the ink jet nozzle to internally finish and shape the ink jet nozzle.    
     
     
         45 . A method according to  claim 44 , wherein the step of forming includes directing a laser beam having a first power at a side of a nozzle plate in which the outlet of the ink jet nozzle is formed.  
     
     
         46 . A method according to  claim 45 , wherein the step of directing further includes the laser beam having a second power higher than the first power.  
     
     
         47 . A method according to  claim 44 , wherein the step of forming includes first directing a first laser beam having a first power at a side of a nozzle plate to form a substantial portion of the ink jet nozzle, and wherein the step of directing includes directing the first laser beam to complete formation of the ink jet nozzle.  
     
     
         48 . A method according to  claim 47 , wherein the step of directing includes increasing the power of the first laser beam to complete, internally finish, and shape the ink jet nozzle.  
     
     
         49 . A method of conditioning an ink jet nozzle comprising: 
 forming an ink jet nozzle in a nozzle plate, and    directing a laser beam at a side of the nozzle plate having an outlet of the ink jet nozzle to remove material and internally finish the ink jet nozzle.    
     
     
         50 . A method according to  claim 49 , wherein the step of directing includes removing material by laser ablation at the outlet of the ink jet nozzle.  
     
     
         51 . A method according to  claim 49 , wherein the step of forming includes directing a first laser beam a the side of the nozzle plate to substantially form the ink jet nozzle, and wherein the step of directing includes increasing the power of the first laser beam.