1. An ink jet printhead for an ink jet printer, the printhead comprising a nozzle plate attached to a heater chip, the heater chip including a semiconductor substrate, a resistive layer deposited on the substrate, and a substantially non-conductive protective layer on the resistive layer, the protective layer being selected from the group consisting of a titanium-doped diamond-like carbon thin film layer, and a single thin film diamond-like carbon layer having at least a first surface comprised of more than about 30 atom % titanium.
2. The printhead of claim 1 wherein the protective layer has a thickness ranging from about 1000 to about 5000 Angstroms.
3. The printhead of claim 1 wherein the protective layer comprises a titanium-doped diamond-like carbon layer containing up to about 15 atom % titanium.
4. The printhead of claim 1 wherein the protective layer comprises a single thin film diamond-like carbon layer having at least a first surface comprised of more than about 50 atom % titanium.
5. The printhead of claim 4 wherein a second opposing surface of the diamond-like carbon layer contains from about 5 to about 15 atom % titanium.
6. The printhead of claim 5 wherein the thin film layer has a central bulk layer consisting essentially of diamond-like carbon.
7. The printhead of claim 1 wherein the protective layer comprises a titanium-doped diamond-like carbon layer having a titanium concentration gradient therein from a first surface to a second surface of the layer.
8. A method for making a heater chip for a micro-fluid ejection device, the heater chip exhibiting enhanced adhesion between a resistive layer for the heater chip and a protective layer for the heater chip, comprising the steps of:
providing a semiconductor substrate,
depositing an insulating layer on the substrate, the insulating layer having a thickness ranging from about 8,000 to about 30,000 Angstroms,
depositing a resistive layer on the insulating layer, the resistive layer having a thickness ranging from about 500 to about 1,500 Angstroms and being selected from the group consisting of TaAl, Ta2N, TaAl(O,N), TaAlSi, TaSiC, Ti(N,O), WSi(O,N), TaAlN, and TaAlTa,
depositing a first metal layer on the resistive layer and etching the first metal layer to define ground and address electrodes and a heater resistor therebetween,
depositing a substantially non-conductive protective layer on the heater resistor, the protective layer having a thickness ranging from about 1000 to about 5000 Angstroms and being selected from the group consisting a titanium-doped diamond-like carbon thin film layer, and a single thin film diamond-like carbon layer having at least a first surface comprised of more than about 30 atom % titanium.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the protective layer is deposited by a plasma deposition process.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the protective layer is derived from an organometallic compound.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the organometallic compound comprises tetrakis(dimethylamino) titanium.
12. The method of claim 8 wherein the non-conductive protective layer is deposited in a PE-CVD reactor in the presence of tetrakis(dimethylamino) titanium and methane.
13. The method of claim 8 further comprising depositing a cavitation layer having a thickness ranging from about 2000 to about 3000 Angstroms on the protective layer.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the cavitation layer comprises a refractory metal selected from the group consisting of tantalum and titanium.
15. A micro-fluid ejection device containing a heater chip made by the method of claim 8.
16. An ink jet printer containing a heater chip made by the method of claim 8.
17. A heater chip for a micro-fluid ejection device comprising a semiconductor substrate, a resistive layer deposited on the substrate, and a substantially non-conductive protective layer attached to the resistive layer, the protective layer being selected from the group consisting of a titanium-doped diamond-like carbon thin film layer, a single thin film diamond-like carbon layer having at least a first surface comprised of more than about 30 atom % titanium, and two diamond-like carbon layers wherein a first layer is a silicon-doped diamond-like carbon layer and a second layer is a titanium-doped diamond-like carbon layer.
18. The heater chip of claim 17 wherein the protective layer has a thickness ranging from about 1000 to about 5000 Angstroms.
19. The heater chip of claim 17 wherein the protective layer comprises a titanium-doped diamond-like carbon layer containing up to about 15 atom % titanium.
20. The heater chip of claim 17 wherein the protective layer comprises a single thin film diamond-like carbon layer having at least a first surface comprised of more than about 50 atom % titanium.
21. The heater chip of claim 20 wherein a second opposing surface of the diamond-like carbon layer contains from about 5 to about 15 atom % titanium.
22. The heater chip of claim 21 wherein the thin film layer has a central bulk layer consisting essentially of diamond-like carbon.
23. The heater chip of claim 17 wherein the protective layer comprises a titanium-doped diamond-like carbon layer having a titanium concentration gradient therein from a first surface to a second surface of the layer.
24. The heater chip of claim 17 further comprising a cavitation layer selected from titanium metal and tantalum metal deposited on the protective layer.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus for attaching a substrate to a support, the apparatus comprising:
a housing, wherein the housing includes a substrate contact component, wherein the substrate contact component includes a substrate contact component opening, and wherein the substrate contact component and substrate contact component opening are configured to hold a substrate when vacuum is applied through the substrate contact component opening;
a light source within the housing, wherein the light source is configured to provide illumination through the substrate contact component opening; and
an attachment component, wherein the attachment component is configured to connect the apparatus to a vacuum source.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, additionally comprising:
a heat sink.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, additionally comprising:
one or more insulation components configured to direct heat generated during operation of the apparatus toward the heat sink.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the one or more insulation components comprise a first insulation component positioned on a top surface of the heat sink and a second insulation component positioned on a bottom surface of the heat sink.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate contact component includes a bottom surface, wherein the bottom surface includes one or more structural features, wherein the one or more structural features extend from the bottom surface and are configured to prevent contact between the bottom surface and a substrate.
6.-9. (canceled)
10. A system for attaching a substrate to a support, the system comprising:
a substrate;
a support, wherein a top surface of the support includes a light curable adhesive;
a vacuum source; and
an apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a housing, wherein the housing includes a substrate contact component, wherein the substrate contact component includes a substrate contact component opening, and wherein the substrate contact component and substrate contact component opening are configured to hold a substrate when vacuum is applied from the vacuum source through the apparatus to the substrate contact component opening;
a light source within the housing, wherein the light source is configured to provide illumination through the substrate contact component opening; and
an attachment component, wherein the attachment component is configured to connect the apparatus to the vacuum source.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the apparatus additionally comprises:
a heat sink.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the apparatus additionally comprises:
one or more insulation components configured to direct heat generated during operation of the apparatus toward the heat sink.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more insulation components comprise a first insulation component positioned on a top surface of the heat sink and second insulation component positioned on a bottom surface of the heat sink.
14. The system of claim 10, wherein the substrate comprises a top surface, wherein the substrate contact component comprises a bottom surface, wherein the bottom surface of the substrate contact component comprises one or more structural features, and wherein the one or more structural features are configured such that the top surface of the substrate only contacts the one or more structural features when the substrate is held by the apparatus.
15. The system of claim 10, wherein the substrate comprises a top surface, wherein the substrate contact component comprises a bottom surface, wherein the top surface of the substrate comprises one or more structural features, wherein the bottom surface of the substrate contact component comprises one or more structural features, and wherein the one or more structural features of the substrate and the one or more structural features of the substrate contact component are configured such that only the structural features are in contact when the substrate is held by the apparatus and other areas of the top surface of the substrate and bottom surface of the substrate contact component are not in contact.
16.-19. (canceled)
20. The system of claim 10, wherein the light source is a light-emitting diode, and wherein the light-emitting diode is positioned within the apparatus such that the illumination through the substrate contact component opening is directly above the substrate and support.
21. The system of claim 10, wherein the substrate comprises one or more structural features, wherein the one or more structural features include one or more fiducial markers, and wherein the system additionally comprises:
a vision component, wherein the vision component is configured to acquire one or more images of the substrate after vacuum is applied such that the apparatus holds the substrate, wherein the vision component is additionally configured to analyze the one or more fiducial markers within the one or more images to determine a degree of rotation of the substrate with respect to the apparatus, and wherein the vision component is further configured to effect rotation of the apparatus if the degree of rotation of the substrate does not match a predetermined optimal rotation.
22.-23. (canceled)
24. A method of attaching a substrate to a support, the method comprising:
providing a substrate and a support;
coupling the substrate to an apparatus, wherein the apparatus comprises a substrate contact component, wherein the substrate contact component includes a substrate contact component opening, and wherein the substrate is coupled to the substrate contact component through a vacuum applied to the substrate through the substrate contact component opening;
dispensing an adhesive, wherein the adhesive is curable with one or more wavelengths of light;
manipulating the apparatus such that a bottom surface of the substrate contacts a top surface of the support, wherein the adhesive is dispensed such that the adhesive is positioned between the bottom surface of the substrate and the top surface of the support;
curing the adhesive with illumination from a light source within the apparatus; and
decoupling the substrate and apparatus, wherein decoupling comprises removal of the vacuum applied to the substrate through the substrate contact component opening.
25.-26. (canceled)
27. The method of claim 24, wherein a bottom surface of the substrate contact component comprises one or more structural features, wherein the one or more structural features prevent a top surface of the substrate from contacting the bottom surface of the substrate contact component except at the one or more structural features.
28. The method of claim 24, wherein a top surface of the substrate comprises one or more structural features, and wherein the one or more structural features prevent the top surface of the substrate from contacting a bottom surface of the substrate contact component except at the one or more structural features.
29. The method of claim 24, wherein a top surface of the substrate comprises one or more substrate structural features, wherein a bottom surface of the substrate contact component comprises one or more apparatus structural features, and wherein the one or more substrate structural features and the one or more apparatus structural features prevent the top surface of the substrate from contacting a bottom surface of the substrate contact component except at the one more substrate structural features and the one or more apparatus structural features.
30. The method of claim 24, wherein the substrate includes one or more structural features, and wherein the method additionally comprises:
analyzing the substrate after coupling to the apparatus, wherein analyzing comprises determining a degree of rotation for the substrate with respect to the apparatus and comparing the degree of rotation to a predetermined optimal rotation; and
rotating the apparatus such that the degree of rotation for the substrate with respect to the apparatus matches the predetermined optimal rotation if the degree of rotation is different from the predetermined optimal rotation by a threshold amount, wherein rotation occurs before the bottom surface of the substrate contacts the top surface of the support.
31. The method of claim 30, wherein the one or more structural features include one or more fiducial markers, wherein analyzing comprises acquiring one or more images of the substrate, and wherein the one or more fiducial markers are analyzed within the one or more images to determine the degree of rotation.
32.-34. (canceled)
35. The method of claim 24, wherein the light source is positioned within the apparatus such that the illumination occurs through the substrate contact component opening.
36. The method of claim 35, wherein the light source is further positioned such that only one period of illumination is required to cure the adhesive.
37. The method of claim 36, wherein the adhesive is cured before decoupling.
38. (canceled)
39. The method of claim 24, wherein the apparatus includes a heat sink, and wherein the heat sink dissipates heat generated by the light source.
40. The method of claim 39, wherein the apparatus includes one or more insulation components, and wherein the one or more insulation components direct heat generated by the light source toward the heat sink.
41. A method of simultaneously attaching a plurality of substrates to a plurality of supports, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of substrates and a plurality of supports, wherein the plurality of substrates comprises at least a first set of substrates and a second set of substrates, and wherein the plurality of supports comprises at least a first set of supports and a second set of supports;
immobilizing the plurality of substrates;
attaching the first set of substrates to the first set of supports;
releasing the first set of substrates from immobilization, wherein any remaining substrates within the plurality of substrates remain immobilized;
removing the first set of substrates attached to the first set of supports;
attaching the second set of substrates to the second set of supports;
releasing the second set of substrates from immobilization, wherein any remaining substrates within the plurality of substrates remain immobilized; and
removing the second set of substrates attached to the second set of supports.
42.-52. (canceled)