Manufacturing method for a fluid-ejection device, and fluid-ejection device

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a device for ejecting a fluid, including producing a nozzle plate including: forming a first nozzle cavity, having a first diameter, in a first semiconductor body; forming a hydrophilic layer at least in part in the first nozzle cavity; forming a structural layer on the hydrophilic layer; etching the structural layer to form a second nozzle cavity aligned to the first nozzle cavity in a fluid-ejection direction and having a second diameter larger than the first diameter; proceeding with etching of the structural layer for removing portions thereof in the first nozzle cavity, to reach the hydrophilic layer and arranged in fluid communication the first and second nozzle cavities; and coupling the nozzle plate with a chamber for containing the fluid.

Claims

1. A fluid ejection device, comprising: a nozzle plate including: a first nozzle cavity, having a first diameter, in a first semiconductor body; a first hydrophilic layer on the first semiconductor body and on inner walls of said first nozzle cavity; a structural layer on the first hydrophilic layer, the first hydrophilic layer being positioned between the structural layer and the first semiconductor body; and a second nozzle cavity in the structural layer, the first and second nozzle cavities being in mutual fluidic communication, the second nozzle cavity being aligned to the first nozzle cavity in a fluid-ejection direction and having a second diameter larger than the first diameter; and a containment chamber coupled to the nozzle plate and configured to contain said fluid so that the first and second nozzle cavities are in fluidic connection with the containment chamber.

2. The fluid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the first hydrophilic layer completely coats the inner walls of the first nozzle cavity.

3. The fluid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein said first hydrophilic layer has a contact angle equal to or less than 40.

4. The fluid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the first hydrophilic layer is positioned on a first surface of the first semiconductor body, the fluid ejection device further comprising: a second hydrophilic layer on a second surface of the first semiconductor body, the second surface being opposite to the first surface.

5. The fluid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the first hydrophilic layer is positioned on a first surface of the first semiconductor body, the fluid ejection device further comprising an anti-wetting layer, having a contact angle greater than 90, on a second surface of the first semiconductor body, the second surface being opposite to the first surface.

6. The fluid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein said nozzle cavity has a cylindrical or frustoconical shape.

7. The fluid ejection device according to claim 1, further comprising: a second semiconductor body having first and second faces; a membrane layer on the first face of the second semiconductor body; and a piezoelectric actuator on the membrane layer; wherein: the containment chamber includes a recess formed in the second face of the second semiconductor body, opposite to the first face in said fluid-ejection direction, wherein the membrane layer is partially suspended on the recess.

8. The fluid ejection device according to claim 1, further comprising: a third semiconductor body coupled to the membrane layer and having a first inlet through hole, wherein said membrane layer includes a second inlet through hole that fluidly connects the first inlet through hole to the containment chamber.

9. The fluid ejection device according to claim 1, further comprising a bonding layer or a layer of bi-adhesive tape affixing the second semiconductor layer to the structural layer.

10. A nozzle plate, comprising: a first semiconductor body that includes a first nozzle cavity, having a first diameter; a first hydrophilic layer on the first semiconductor body and on inner walls of said first nozzle cavity; a structural layer on the first hydrophilic layer such that the first hydrophilic layer is between the structural layer and the first semiconductor body, the structural layer including a second nozzle cavity in mutual fluidic communication with the first nozzle cavity, the second nozzle cavity extending to the first hydrophilic layer, being aligned to the first nozzle cavity in a fluid-ejection direction, and having a second diameter larger than the first diameter.

11. The nozzle plate according to claim 10, wherein the first hydrophilic layer is positioned on a first surface of the first semiconductor body, the nozzle plate further comprising a second hydrophilic layer on a second surface of the first semiconductor body.

12. The nozzle plate according to claim 10, wherein the first hydrophilic layer is positioned on a first surface of the first semiconductor body, nozzle plate further comprising: an anti-wetting layer, having a contact angle greater than 90, on a second surface of the first semiconductor body, the second surface being opposite to the first surface.

13. A fluid ejection device, comprising: a first structural body that includes a first nozzle cavity for ejecting a fluid, the first nozzle cavity having a first diameter; a second structural body including a containment chamber configured to contain said fluid; and a second nozzle cavity aligned to the first nozzle cavity in a fluid-ejection direction and having a second diameter larger than the first diameter; and a first hydrophilic layer extending between the first and second structural bodies and coating inner walls of the first nozzle cavity.

14. The fluid ejection device according to claim 13, wherein: the first structural body includes a first semiconductor body through which said first nozzle cavity extends; the second structural layer includes a second semiconductor body and a structural layer that extends between the second semiconductor body and the first hydrophilic layer, the containment chamber being positioned in the second semiconductor body and the second nozzle chamber being positioned in the structural layer.

15. The fluid ejection device according to claim 13, further comprising: a membrane layer suspended on the containment chamber; a piezoelectric actuator on the membrane layer.

16. The fluid ejection device according to claim 15, further comprising: a third structural body coupled to the membrane layer and having a first inlet through hole, wherein said membrane layer includes a second inlet through hole that fluidly connects the first inlet through hole to the containment chamber.

17. The fluid ejection device according to 13, wherein said first hydrophilic layer has a contact angle equal to or less than 40.

18. The fluid ejection device according to claim 13, wherein the first hydrophilic layer is positioned on a first surface of the first structural body, the fluid ejection device further comprising: a second hydrophilic layer on a second surface of the first structural body, the second surface being opposite to the first surface.

19. The fluid ejection device according to claim 13, wherein the first hydrophilic layer is positioned on a first surface of the first structural body, the fluid ejection device further comprising an anti-wetting layer, having a contact angle greater than 90, on a second surface of the first structural body, the second surface being opposite to the first surface.

20. The fluid ejection device according to claim 13, wherein said nozzle cavity has a cylindrical or frustoconical shape.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) For a better understanding of the present disclosure, preferred embodiments thereof are now described, purely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows, in lateral section, a fluid-ejection device provided according to a method forming the subject of the present disclosure;

(3) FIGS. 2-12 show steps for manufacturing the fluid-ejection device of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

(4) FIGS. 13-15 show the fluid-ejection device manufactured according to the steps of FIGS. 2-12 during respective operating steps.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) Fluid-ejection devices based upon piezoelectric technology may be manufactured by bonding, or gluing, together a plurality of wafers previously processed employing micromachining technologies typically used for producing MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) devices. In particular, with reference to FIG. 1, a liquid-ejection device 1 is illustrated according to an aspect of the present disclosure. With reference to FIG. 1, a first wafer 2, including a substrate 11, is processed for forming thereon one or more piezoelectric actuators 3, designed to be driven for generating a deflection of a membrane 7 that extends partially suspended over one or more chambers 10, which are designed to define respective reservoirs for containing fluid 6 to be expelled during use. A second wafer 4 is processed for forming one or more chambers 5 for containing the piezoelectric actuators 3, such as to isolate, in use, the piezoelectric actuators 3 from the fluid 6 to be expelled, and for forming one or more inlet holes 9 for the fluid 6, in fluidic connection with the chambers 10. A third wafer 8 is processed to form holes 13 for ejection of the fluid 6 (nozzles) in a body made, for example, of polysilicon (designated by the references 35 and 45), which is provided with a hydrophilic region 42 (e.g., of SiO.sub.2).

(6) Then, the aforementioned wafers 2, 4, 8 are assembled together via soldering interface regions, and/or bonding regions, and/or gluing regions, and/or adhesive regions, for example of polymeric material, designated as a whole by the reference number 15 in FIG. 1.

(7) The piezoelectric actuators 3 comprise a piezoelectric region 16 arranged between a top electrode 18 and a bottom electrode 19, which are designed to supply an electrical signal to the piezoelectric region 16 for generating, in use, a deflection of the piezoelectric region 16 that consequently causes a deflection of the membrane 7 in a per se known manner. Metal paths (designated as a whole by the reference 20) extend from the top electrode 18 and the bottom electrode 19 towards an electrical contact region, provided with contact pads 21 designed to be biased through bonding wires (not illustrated).

(8) With reference to FIGS. 2-12, there now follows a description of a process for manufacturing the fluid-ejection device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

(9) In particular, FIGS. 2-4 describe steps for micromachining the first and second wafers 2, 4; FIGS. 5-12 describe steps for micromachining the third wafer 8.

(10) In particular, with reference to FIG. 2, the steps for manufacturing the first wafer 2 envisage, in brief, first of all providing the substrate 11 of semiconductor material (e.g., silicon). Then, a membrane layer 7 is formed on this substrate, for example including a SiO.sub.2-polysilicon-SiO.sub.2 stack, where the SiO.sub.2 layers have a thickness, for example, comprised between 0.1 and 2 m, and the polysilicon layer (grown epitaxially) has a thickness comprised between 1 and 20 m. In different embodiments, the membrane may be of other materials typically used for MEMS devices, for example SiO.sub.2 or else SiN, having a thickness comprised between 0.5 and 10 m, or else by a stack in various combinations of SiO.sub.2SiSiN.

(11) The next step is formation, on the membrane layer 7, of the bottom electrode 19 of the piezoelectric actuator 3 (formed, for example, by a TiO.sub.2 layer having a thickness comprised between 5 and 50 nm, deposited on which is a Pt layer having a thickness comprised between 30 and 300 nm).

(12) This is followed by deposition of a piezoelectric layer on the bottom electrode 19, depositing a layer of PZT (Pb, Zr, TiO.sub.3), having a thickness comprised between 0.5 and 3.0 m, more typically 1 or 2 m (which will form, after subsequent definition steps, the piezoelectric region 16). Next, deposited on the piezoelectric layer is a second layer of conductive material, for example Pt or Ir or IrO.sub.2 or TiW or Ru, having a thickness comprised between 30 and 300 nm, for forming the top electrode 18.

(13) The electrode and piezoelectric layers are subjected to lithographic and etching steps in order to pattern them according to a desired pattern thus forming the bottom electrode 19, the piezoelectric region 16, and the top electrode 18.

(14) One or more passivation layers 17 are then deposited on the bottom electrode 19, the piezoelectric region 16, and the top electrode 18. The passivation layers include dielectric materials used for electrical insulation of the electrodes, for example, SiO.sub.2 or SiN or Al.sub.2O.sub.3 layers whether single or stacked on top of one another, having a thickness comprised between 10 nm and 1000 nm. The passivation layers are then etched in selective regions to create access trenches towards the bottom electrode 19 and the top electrode 18. This is then followed by a step of deposition of conductive material, such as metal (e.g., aluminum or else gold, possibly together with barrier and bonding layers such as Ti, TiN, TiW or Ta, TaN), inside the trenches thus created and on the passivation layers 17. A subsequent patterning step enables formation of conductive paths 23, 25 that enable selective access to the top electrode 18 and to the bottom electrode 19 to enable electrical biasing thereof in use. It is further possible to form further passivation layers (e.g., SiO.sub.2 or SiN layers, not illustrated) for protecting the conductive paths 23, 25. Conductive pads 21 are likewise formed alongside the piezoelectric actuator, electrically coupled to the conductive paths 23, 25.

(15) Finally, the membrane layer 7 is selectively etched in a region thereof that extends alongside, and at a distance from, the piezoelectric actuator 3 for exposing a surface region 11 of the underlying substrate 11. A through hole 14 is thus formed through the membrane layer 7, which enables, in subsequent manufacturing steps, formation of a fluid path on the outside of the fluid-ejection device 1 towards the reservoir 10, through the inlet hole 9, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

(16) With reference to the second wafer 4, illustrated in FIG. 3, the manufacturing steps envisage providing a substrate 22 of semiconductor material (e.g., silicon) that has a thickness of, for example, 400 m, and is provided with one or more dielectric layers 29a, 29b (e.g., SiO.sub.2 or SiN layers or their combinations) on both sides. Deposited on a top face of the second wafer 4, on the dielectric layer 29a, is a structural polysilicon layer 26, with a thickness comprised between 1 and 20 m, for example 4 m.

(17) Then, processing steps are carried out on the bottom face, opposite to the top face of the second wafer 4. In particular, the second wafer 4 is etched in the region where the inlet hole 9 is to be formed by removing selective portions of the dielectric layer 29b and of the substrate 22 throughout the thickness thereof and digging a deep trench (with etch stop on the dielectric layer 29a).

(18) By a further step of etching of the bottom face of the second wafer 4 there are formed a recess 27a, which, in subsequent steps, will form the containment chamber 5, and a recess 27b, which, in subsequent steps, will be arranged facing the region of the first wafer 2 that houses the conductive pads 21. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the recesses 27a, 27b thus formed have a depth, along Z, comprised between 50 and 300 m.

(19) The first and second wafers 2, 4 thus produced are then coupled together (e.g., by the wafer-to-wafer bonding technique, as illustrated in FIG. 4) so that the containment chamber 5 will contain completely the piezoelectric actuator 3 and so that the through hole 14 made through the membrane 7 will be aligned, and in fluidic connection, with the inlet hole 9 made through the substrate 22 of the second wafer 4. A stack of wafers is thus obtained.

(20) The substrate 11 of the wafer 2 is then etched for forming a cavity on the side opposite to the side that houses the piezoelectric actuator 3, through which the silicon-oxide layer that forms the membrane 7 is exposed. This step enables release of the membrane 7, making it suspended.

(21) There now follows a description, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, of steps of processing of the third wafer 8.

(22) With reference to FIG. 5A, the third wafer 8 is provided, including a substrate 31, for example having a thickness comprised between approximately 400 and 800 m, in particular approximately 600 m. The substrate 31 is made, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, of semiconductor material, such as silicon. The substrate 31 has a first surface 31a and a second surface 31b, opposite to one another in a direction Z. Formed by thermal oxidation on the first surface 31a is a first interface layer 33, of silicon oxide (SiO.sub.2). The step of thermal oxidation typically involves formation of an oxide layer 34 also on the back of the substrate 31, on the second surface 31b. The first interface layer 33 (and, likewise, the back oxide layer 34) has, for example, a thickness comprised between approximately 0.2 m and 2 m.

(23) According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, illustrated in FIG. 5B, it is possible to form on the interface layer 33 (or as an alternative thereto) one or more further anti-wetting layers 33, which have hydrophobic characteristics, i.e., they designed to bestow anti-wetting functions on the nozzle 13 subsequently produced. Said layers are of materials typically formed by silicon, in compounds containing hydrogen or carbon or fluorine, for example Si.sub.xH.sub.x, SiC, SiOC.

(24) Formed on the first interface layer 33 (or on the one or more further anti-wetting layers, if present) is a first nozzle layer 35, made for example of epitaxially grown polysilicon, having a thickness comprised between approximately 10 and 75 m.

(25) The first nozzle layer 35 may be of a material different from polysilicon, for example silicon or some other material still, provided that it may be removed in a selective way in regard to the material of which the first interface layer 33 (or the anti-wetting layer, if present) is made.

(26) Next (FIG. 6A), a photoresist mask (not shown) is deposited on an exposed top surface 35a of the first nozzle layer 35 and, by subsequent lithography and etching steps, a through hole 35 is formed through the first nozzle layer 35, until a surface region of the interface layer 33 is exposed. In the case where on the interface layer 33 one or more further anti-wetting layers 33 are present, said further layers are etched and removed in this process step to be self-aligned during complete opening of the nozzle.

(27) Etching is carried out using an etching chemistry capable of removing selectively the material of which the first nozzle layer 35 is made (here, polysilicon), but not the material of which the interface layer 33 is made (here, silicon oxide). The etching profile of the intermediate layer 35 may be controlled by choosing an etching technology and an etching chemistry in order to obtain the desired result.

(28) For example, with reference to FIG. 6A, using a dry etch (such as reactive-ion etch (RIE) or deep reactive-ion etch (DRIE)) with standard silicon-etching chemistries normally used in the semiconductor industry (SF.sub.6, HBr, etc.) it is possible to obtain a through hole 35 with side walls substantially vertical along Z. The through hole 35 forms in part, in subsequent manufacturing steps, the ejection nozzle of the fluid-ejection device 1. However, as will be described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 7, subsequent manufacturing steps envisage formation of a coating layer (reference number 42 in FIG. 7) on the inner walls of the through hole 35, which thus causes a narrowing thereof.

(29) The coating layer 42 is, in particular, a layer having good characteristics of wettability, for example a silicon-oxide (SiO.sub.2). The coating layer 42 is considered to have good characteristics of wettability when it presents a small contact angle with a drop of liquid (typically, water) deposited thereon. The solid-liquid interaction, as is known, may be evaluated in terms of contact angle of a drop of water deposited on the surface considered, measured as angle formed at the surface-liquid interface. A small contact angle is due to the tendency of the drop to flatten out on the surface, and vice versa. In general, a surface having characteristics of wettability such that, when a drop is deposited thereon, the contact angle between the surface and the drop (angle ) has a value of less than 90, in particular equal to or less than approximately 40, is considered a hydrophilic surface. Instead, a surface having characteristics of wettability such that, when a drop is deposited thereon, the contact angle between the surface and the drop (angle ) has a value greater than 90 is considered a hydrophobic surface.

(30) Consequently, assuming a through hole 35 having a circular shape, in top plan view, the diameter d.sub.1 thereof is chosen larger than the desired diameter for the ejection nozzle, according to the thickness envisaged for the coating layer on the inner walls of the through hole 35.

(31) Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 6B, using a dry etch (with the etching chemistries referred to above) or a wet etch (with etching chemistry in TMAH or KOH) it is possible to obtain a through hole 35 with inclined side walls, in particular extending, in lateral sectional view, with an angle of from 0 to 37 with respect to the direction Z. In FIG. 6B, the through hole 35 has a top-base opening (at the top surface 35a of the first nozzle layer 35) of a circular shape and with a diameter d.sub.2 larger than the diameter d.sub.1 of the bottom-base opening (through which the interface layer 33 is exposed); i.e., it extends in the form of a truncated cone. Also in this case, since subsequent manufacturing steps envisage formation of the coating layer (reference number 42 in FIG. 7) on the inner walls of the through hole 35, the base diameters d.sub.1 and d.sub.2 are reduced. Consequently, assuming a through hole 35 having a circular shape, in top plan view, the base diameters d.sub.1 and d.sub.2 thereof are chosen larger than the desired value for the ejection nozzle, according to the thickness envisaged for the coating layer on the inner walls of the through hole 35.

(32) After the step of formation of the through hole 35 or 35, according to the respective embodiments, there follows removal of the photoresist mask and, if necessary, a step of cleaning of the top surface 35a of the first nozzle layer 35 and of the side walls within the through hole 35, 35. This step, carried out by removal in oxidizing environments at high temperature (>250 C.), and/or in aggressive solvents, has the function of removing undesired polymeric layers that may have formed during the previous etching step.

(33) In what follows, a through hole 35 of the type shown in FIG. 6A, will be described, without thereby this implying any loss of generality. What is described applies, in fact, without any significant variations, also to the wafer processed as shown in FIG. 6B.

(34) Then (FIG. 7), a step of thermal oxidation of the wafer 8 is carried out, for example at a temperature comprised between 800 C. and 1100 C. to form a thermal-oxide layer 38 on the first nozzle layer 35. This step has the function of enabling formation of the thin thermal-oxide layer 38 having a low surface roughness. Instead of using thermal oxidation, the aforesaid oxide may be deposited, entirely or in part, for example using techniques of a CVD type.

(35) The oxide layer 42 extends over the top face of the wafer 8 and within the through hole 35, coating the side walls thereof. The thickness of the oxide layer 42 is between 0.2 m and 2 m.

(36) The diameter d.sub.3 of the through hole 35 resulting after the step of formation of the oxide layer 42 has a value comprised between 10 m and 100 m, for example 20 m.

(37) Next (FIG. 8), formed on the oxide layer 42 is a second nozzle layer 45, made for example of polysilicon. The second nozzle layer 45 has a final thickness comprised between 80 and 150 m, for example 100 m. The second nozzle layer 45 is, for example, grown epitaxially on the oxide layer 42 and within the through hole 35, until a thickness greater than the desired thickness is reached (for example approximately 3-5 m or more), and is then subjected to a step of CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) to reduce the thickness thereof and obtain an exposed top surface with low roughness.

(38) The next step is formation of a feed channel 48 of the nozzle and removal of the polysilicon that, in the previous step, had filled the through hole 35. For this purpose, an etching mask 50 is laid on the second nozzle layer, and this is followed by a step of etching (indicated by the arrows 51) in the region where the through hole 35 was previously formed. Etching is carried out with an etching chemistry designed to remove the polysilicon with which the second nozzle layer 45 is formed, but not the silicon oxide of the layer 42. Etching proceeds up to complete removal of the polysilicon that extends inside the through hole 35, to form the feed channel 48 through the second nozzle layer 45 in fluid communication with the through opening 35, as illustrated in FIG. 9.

(39) The feed channel 48 has, in top plan view, a diameter d.sub.4 greater than the diameter d.sub.1; for example, d.sub.4 is between 50 m and 200 m, in particular 80 m.

(40) As illustrated in FIG. 10, the stack formed by the first and second wafers 2, 4 is coupled to the third wafer 8, by the wafer-to-wafer bonding technique using adhesive materials for the bonding 15, which may for example be polymeric or else metal or else vitreous.

(41) In particular, the third wafer 8 is coupled to the first wafer 2 so that the feed channel 48 is in fluidic connection with the containment chamber 10.

(42) Then (FIG. 11), a step of removal of the oxide layer 34 and of the exposed substrate 31 is performed. This step may be carried out by grinding the oxide layer 34 and part of the substrate 31, or else with an etching chemistry or else with a combination of these two processes.

(43) According to the embodiment of FIG. 12, the layer 33 is removed only on the top surface of the layer 35 (in the plane XY), and not along the inner walls of the nozzle 13 (for example, using an etching technique of a dry type, with standard etching chemistry used in semiconductor technologies).

(44) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the layer 33 is removed on the layer 35 only at the nozzles for outlet of the ink.

(45) What is described applies, in a similar way, also in the case where on the oxide layer 33 (or as an alternative thereto) one or more further anti-wetting layers are present. In this case, however, the step of removal of the structural layer 31 or 33 stops at the anti-wetting layer, which is not removed, or else is removed only along the walls of the nozzle 13 in the case where they are present.

(46) Once again with reference to FIG. 12, there then follows a step of opening of the inlet hole 9 of the second wafer 4 by etching the structural layers 26, 29a and 22 using a chemical etch of a dry or wet type (e.g., using an etching chemistry based upon SF.sub.6 to remove the polysilicon of the layer 26). Then, the layers 26, 29a are completely removed. Alternatively, removal of the layers 26, 29a may be performed prior to etching of the layer 22 for formation of the inlet hole 9.

(47) Finally, a step of partial sawing of the second wafer 4, along the scribe line 57 shown in FIG. 12 enables removal of an edge portion of the wafer 4 in areas corresponding to the conductive pads 21 for making them accessible from outside for a subsequent wire-bonding operation. The fluid-ejection device of FIG. 1 is thus obtained.

(48) FIGS. 13-15 show the liquid-ejection device 1 in operating steps, during use.

(49) In a first step (FIG. 13), the chamber 10 is filled with a fluid 6 that is to be ejected. Said step of charging of the fluid 6 is carried out through the inlet channel 9.

(50) Then (FIG. 14), the piezoelectric actuator 3 is governed through the top electrode 18 and bottom electrode 19 (biased by the conductive paths 23, 25) for generating a deflection of the membrane 7 towards the inside of the chamber 10. This deflection causes a movement of the fluid 6 through the channel 48, towards the nozzle 13, and generates controlled expulsion of a drop of fluid 6 towards the outside of the fluid-ejection device 1.

(51) Then (FIG. 15), the piezoelectric actuator 3 is governed through the top electrode 18 and bottom electrode 19 for generating a deflection of the membrane 7 in a direction opposite to the one illustrated in FIG. 14 for increasing the volume of the chamber 10, recalling further fluid 6 into the chamber 10 through the inlet channel 9. The chamber 10 is thus recharged with fluid 6. It is then possible to proceed cyclically by operating the piezoelectric actuator 3 for ejection of a further drop of fluid. The steps of FIGS. 14 and 15 are consequently repeated for the entire printing process.

(52) Actuation of the piezoelectric element by biasing the top and bottom electrodes 18, 19 is per se known and not described in detail herein.

(53) From an examination of the characteristics of the disclosure provided according to the present disclosure, the advantages that it affords are evident.

(54) In particular, the steps for manufacture of the nozzle are carried out on the third wafer 8 prior to coupling of the latter to the first wafer 2. This enables use of a wide range of micromachining technologies without the risk of damaging the coupling layers between the first and second wafers 2, 4. In addition, it is possible to form a layer with high wettability (e.g., silicon oxide) within the hole that defines the nozzle 13 in a simple and inexpensive way.

(55) Furthermore, it should be noted that the steps for manufacturing the liquid-ejection device according to the present disclosure do not require coupling of more than three wafers, thus reducing the risks of misalignment in so far as just two steps of coupling the wafers together are performed, thus limiting the manufacturing costs.

(56) Finally, it is clear that modifications and variations may be made to what has been described and illustrated herein, without thereby departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

(57) The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.