Photo-curable resin composition, method of patterning the same, and ink jet head and method of fabricating the same

Abstract

A photo-curable resin composition, a method of patterning the same, an ink jet head, and a method of fabricating the same. The photo-curable resin composition includes an epoxy compound, a photo-catalyst provided as a photo-initiator, and a non-photo reactive solvent. The photo-catalyst may be a semiconductor material to generate electron-hall pairs using light energy. The semiconductor material is one selected from a group consisting of TiO 2 , CdS, Si, SrTiO 3 , WO, ZnO, SnO 2 , CdSe and CdTe, CdSe and CdTe. The epoxy compound may include a di-functional epoxy compound and a multi-functional epoxy compound. The non-photo reactive solvent may be one or a mixture selected from a group consisting of gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), cyclopentanone, C1-6 acetate, tetrahydrofurane (THF), and xylene. The photo-curable resin composition is patterned to form a fluid channel structure of the ink jet head.

1 . A photo-curable resin composition comprising: 
 an epoxy compound;    a photo-catalyst provided as a photo-initiator; and    a non-photo reactive solvent.    
     
     
         2 . The photo-curable resin composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the photo-catalyst comprises a semiconductor material to generate electron-hall pairs using light energy.  
     
     
         3 . The photo-curable resin composition according to  claim 2 , wherein the photo-catalyst comprises one selected from a group consisting of TiO 2 , CdS, Si, SrTiO 3 , WO, ZnO, SnO 2 , CdSe and CdTe.  
     
     
         4 . The photo-curable resin composition according to  claim 2 , wherein the epoxy compound comprises a di-functional epoxy compound and a multi-functional epoxy compound.  
     
     
         5 . The photo-curable resin composition according to  claim 4 , wherein the epoxy compound has about 60 wt %, the photo-catalyst has about 2˜10 wt %, and the non-photo reactive solvent has about 10˜40 wt %.  
     
     
         6 . The photo-curable resin composition according to  claim 2 , wherein the non-photo reactive solvent comprises one or a mixture selected from a group consisting of gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), cyclopentanone, C1-6 acetate, tetrahydrofurane (THF), and xylene.  
     
     
         7 . A method of patterning a photo-curable resin layer, comprising: 
 forming a photo-curable resin layer on a substrate, the photo-curable resin layer including an epoxy compound, a photo-catalyst provided as a photo-initiator, and a non-photo reactive solvent;    selectively exposing the photo-curable resin layer using a photo-mask; and    removing an unexposed portion of the photo-curable resin layer.    
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the photo-catalyst comprises a semiconductor material to generate electron-hall pairs by means of light energy.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the photo-catalyst comprises one selected from a group consisting of TiO 2 , CdS, Si, SrTiO 3 , WO, ZnO, SnO 2 , CdSe and CdTe.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the epoxy compound comprises a di-functional epoxy compound and a multi-functional epoxy compound.  
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the photo-curable resin layer comprises the epoxy compound of about 60 wt %, the photo-catalyst of about 2˜10 wt %, and the non-photo reactive solvent of about 10˜40 wt %.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the non-photo reactive solvent comprises one or a mixture selected from a group consisting of gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), cyclopentanone, C1-6 acetate, tetrahydrofurane (THF), and xylene.  
     
     
         13 . A method of fabricating an ink jet head comprising: 
 preparing a substrate having a pressure-generating element to generate a pressure for ink ejection; and    forming on the substrate a chamber plate to configure a sidewall of a fluid channel through which ink is moved, and a nozzle plate to configure an upper surface of the fluid channel and having a nozzle corresponding to the pressure-generating element,    wherein at least one of the chamber plate and the nozzle plate is formed by patterning a photo-curable resin layer including an epoxy compound, a photo-catalyst provided as a photo-initiator, and a non-photo reactive solvent.    
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the photo-catalyst comprises a semiconductor material to generate electron-hall pairs using light energy.  
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the photo-catalyst comprises one selected from a group consisting of TiO 2 , CdS, Si, SrTiO 3 , WO, ZnO, SnO 2 , CdSe and CdTe.  
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the epoxy compound comprises a di-functional epoxy compound and a multi-functional epoxy compound.  
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the photo-curable resin layer comprises the epoxy compound of about 60 wt %, the photo-catalyst of about 2˜10 wt %, and the non-photo reactive solvent of about 10˜40 wt %.  
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the forming of the chamber plate and the nozzle plate comprises: 
 forming the nozzle plate using another photo-curable resin layer, so that the chamber plate and the nozzle plate are formed in a monolithic single body.    
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the forming of the chamber plate and the nozzle plate comprises: 
 forming the photo-curable epoxy resin layer on the substrate to form both the nozzle plate and the chamber plate.    
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the forming of the photo-curable epoxy resin layer comprises selectively exposing the photo-curable epoxy resin layer to change a state of the epoxy compound using a characteristic of the photo-catalyst.  
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the forming of the chamber plate and the nozzle plate comprises: 
 exposing the photo-curable resin layer to a light source so that the photo-catalyst induces a cross-link and a ring opening relating to the epoxy compound.    
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the exposing of the photo-catalyst to the light source comprises: 
 changing the epoxy compound between a low molecular chain and a high molecular chain so that the epoxy compound is cured to a network structure.