Ink jet printhead with improved, laser-ablated filter

摘要

An ink jet printhead is provided with improved filtering of unwanted contaminants which are contained in ink being supplied from an ink manifold (22) into an ink inlet (25) of the printhead (10). A filter (14) is formed in a thin film by a laser ablation process in which output laser radiation is directed through a mask or imaging system creating the desired filter hole pattern. The radiation is controlled so that slightly tapered holes are formed in the film. The holes constitute a filter element which is then laminated to the ink inlet of the printhead. The tapered filter pores or holes provide improved flow/impedance and add increased structural strength to improve handling and processing of the filter.