阅读说明：本技术 液体排放头和液体排放装置 (Liquid discharge head and liquid discharge device ) 是由 下津佐峰生 野村宏康 于 2021-05-25 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供液体排放头和液体排放装置。该液体排放头包括：绝缘构件,其布置在基板上；电阻加热元件,其布置在绝缘构件中并且构造成产生用于排放液体的热能；气泡室,其设置在绝缘构件上方,构造成基于热能产生液体的气泡；以及温度检测元件,其能够检测气泡室中的温度,其中,温度检测元件布置在电阻加热元件和气泡室之间,位于相对于绝缘构件设置的多个导电层中最接近气泡室的导电层中。(The invention provides a liquid discharge head and a liquid discharge apparatus. The liquid discharge head includes: an insulating member disposed on the substrate; a resistance heating element disposed in the insulating member and configured to generate thermal energy for discharging the liquid; a bubble chamber disposed above the insulating member, configured to generate bubbles of the liquid based on thermal energy; and a temperature detection element capable of detecting a temperature in the bubble chamber, wherein the temperature detection element is disposed between the resistance heating element and the bubble chamber in a conductive layer closest to the bubble chamber among the plurality of conductive layers provided with respect to the insulating member.)

1. A liquid discharge head comprising:

an insulating member disposed on the substrate;

a resistance heating element disposed in the insulating member and configured to generate thermal energy for discharging the liquid;

a bubble chamber disposed above the insulating member, configured to generate bubbles of the liquid based on thermal energy; and

a temperature detection element capable of detecting a temperature in the bubble chamber,

wherein the temperature sensing element is disposed between the resistive heating element and the bubble chamber in a conductive layer closest to the bubble chamber of the plurality of conductive layers disposed relative to the insulating member.

2. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the temperature detection element overlaps with the bubble chamber in a plan view.

3. The liquid discharge head of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensing element senses a temperature change in the bubble chamber after actuation of the resistive heating element.

4. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein a discharge form of the liquid discharged based on thermal energy is detected based on a detection result of the temperature detection element.

5. The liquid discharge head as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an anti-cavitation film provided in the bubble chamber and configured to cover the resistance heating element,

wherein the temperature detecting element and the anti-cavitation film are made of the same material.

6. The liquid discharge head according to claim 5, wherein the temperature detection element and the anti-cavitation film are electrically isolated.

7. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the temperature detection element is located on an outer side of the resistance heating element with respect to an outer edge of the resistance heating element in a plan view.

8. The liquid discharge head according to claim 7, wherein the temperature detection element is arranged so that a distance from the resistance heating element in a horizontal direction of the substrate is not more than 2 μm.

9. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of temperature detection elements are arranged in correspondence with the resistance heating element.

10. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the temperature detection element is arranged to overlap with the resistance heating element in a plan view.

11. The liquid discharge head as claimed in claim 10, wherein the temperature detection element is provided in the bubble chamber, and also functions as an anti-cavitation film configured to cover the resistance heating element.

12. A liquid discharge head comprising:

an insulating member disposed on the substrate;

a resistance heating element disposed in the insulating member and configured to generate thermal energy for discharging the liquid;

a bubble chamber disposed above the insulating member, configured to generate bubbles of the liquid based on thermal energy; and

a temperature detection element capable of detecting a temperature in the bubble chamber,

wherein the temperature detecting element is provided in the bubble chamber and is arranged to overlap the resistance heating element in a plan view.

13. The liquid discharge head of claim 12, wherein the temperature sensing element senses a temperature change in the bubble chamber after actuation of the resistive heating element.

14. The liquid discharge head according to claim 12, wherein a discharge form of the liquid discharged based on thermal energy is detected based on a detection result of the temperature detection element.

15. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising a liquid discharge head according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to liquid discharge heads.

Background

A liquid discharge head of a liquid discharge apparatus typified by an ink jet printer or the like can employ, for example, a structure of an electrothermal conversion type or a piezoelectric type. A liquid discharge head of an electrothermal conversion type includes a plurality of liquid discharge nozzles and a plurality of resistance heating elements (also referred to as electrothermal transducers or the like) corresponding thereto, and discharges liquid from the corresponding nozzles using thermal energy generated by driving the respective resistance heating elements. This electrothermal conversion type configuration can simultaneously reduce the size of the resistance heating element and improve the heat generation efficiency, and is therefore advantageous in increasing the density of the resistance heating element.

In some liquid discharge apparatuses, a temperature detection element (temperature sensor) is provided on a liquid discharge head, and drive control of a resistance heating element is performed based on the detection result of the temperature detection element (japanese patent laid-open nos. 2019-72999 and 2009-196265).

It can be said that when the detection accuracy of the temperature detection element is improved, the drive control of the resistance heating element can be performed with higher accuracy based on the detection result of the temperature detection element. In this regard, there is room for structural improvement in the constructions of japanese patent laid-open nos. 2019-72999 and 2009-196265.

Disclosure of Invention

An exemplary object of the present invention is to provide a technique advantageous for improving the detection accuracy of a temperature detection element.

One aspect of the present invention provides a liquid discharge head comprising: an insulating member disposed on the substrate; a resistance heating element disposed in the insulating member and configured to generate thermal energy for discharging the liquid; a bubble chamber disposed above the insulating member, configured to generate bubbles of the liquid based on thermal energy; and a temperature detection element capable of detecting a temperature in the bubble chamber, wherein the temperature detection element is disposed between the resistance heating element and the bubble chamber in a conductive layer closest to the bubble chamber among the plurality of conductive layers provided with respect to the insulating member.

Further features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.

Drawings

Fig. 1A is a schematic plan view of a liquid discharge head;

FIG. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid discharge head;

FIG. 1C is a schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid discharge head;

fig. 2A is a schematic plan view of a liquid discharge head;

FIG. 2B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid discharge head;

fig. 3A is a schematic plan view of a liquid discharge head;

FIG. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid discharge head;

fig. 4A is a schematic plan view of a liquid discharge head;

fig. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the liquid discharge head;

fig. 5A is a schematic plan view of a liquid discharge head;

FIG. 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid discharge head;

FIG. 6A is a schematic view showing a state of a liquid in a bubble chamber;

fig. 6B is a schematic view showing a state of liquid in the bubble chamber; and is

Fig. 7 is a graph showing a temperature change detected by the temperature detecting element.

Detailed Description

The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following examples are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. A plurality of features are described in the embodiments, but the invention is not limited to all of these features, and a plurality of these features may be combined as appropriate. Further, in the drawings, the same or similar configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a repetitive description thereof is omitted.

< first embodiment >

Fig. 1A is a schematic plan view of a head substrate 11 included in a liquid discharge head 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along cut line d1-d1 in FIG. 1A. FIG. 1C is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along cut line d2-d2 in FIG. 1A. The liquid discharge head 1 is provided in a liquid discharge device typified by an inkjet printer or the like, and is capable of applying liquid such as ink droplets to a predetermined target.

Note that, for ease of explanation, the upper side (the side in the direction of discharging the liquid) of fig. 1B and 1C is defined as the upper side of the liquid discharge head 1 and the head substrate 11, and the opposite side is defined as the lower side.

The head substrate 11 can be manufactured by a known semiconductor manufacturing process, and is formed by, for example, providing a plurality of elements on a substrate 100 made of a semiconductor (e.g., single crystal silicon). First, the insulating layer 101 is disposed on the substrate 100.

For the insulating layer 101, for example, an inorganic material such as silicon dioxide is used. The insulating layer 101 electrically insulates a plurality of resistive heating elements 102 (described later) and one or more elements (for example, MOS transistors) or circuit portions configured to drive the respective resistive heating elements 102 from each other. In general, the insulating layer 101 is formed of a plurality of layers, and a plurality of conductive layers or semiconductor layers forming the respective elements may be arranged between, over, and/or under these layers. The insulating layer 101 may be referred to as an insulating member.

In the insulating layer 101, a resistance heating element 102, a connection member 103, and a wiring member 104 are arranged. The resistive heating element 102 is an electrothermal transducer driven by energization and generates thermal energy. The connecting member 103 is also referred to as a contact plug, a via, etc. The wiring member 104 is also referred to as a line pattern (or simply, pattern) or the like.

The resistance heating element 102 is connected to the wiring member 104 via the connection member 103. The resistive heating element 102 can be made of, for example, a metal having a relatively large electrical resistance (e.g., tantalum silicon nitride, tungsten nitride, or silicon).

The members 103 and 104 are made of metal having a lower resistance. In general, for example, tungsten, copper, or the like can be used for the connection member 103, and for example, aluminum, copper, or the like can be used for the wiring member 104.

The temperature detection element 105 is disposed on the insulating layer 101 above the resistance heating element 102. Further, a connection member 106 and a wiring member 107 are arranged in the insulating layer 101. The temperature detection element 105 is used for drive control of the resistance heating element 102 based on the detection result, and is capable of detecting the temperature in the bubble chamber 112, as described in detail below. That is, the detection result of the temperature detection element 105 is acquired by a control unit (also referred to as a drive control unit or a print control unit, not shown), and the control unit performs drive control of the resistance heating element 102 based on the detection result.

The temperature detection element 105 overlaps the resistance heating element 102 in a plan view and is disposed up to the outside of the outer edge of the resistance heating element 102. The connecting member 106 is also referred to as a contact plug, a via, etc. The wiring member 107 is also referred to as a line pattern (or simply a pattern) or the like.

The temperature detection element 105 is connected to a wiring member 107 via a connection member 106. The temperature detection element 105 can be made of, for example, a metal having a large temperature coefficient of resistance (e.g., iridium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, silicon, tantalum silicon nitride, or tungsten silicon nitride), or an alloy thereof. The temperature detection element 105 may be formed of a single layer, or may be formed by stacking a plurality of layers. Further, the temperature detection element 105 is preferably made of a material capable of functioning as an anti-cavitation film.

Members 106 and 107 are made of a metal having a lower resistance, similar to members 103 and 104. In general, for example, tungsten, copper, or the like can be used for the connection member 106, and for example, aluminum, copper, or the like can be used for the wiring member 107.

The upper surface of the insulating layer 101 is preferably planarized. The planarization process can be generally performed by CMP (chemical mechanical polishing). Note that the flattening process is performed after the connection member 106 is formed and before the temperature detection element 105 is formed, but may be performed between the respective processes for forming the above-described elements 102 to 107.

In this embodiment, the connection members 103 and 106 are separately formed by manufacturing processes independent of each other. Therefore, the connection member(s) 103 connecting the resistance heating element 102 and the wiring member 104 are integrally provided, and the connection member(s) 106 connecting the temperature detection element 105 and the wiring member 107 are integrally provided.

In this embodiment, the film thickness of the metal film forming the resistance heating element 102 is about 10 to 50 nm. The film thickness of the metal film forming the wiring member 104 is about 500 to 1000 nm. Further, the film thickness of the insulating layer 101 between the temperature detecting element 105 and the resistance heating element 102 (i.e., the distance from the upper surface of the metal film forming the resistance heating element 102 to the lower surface of the metal film forming the temperature detecting element 105) is about 50 to 200 nm.

According to this embodiment, the distance between the resistance heating element 102 and the temperature detection element 105 can be reduced relatively easily, and can be reduced as compared with a structure in which the temperature detection element is disposed below the resistance heating element. Further, according to the embodiment, the temperature detecting element 105 is made to function also as an anti-cavitation film, so that it is possible to improve the quality of the liquid discharge head 1 and to reduce the manufacturing cost.

The liquid supply port 108 is provided on the lower surface side of the substrate 100. Further, a nozzle forming member 110 and a film 109 made of a photosensitive resin or the like are provided on the upper surface side of the substrate 100. The nozzle forming member 110 forms an orifice (nozzle) 111 and an air chamber 112.

Bubble chamber 112 is a space or region that facilitates the draining of liquid by foaming liquid flowing from supply port 108, and is formed in plan view to the outside of the outer edges of resistive heating element 102, as described in detail below. In the figure, the bubble chamber 112 is partitioned by the nozzle forming member 110 and the filter 109.

With the above configuration, the liquid discharge head 1 discharges the liquid in the bubble chamber 112 from the orifice 111 using the thermal energy of the resistance heating element 102. If a portion of the discharged liquid is returned from orifice 111 to bubble chamber 112 (so-called tailing), the liquid is newly supplied from supply port 108 to bubble chamber 112, and bubble chamber 112 is filled with the liquid. The temperature detected by the temperature detecting element 105 corresponds to the ratio of the liquid returned from the orifice 111 to the bubble chamber 112 to the liquid newly supplied from the supply port 108. It is therefore possible to determine the liquid discharge form (whether the discharge is normally performed) based on the detection result of the temperature detecting element 105.

For example, the detection results of the temperature detection element 105 in the case where the liquid is properly discharged from the orifice 111 and in the case where the liquid is not properly discharged from the orifice 111 will be described below with reference to fig. 6A, 6B, and 7.

Fig. 6A is a schematic view showing a case where liquid is not properly discharged from the orifice 111, and fig. 6B is a schematic view showing a case where liquid is properly discharged from the orifice 111.

The time elapsed from the heating of the resistive heating element 102 is defined as time t. When t is t1, in both cases shown in fig. 6A and 6B, bubbles are generated on the temperature detection element 105 by heating of the resistance heating element 102. The bubble contacts or covers the upper surface of the temperature detecting element 105.

At t2 after that, in the case of fig. 6A, a bubble remains on the temperature detection element 105. On the other hand, in the case of fig. 6B, a part of the liquid returned from the orifice 111 to the bubble chamber 112 is separated and contacts the upper surface of the temperature detecting element 105.

Fig. 7 shows the detection result of the temperature detection element 105 in the above-described case of fig. 6A and 6B, and the variation of the temperature mainly detected by the temperature detection element 105 (hereinafter referred to as the detection temperature). In fig. 7, the abscissa represents time t, and the ordinate represents the detected temperature.

As is clear from fig. 7, in the case of fig. 6A, after t is t2, the detection temperature decreases with a more moderate change because the bubble contacts the upper surface of the temperature detection element 105. On the other hand, in the case of fig. 6B, after t becomes t2, the heat of the upper portion of the temperature detection element 105 is absorbed by a part of the liquid, and the detection temperature is rapidly lowered (compared with the case of fig. 6A).

According to this embodiment, as is clear from fig. 1B and 1C, the temperature detection element 105 is arranged between the resistive heating element 102 and the bubble chamber 112, and is positioned close to the liquid in the bubble chamber 112. The temperature detection element 105 is preferably disposed in the uppermost layer (the conductive layer closest to the bubble chamber 112) of the plurality of conductive layers formed on the insulating layer 101 using a semiconductor manufacturing process. Further, as can be seen from fig. 1A, the temperature detection element 105 is located in the bubble chamber 112 in a plan view. According to this structure, the temperature detection element 105 can acquire the detection result with high sensitivity.

Note that in this embodiment, changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. For example, the temperature detecting element 105 only needs to be the uppermost layer directly below the bubble chamber 112, and the insulating layer 101 may further include another upper layer at a position separated from the bubble chamber 112. In other words, the temperature detecting element 105 only needs to be arranged in the conductive layer closest to the bubble chamber 112, and only needs to be located in the uppermost layer in the region overlapping with the bubble chamber 112 in plan view.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the detection accuracy of the temperature detection element 105 can be improved, and appropriate drive control of the resistance heating element 102 can be performed based on the detection result of the temperature detection element 105 by a relatively simple configuration. This makes it possible to perform drive control of the resistance heating element 102 with higher accuracy, for example, based on a change in detected temperature.

< second embodiment >

The temperature detection element 105 is connected to, for example, a constant current source, and is capable of supplying a constant current (a current of a predetermined current value) to the temperature detection element 105. Therefore, a potential difference that can be generated in the temperature detection element 105 is acquired as a detection result, and a control unit (not shown) performs drive control of the resistance heating element 102 based on the detection result. In the first embodiment described above (see fig. 1A), the temperature detection element 105 (the metal film forming the temperature detection element 105) is shown as a rectangle. However, the temperature detection element 105 may be formed in another shape to improve detection accuracy.

Fig. 2A is a schematic plan view of a head substrate 12 included in the liquid discharge head 1 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 2B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along cut line d3-d3 in FIG. 2A. In this embodiment, the temperature detection element (for distinction, the temperature detection element 205) is provided in a curved shape above the resistance heating element 102, which makes the resistance value of the temperature detection element 205 high. Therefore, the potential difference that can be generated in the temperature detecting element 205 when a constant current is applied to the temperature detecting element 205 becomes large, and the detection accuracy of the temperature detecting element 205 increases.

As another embodiment, the temperature detection elements 205 may be narrowed and arranged linearly. The temperature detection element 205 may be arranged in a plane along the energization direction of the resistance heating element 102 in such a manner as to pass through a central portion in the resistance heating element 102 where the temperature easily becomes higher, or may be arranged in a direction orthogonal to the energization direction.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained, and the detection accuracy of the temperature detection element 205 can be improved by increasing the resistance value of the temperature detection element 205.

< third embodiment >

In the first embodiment described above, the temperature detection element 105 is made to function also as an anti-cavitation film. However, the temperature detection function and the anti-cavitation film function may be provided separately. That is, the temperature detecting element 105 (the metal film forming the temperature detecting element 105) and the anti-cavitation film may be provided independently of each other.

Fig. 3A is a schematic plan view of a head substrate 13 included in the liquid discharge head 1 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along cut line d4-d4 in FIG. 3A. In this embodiment, the temperature detection element (for distinction, the temperature detection element 305) and the anti-cavitation film 313 are provided independently of each other.

As described above, the thermal energy passing through the resistive heating element 102 creates a bubble in the liquid. The anti-cavitation film protects the resistive heating element 102 from cavitation, which may be generated due to impact caused by repeated generation and disappearance of bubbles and electrochemical corrosion of liquid. In general, the durability of the anti-cavitation film against cavitation decreases as the temperature becomes higher.

Therefore, the anti-cavitation film 313 is preferably arranged directly above the region where the temperature is likely to rise in the resistance heating element 102. The anti-cavitation film 313 is preferably arranged to overlap at least a region of the resistance heating element 102 of about 5 μm inward from the outer edge, which corresponds to an effective functional portion of the resistance heating element where the temperature becomes high, in plan view.

As is clear from fig. 3A and 3B, in this embodiment, the anti-cavitation film 313 is arranged directly above the central portion of the resistance heating element 102, and extends to the outside of the outer edge of the resistance heating element 102 in plan view.

The temperature detecting element 305 and the anti-cavitation film 313 are electrically isolated from each other. The anti-cavitation film 313 may be floated, or a predetermined voltage may be applied thereto. Further, as shown in fig. 3B, the resistance heating element 102 and the temperature detection element 305 are preferably disposed so that the distance (distance in the horizontal direction of the substrate 100) Da therebetween becomes small, for example, the distance Da becomes 2 μm or less. For this reason, the temperature detection element 305 and the anti-cavitation film 313 are preferably formed so that the distance therebetween becomes the minimum value allowed in the semiconductor manufacturing process.

As described above, according to this embodiment, when the temperature detection element 305 and the anti-cavitation film 313 are separately provided, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, according to this embodiment, since the temperature detecting element 305 and the anti-cavitation film 313 are disposed close to each other, it is possible to improve the durability of the temperature detecting element 305 against cavitation while appropriately maintaining the detection accuracy of the temperature detecting element 305.

Note that in this embodiment, the temperature detection element 305 and the anti-cavitation film 313 are formed at once by a known semiconductor manufacturing process, and therefore can be arranged together in the same layer and made of the same material.

< fourth embodiment >

In the third embodiment described above, the form in which the temperature detection element 305 is disposed on the side of the anti-cavitation film 313 is exemplified. However, the temperature detection element 305 may also be disposed on the other side of the anti-cavitation film 313.

Fig. 4A is a schematic plan view of a head substrate 14 included in the liquid discharge head 1 according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along cut line d5-d5 in FIG. 4A. In this embodiment, the temperature detection element 305 is disposed on one side of the anti-cavitation film 313, and another temperature detection element (for distinction, the temperature detection element 415) is also disposed on the other side. That is, a pair of temperature detection elements 305 and 415 are arranged on both sides of the anti-cavitation film 313.

According to this embodiment, since the detection results of the two temperature detection elements 305 and 415 can be acquired, the detection accuracy can be further improved as compared with the third embodiment.

The temperature detection element 415 is connected to a wiring member 417 via a connection member 416. The detection result is acquired independently of the detection result of the temperature detecting element 305, and signal processing for the detection result can be performed independently. It is therefore possible to detect a deviation in the liquid discharge direction (positional deviation of the liquid adhering to the target), for example, based on the difference in sensitivity between the temperature detection elements 305 and 415.

Note that in the present embodiment, a form in which two temperature detection elements 305 and 415 are arranged for a single resistance heating element 102 is illustrated. However, the number of the temperature detection elements may be three or more.

Further, the configuration capable of independently acquiring the detection results of the temperature detection element 305 and the temperature detection element 415 has been described. However, the temperature detection element 305 and the temperature detection element 415 may be connected in series. In the latter case, since the resistance value of the temperature detection element becomes high, the detection accuracy can be improved.

< fifth embodiment >

In the third and fourth embodiments described above, the temperature detecting element 305 and the anti-cavitation film are disposed apart close to each other, improving the durability of the temperature detecting element 305 against cavitation while appropriately maintaining the detection accuracy of the temperature detecting element 305. In order to further improve the detection accuracy, structural changes may be made to the temperature detection element 305.

Fig. 5A is a schematic plan view of a head substrate 15 included in the liquid discharge head 1 according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along cut line d6-d6 in FIG. 5A. In this embodiment, as in the third and fourth embodiments, the temperature detection element (for distinction, the temperature detection element 505) and the anti-cavitation film (for distinction, the anti-cavitation film 513) are independently provided, and the temperature detection element 505 is configured to include a line pattern.

In this embodiment, the line pattern forming the temperature detecting element 505 is arranged outside the outer edge of the resistive heating element 102 along the outer periphery of the outer edge in plan view. According to this embodiment, the resistance value of the temperature detecting element 505 is made higher than in the third and fourth embodiments, thereby further increasing the detection accuracy of the temperature detecting element 505. At this time, as described above (see the third embodiment), the resistance heating element 102 and the temperature detecting element 505 are preferably disposed so that the distance Da therebetween becomes small.

Further, the anti-cavitation film 513 and the temperature detection element 505 may be electrically connected to each other locally (preferably at one point). In this case, the heat of the anti-cavitation film 513 can be made to transfer to the temperature detection element 505 without significantly affecting the current flowing to the temperature detection element 505, and the detection accuracy of the temperature detection element 505 can be further increased.

Further, the anti-cavitation film 513 and the temperature detection element 505 may be made of different materials from each other. This makes it possible to increase the durability of the anti-cavitation film 513 against cavitation and to improve the detection accuracy of the temperature detection element 505, respectively. For example, it is preferable to use iridium, tantalum, or the like for the anti-cavitation film 513 and tantalum silicon nitride, tungsten silicon nitride, or the like for the temperature detection element 505.

As shown in fig. 5B, the temperature detecting element 505 and the anti-cavitation film 513 are formed in the same layer. Also, at least temperature sensing element 505 is positioned proximate to the liquid in bubble chamber 112. Therefore, the detection result can be obtained with high sensitivity. Therefore, the temperature detection element 505 is preferably arranged in the uppermost layer of the plurality of conductive layers provided with respect to the insulating layer 101.

Note that the use of materials different from each other for the anti-cavitation film 513 and the temperature detection element 505 may also be applied to the third and fourth embodiments.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the same effects as those in the first embodiment can be obtained, and the durability of the temperature detection element 505 and the anti-cavitation film 513 against cavitation can be further improved while the detection accuracy of the temperature detection element 505 is further improved.

< other examples >

The liquid discharge head 1 shown in the embodiment is provided in a liquid discharge apparatus typified by an ink jet printer or the like. The inkjet printer may be a single-function printer having only a printing function, or may be a multi-function printer having a plurality of functions such as a printing function, a facsimile function, and a scanning function. Alternatively, the inkjet printer may be a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing, for example, a color filter, an electronic device, an optical device, a microstructure, or the like by a predetermined printing method.

Further, "printing" should be understood in a broader sense. Thus, "printing" may take any form, whether the object to be formed on the print medium is important information (e.g., characters or graphic patterns), and whether the object is already apparent and visually perceptible by a human.

The liquid application target of the liquid discharge head 1 may also be referred to as a printing medium, "which should be understood in a broader sense as" printing ". Accordingly, the concept of "printing medium" may include not only paper that is generally used, but also any member capable of receiving ink, including fabrics, plastic films, metal plates, glass, ceramics, resins, wood, and leather materials.

A typical example of a liquid is ink. Note that the concept of "liquid" may include not only liquid that forms an image, design, pattern, or the like when applied to a printing medium, but also any additional liquid that may be provided to treat the printing medium or to treat ink (e.g., to coagulate or insolubilize color materials in the ink).

While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.