US 11,993,011 B1 · Plasma micronozzle adapter

Abstract

Plasma micro nozzle adapters having various configurations and operating principles are disclosed. The plasma micro nozzle adapter is employed with a commercial plasma jet printer to produce smaller printed features than those possible with the original plasma jet printer. In a first class of embodiments, the plasma micro nozzle adapter narrows a plasma jet using electrostatic or magnetostatic lensing, permitting the printing of ceramic, metallic, dielectric, or plastic features with line widths of 10 μm or less. In a second class of embodiments, the plasma micro nozzle adapter narrows the plasma jet using a gas sheath. By adjusting the flow rate or pressure of the gas used to form the gas sheath, the cross-sectional shape of the plasma jet may form, for example, an ellipse, thereby controlling the width of the printed feature. A third class of embodiments employs both electrostatic (or magnetostatic) lensing along with the gas sheath.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A plasma micro nozzle adapter comprising:

a body having a plasma orifice therethrough, the plasma orifice defining a central plasma axis;
one or more lensing electrodes, each of the one or more lensing electrodes being located one or more of internal and external to the body;
and
one or more termination elements, the one or more termination elements adapted to lens a plasma jet using electrostatic lensing or magnetostatic lensing, the one or more termination elements being electrically connected to the one or more lensing electrodes.

1 more element

A plasma micro nozzle adapter comprising:

a body including a plasma orifice therethrough, the plasma orifice defining a central plasma axis, the body having a ring-shaped exit orifice, the ring-shaped exit orifice being concentric to the plasma orifice, the body further including at least one microfluidic channel, each of the at least one microfluidic channels in fluid connection with the ring-shaped exit orifice;
one or more lensing electrodes, each of the one or more lensing electrodes being located one or more of internal and external to the body;
one or more termination elements, the one or more termination elements adapted to lens a plasma jet using electrostatic lensing or magnetostatic lensing, the one or more termination elements being electrically connected to the one or more lensing electrodes;
and
at least one sheath gas port, each of the at least one sheath gas ports located adjacent to an exterior surface of the body, each of the at least one sheath gas ports in fluid connection with the ring-shaped exit orifice via the at least one microfluidic channel.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Plasma micronozzle adapter

Life of this patent

Plasma micronozzle adapter

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20