Polymer based electrospray nozzle for mass spectrometry
AssigneeCalifornia Institute of Technology
InventorsYu-Chong TAI, Xuan-Qi WANG, Amish DESAI, Terry D. LEE, Lawrence Licklider
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Abstract
A MEMS device with an overhanging ‘polymer’ capillary provides vital and significant improvements in interfacing a MEMS electrospray nozzle to an MS inlet or other macroscopic instrumentation. The fabrication methodology associated therewith is easily expanded to include built-in micro particle filters and centimeter long serpentine micro channels provided on-chip and fabricated using a low temperature process.
Claims20
A method of fabricating a polymer-based micromachined electrospray nozzle structure, comprising:
- obtaining a support substrate;
- first forming a first polymer layer on said support substrate which will form a floor of said nozzle structure;
- first patterning said first layer to form a first inlet window;
- second forming an interior layer over said first layer;
- second patterning a portion of said interior layer to form a filtered channel field, said filtered channel field forming a path through which fluid can flow;
- third forming a second polymer layer, said second layer forming a roof of said polymer-based nozzle structure;
- and
- first etching said support substrate to expose a nozzle tip and releasing said first inlet window.
A micromachined polymer-based apparatus, comprising:
- a support substrate;
- a nozzle structure formed on said support substrate and defined by at least a first and second polymer layers and an interior layer;
- and
- a first inlet window formed on said nozzle structure and adapted for receiving, from a capillary tube, a sample into said nozzle structure via said first inlet window.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.