Monolithic Multinozzle Emitters for Nanoelectrospray Mass Spectrometry
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsDaojing Wang, Peidong Yang, Woong Kim, Rong Fan
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Abstract
Novel and significantly simplified procedures for fabrication of fully integrated nanoelectrospray emitters have been described. For nanofabricated monolithic multinozzle emitters (NM2 emitters), a bottom up approach using silicon nanowires on a silicon sliver is used. For microfabricated monolithic multinozzle emitters (M3 emitters), a top down approach using MEMS techniques on silicon wafers is used. The emitters have performance comparable to that of commercially-available silica capillary emitters for nanoelectrospray mass spectrometry.
Claims20
An electrospray emitter comprising:
- a first silica nozzle extending out from a larger silica base tube;
- wherein the walls of the nozzle and the base tube form a monolithic whole.
A structure comprising:
- a base tube having a first end and a second end;
- and
- a plurality of smaller tubules, each tubule having a first end and a second end, the first ends of the tubules seamlessly connected to the second end of the base tube and the tubules extending out from the base tube;
- wherein the structure is monolithic and defines sealed, continuous fluid paths from the first end of the base tube to the second ends of the tubules.
A method of forming an electrospray emitter comprising:
- providing a three dimensional template made of silicon;
- surrounding the template with silica to form a compound structure;
- removing the silica from ends of the compound structure to expose a portion of the silicon;
- and
- removing the silicon from the compound structure.
A method of forming a nanoelectrospray emitter comprising:
- providing a silicon base with a silica coating, the silicon base having a first end with no silica coating;
- growing silicon nanowires from the first end of the base;
- oxidizing the silicon nanowires to form a silica/silicon shell/core structure;
- removing silica from the distal end of the base and from the distal end of the nanowires to expose silicon;
- and
- removing silicon from the shell/core structure to form a nanoelectrospray emitter.
A method of forming an electrospray emitter comprising:
- providing a silicon substrate having a first surface;
- etching a first trench into the first surface of the substrate;
- sealing a silicon wafer onto the first surface of the substrate, enclosing the trench to form a channel, and forming a silicon core structure;
- cutting the core structure to expose two channel ends;
- oxidizing the core structure to form a silica/silicon shell/core structure;
- cutting one end of the shell/core structure to expose the silicon core structure;
- and
- removing a portion of the silicon core structure to form a linear electrospray nozzle array.
A method of forming an electrospray emitter comprising:
- providing a first silicon substrate having a first surface;
- etching a first trench into the first surface of the first substrate;
- providing a second silicon substrate having a first surface;
- etching a second trench into the first surface of the second substrate;
- providing an ultra thin silicon wafer having a first surface and a second surface;
- sealing the first surface of the silicon wafer to the first surface of the first substrate, enclosing the first trench to form a first channel;
- sealing the second surface of the silicon wafer to the first surface of the second substrate, enclosing the second trench to form a second channel;
- cutting two ends of the first channel and two ends of the second channel to expose the channels;
- oxidizing to form a silica/silicon shell/core structure;
- cutting one end of the shell/core structure to expose silicon;
- and
- removing a portion of the silicon to form an electrospray nozzle array.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.