Microfluidics Delivery Systems
AssigneeFEI Company
InventorsAurélien Philipp Jean Maclou Botman, Steven Randolph, Mark W. Utlaut
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods of dispensing a small amount of liquid onto a work piece includes in some embodiments known providing a microscopic channel for the liquid to flow from the nanodispenser. In some embodiments, dispensing the liquid includes dispensing the liquid using a nanodispenser have at least one slit extending to the tip. Some methods include controlling the rate of evaporation or the rate of liquid flow to establish an equilibrium producing a bubble of a desired size.
Claims19
A method of processing a work piece in a vacuum chamber, comprising:
- forming a channel on the surface of the work piece in a vacuum chamber;
- dispensing a liquid into the channel at a first position, the liquid flowing through the channel to a second position on the work piece;
- directing a charged particle beam to the second position on the work piece, the charged particle beam reacting with the liquid at the second position to form a structure on the work piece.
A method of dispensing liquid onto a work piece in a vacuum chamber, comprising:
- providing a nanocapillary having a diameter at the tip of less than 50 μm and having at least one slit cut into the nanocapillary, the slit(s) extending to the tip;
- and
- contacting the tip of the nanocapillary to the work piece surface to dispense liquid from the nanocapillary onto the work piece.
A liquid nanodispenser, comprising a hollow tube for containing a liquid, the hollow tube having an inner diameter of less than 50 microns at the tip, the tip including slits that extend to the tube opening for facilitating fluid flow by capillary action from the interior of the tube to a contacted work piece surface.
A method of controlling the flow of liquid from a nanocapillary in a vacuum, comprising:
- contacting the nanodispenser to a work piece surface in a vacuum chamber to form a bubble of liquid at the tip of the dispenser;
- adjusting the pressure in the vacuum chamber to control the rate of evaporation of the bubble;
- and
- adjusting the temperature of the liquid to control the rate of flow into the bubble, the equilibrium between the evaporation and the flow rate of liquid into the bubble determining the bubble size.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.