# US 2014/0151335 A1 · Microfluidics Delivery Systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0151335 A1 - Document ID: US20140151335A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/693,938 - Filed: 2012-12-04 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-04 - Assignees: FEI Company - Applicants: FEI Company - Inventors: Aurélien Philipp Jean Maclou Botman; Steven Randolph; Mark W. Utlaut - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151335A1 ## CPC - B05D 1/26: performed by applying the liquid or other fluent material from an outlet device in contact with, or almost in contact with, the surface - C25D 5/024: {using locally applied electromagnetic radiation, e.g. lasers} - C25F 3/14: locally - G01N 23/225: using electron or ion - Y10T 137/0324: With control of flow by a condition or characteristic of a fluid - B05D: PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B65G, e.g. B65G49/02) - C25D: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR - C25F: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC REMOVAL OF MATERIALS FROM OBJECTS; APPARATUS THEREFOR - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 in which forming the channel on the surface comprises directing a beam of ion toward the substrate to remove material to form the channel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 in which forming the channel on the surface comprises directing a photon beam toward the substrate to remove material to form the channel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 in which dispensing a liquid into the channel includes dispensing a deposition precursor, an etch precursor, or an electrolyte. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 in which forming a structure on the work piece comprises directing a charged particle beam toward the second position, the charged particle beam initiating a reaction of the liquid to deposit or etch material from the surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 in which forming a structure on the work piece comprises passing an electric current through the liquid to electrochemically deposit material onto the surface or to electrochemically remove material from the surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 in which forming a structure on the work piece comprises directing a laser beam toward the second position, the laser beam initiating a reaction of the liquid to deposit or etch material from the surface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a cover over a portion of the channel between the first position and the second position to reduce evaporation of the liquid. ### Claim 9 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. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 further comprising directing a beam onto the work piece surface to initiate a reaction involving the liquid to deposit material onto the surface or to etch of material from the surface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 in which directing a beam onto the surface comprises directing a charged particle beam. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 in which contacting the tip of the nanocapillary to the work piece surface to dispense liquid from the nanocapillary onto the work piece comprises contacting the tip of the nanocapillary to the work piece surface to dispense liquid from the nanocapillary onto the work piece using primarily capillary forces. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 in which contacting the tip of the nanocapillary to the work piece surface to dispense liquid from the nanocapillary onto the work piece comprises dispensing a drop of liquid having a diameter of less than 50 μm onto the surface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 in which dispensing a drop of liquid having a diameter of less than 50 μm to the surface comprises dispensing a drop of liquid having a diameter of less than 10 μm. ### Claim 15 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. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The liquid nanodispenser of claim 15 in which the hollow tube is coated with a conductive material. ### Claim 17 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. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 in which adjusting the temperature of the liquid comprises adjusting the temperature of the nanodispenser or the temperature of the work piece. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 in which adjusting the temperature of the liquid comprises controlling the amount of frozen liquid at the tip by adjusting the size of the opening at the tip of the nanodispenser.