Microminiaturized electrostatic pump
AssigneeFraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
InventorsAxel Richter, Herrmann Sandmeier
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrostatic pump includes two electrodes, which are spaced apart essentially in the pump flow direction and which are adapted to have applied thereto a potential for injecting an ion current flowing between the two electrodes. For further microminiaturization of the pump, the pump includes two semiconductor components, which are arranged one on top of the other in the pump flow direction and which are so structured that the electrodes form an integral constituent part of the semiconductor components.
Claims21
A microminiaturized electrostatic pump including two electrodes (13;
- 26, 27;
- 33, 34;
- 43, 44;
- 53, 54;
- 63, 68;
- 73, 78), which are arranged in a essentially non-conductive fluid to be pumped and which are spaced apart essentially in the pump flow direction, said electrodes being adapted to have applied thereto a potential for injecting or for accelerating an ion current which flows between said electrodes through said fluid, and further including two components (10;
- 20, 21;
- 30, 31;
- 40, 41;
- 50, 52;
- 60, 61;
- 70, 71), which are arranged one on top of the other essentially in the pump flow direction and which are structured by etched openings in such way that the electrodes form an integral constituent part of said semiconductor components;
- characterized in that components (10;
- 20, 21;
- 30, 31;
- 40, 41;
- 50, 52;
- 60, 61;
- 70, 71) and the electrodes (13;
- 26, 27;
- 33, 34;
- 43, 44;
- 53, 54;
- 63, 68;
- 73, 78) consist of a semiconductor material,
- the main surfaces of said components (10;
- 20, 21;
- 30, 31;
- 40, 41;
- 50, 52;
- 60, 61;
- 70, 71) extend at right angles to the pump flow direction, and
- the etched openings (12) extend through the components in the pump flow direction at both sides of each electrode.
A method of producing a microminiaturized electrostatic pump including two electrodes (13;
- 26, 27;
- 33, 34;
- 43, 44;
- 53, 54;
- 64, 68;
- 73, 78), which are arranged in an essentially non-conductive fluid to be pumped and which are spaced apart essentially in the pump flow direction, said electrodes being adapted to have applied thereto a potential for injecting or for accelerating an ion current which flows between said electrodes through said fluid and further including two components (10;
- 20, 21;
- 30, 31;
- 40, 41;
- 50, 52;
- 60, 61;
- 70, 71), which are arranged one on top of the other essentially in the pump flow direction and which are structured by etched openings (12) in such a way that the electrodes form an integral constituent part of the respective component, the components being semiconductor components (10), the method comprising;
- applying a layer which is resistant to etching agents to one side of the semiconductor component (10);
- photolithographically structuring with etch windows the layer which is resistant to etching agents;
- and
- starting from the etch windows of the etching agent-resistant layer, etching openings (12) through the semiconductor component (10) thereby defining web-shaped or grid-shaped electrodes in the pump flow direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.