Micromechanically produced nozzle for producing reproducible droplets
AssigneeGenSpec S.A.
InventorsPhilippe Luginbuhl, Pierre François Indermuhle, Damian Twerenbold
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a micromechanically produced nozzle for producing reproducibly small drops which consist of a liquid container delimited by a silicon structure and a pyrex structure. The silicon structure is a silicon wafer consisting of a silicon oxide layer (SiO2) and a silicon nitride layer (SI3N4). The wafer has a nozzle of silicon oxide (SiO3), which forms a nozzle opening of a liquid container. The liquid is fed into the liquid container through a channel formed in the pyrex structure. A disk made of a piezoelectric material exerts a pressure on the liquid in the container, which passes through the nozzle in the form of a drop.
Claims24
A micromechanically produced nozzle for producing reproducibly small drops, comprising:
- a silicon substrate having a first surface;
- a through opening in the silicon substrate having a wall extending an entire depth of the through opening and through the first surface;
- a layer of silicon oxide on the wall of the through opening and freely extending to and beyond the first surface, defining a free extension of the silicon oxide layer extending away from the first surface and beyond the wall of the through opening;
- and
- a free-standing nozzle opening being defined inside the through opening wall and the free extension.
A method of constructing a nozzle for producing reproducibly small drops, comprising:
- etching a through opening in a silicon substrate having a first surface, wherein the through opening is etched to have a wall extending an entire depth of the through opening and through the first surface;
- forming a layer of silicon oxide on the wall of the through opening, such that the layer of silicon oxide extends to the first surface;
- forming a free extension of the silicon oxide layer beyond the wall of the through opening freely extending away from the first surface of the silicon substrate thereby defining a free-standing nozzle opening inside the wall and the free extension.
A nozzle micromechanically produced from a silicon substrate, the nozzle comprising:
- a through opening in the silicon substrate having a wall extending an entire depth of the through opening;
- a layer of silicon oxide on the wall of the through opening and extending an entire depth of the silicon substrate;
- a free extension of the silicon oxide layer on the wall of the through opening freely extending beyond the silicon substrate for forming a free-standing nozzle opening;
- a fluid reservoir communicating with the through opening for providing fluid to the nozzle opening;
- and
- a piezoelectric element positioned and operable to influence fluid pressure in the fluid reservoir to cause transfer of fluid from the reservoir to the nozzle opening from which the fluid is expelled.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.