Method and device for production of components for microfabrication

• US 6,450,189 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Flow Pharma, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universidad de Sevilla
• Inventors: Ganan-Calvo, Alfonso
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAMBERS, A MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/676,024
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 137/806, 137/825, 137/826, 137/842, 137/12, 137/810, 137/811
• US Class Current: 137/12
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/3011 using a sheathing stream of a fluid surrounding a central stream of a different fluid, e.g. for reducing the cross-section of the central stream or to produce droplets from the central stream
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/065 an inner gas outlet being surrounded by an annular adjacent liquid outlet
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/00 Arrangements for supervising or controlling working operations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/762 Nanowire or quantum wire, i.e. axially elongated structure having two dimensions of 100 nm or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/776 Ceramic powder or flake
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/777 Metallic powder or flake
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/883 Fluidic self-assembly, FSA
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/888 Shaping or removal of materials, e.g. etching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0379 By fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2076 Utilizing diverse fluids
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2098 Vortex generator as control for system
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2104 Vortex generator in interaction chamber of device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2273 Device including linearly-aligned power stream emitter and power stream collector

Abstract

Atomized particles within a desired size range (e.g., 1 micron to about 5 microns) are produced from two immiscible fluids, a first fluid source containing the formulation to be atomized, and a second fluid source which is contained in a pressure chamber surrounding at least the area where the first liquid is to be provided. The invention provides methods for: the production of templates for microfabrication, such as particles that serve as templates for self-assembly of monolayers; the creation of small particles to serve as building blocks for the microassembly of objects; and the use of an atomizate to etch configurations and/or patterns onto the surface of an object by removing a selected portion of the surface.

Claims

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

forcing a first fluid through a channel of a feeding source in a manner which causes the first fluid to be expelled from an exit opening;

forcing a second fluid immiscible with the first fluid through a pressure chamber in a manner which causes the second fluid to interact with the first fluid to create a virtual focusing funnel around the first fluid whereby both the first and second fluids exit the pressure chamber from an exit orifice downstream of a flow path of the first fluid expelled from the exit opening of the feeding source;

wherein a stable first fluid-second fluid interface is maintained and the first liquid forms a stable jet focused to smaller dimensions on the exit orifice of the pressure chamber by the second fluid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first fluid is a liquid and the second fluid is a gas.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first fluid is a gas and the second fluid is a liquid.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first fluid is a first liquid and the second fluid is a second liquid which second liquid is immiscible in the first liquid.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the stable jet is defined at a given point A by the formula:

$d_j\cong <br><br>{\left(\frac{8<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>{\mathrm{\rho <br><br>}}_l}{{\mathrm{\Pi <br><br>}}^2<br><br>\mathrm{\Delta <br><br>}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>P_g}\right)}^{1/4}<br><br>\text{\hspace{1em}<br><br>}<br><br>Q^{1/2}$

wherein d_j is the diameter of the jet, ≅

indicates approximately equal to where an acceptable margin of error is ±

10%, ρ

l is the density of the first fluid, Δ

P_g is the change in pressure of the second fluid surrounding the jet at the point A and Q is the first fluid flow rate.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the feeding source is a cylindrical channel and the first fluid is expelled from an exit opening having a diameter in the range of from about 0.002 to about 2 mm and wherein the opening in the pressure chamber has a diameter in the range of about 0.002 to about 2 mm and is positioned directly in front of a flow path of the exit opening of the channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the exit opening has a diameter in the range of from about 100 nm to about 0.1 mm, and

wherein the exit opening of the feeding source of the first fluid is separated by a distance of from about 0.002 mm to about 2 mm from the exit opening in the pressure chamber.