METHOD FOR PRODUCING AN APERTURE PLATE

摘要

An aperture plate is manufactured by plating metal around a mask of resist columns having a desired size, pitch, and profile, which yields a wafer about 60 μm thickness. This is approximately the full desired target aperture plate thickness. The plating is continued so that the metal overlies the top surfaces of the columns until the desired apertures are achieved. This needs only one masking/plating cycle to achieve the desired plate thickness. Also, the plate has passageways formed beneath the apertures, formed as an integral part of the method, by mask material removal. These are suitable for entrainment of aerosolized droplets exiting the apertures.

主权项

1. A method of manufacturing an aperture plate wafer, the method comprising providing a substrate of conductive material, applying a mask over the substrate in a pattern of columns having top surfaces, electroplating around the columns, removing the mask to provide a wafer of the electroplated material with aerosol-forming holes,
wherein, the electroplating step partially over-plates the top surfaces of the columns while leaving aerosol-forming apertures of a desired size, the columns have a height in the range of 40 μm to 70 μm.