Nozzles for electrospray ionization and methods of fabricating them

摘要

A nozzle chip ( 3 ) for ejecting a liquid such as in an electrospray device is built from a substrate chip having grooves ( 5, 7 ) on a top surface. A lid ( 25 ) is attached to the top surface closing the grooves to form channels one of which has an open outlet end ( 9 ). At the outlet end a nozzle is formed at or attached and it has an outlet opening from which the liquid is to be ejected. Alignment recesses ( 13, 15 ) are made at edges of the substrate chip and they are accurately positioned in relation to the outlet opening, the alignment recesses allowing an accurate mounting of nozzle chip giving the outlet opening of the nozzle a reproducible position in the device where it is to be used. At the outlet end a recess ( 17 ) in the substrate chip can be provided and the nozzle can then be located in the recess to mechanically protect it.