Micro fluid diode

摘要

The micro flow line is taken through a channel (7) etched into a substrate (1) and past an array of micro capillaries where the fluid forms a pattern of micro meniscuses (6), with the fluid contained in the duct via the surface tension in the capillaries. Small amounts of the fluid (5) to be injected into the main flow are dosed into the capillaries from where they spread into the flow. The diode is assembled from a sandwich of etched substrates including silicon, glass, ceramic, metal, etc. and bonded together using conventional thin/thick film techniques. For silicon an orientation of <100> or <110> is used.