Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 1, 2025
11:38
Combining Microfluidics and Microrheology to Determine Rheological Properties of Soft Matter during Repeated Phase Transitions
Published on: April 19, 2018
8.1K
Sub-micron thick liquid sheets produced by isotropically etched glass nozzles
Christopher J Crissman1,2,3, Mianzhen Mo3, Zhijiang Chen3
1United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA. chris@crissman.us.
Lab on a Chip
|March 2, 2022
Summary
We developed novel glass nozzles for producing ultra-thin liquid sheets, crucial for advanced material science applications. These microfluidic devices offer precise control over sheet thickness and surface properties.
Area of Science:
- Microfluidics
- Materials Science
- Surface Physics
Background:
- Producing stable, thin liquid sheets is essential for various scientific applications, including material deposition and fundamental physics studies.
- Existing methods for liquid sheet generation often face limitations in terms of thickness control, stability, and scalability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and fabricate novel glass nozzles for generating liquid sheets with controlled thickness.
- To investigate the operational characteristics of these nozzles in different environments (ambient air and vacuum).
- To analyze the relationship between nozzle geometry, liquid properties, and sheet characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing standard lithographic techniques and chemical etching to create single converging channels in glass wafers.
- Testing nozzle performance with various liquids and flow rates.
- Measuring sheet thickness, surface roughness, and analyzing electron transmission through the sheets.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated successful operation of glass sheet nozzles in both ambient air and vacuum.
- Achieved a sheet thickness range from 250 nm to 2.5 μm, controllable by nozzle outlet area.
- Sheet thickness was found to be independent of liquid flow rate.
- Surface roughness of approximately 10 nm was achieved with polished nozzles.
- Presented electron transmission data and determined the charge pair distribution function for D2O.
Conclusions:
- Glass sheet nozzles fabricated using lithographic methods provide a robust platform for generating thin liquid sheets.
- The ability to control sheet thickness via nozzle geometry opens possibilities for precise material manipulation.
- Electron scattering data from these thin sheets offers insights into fundamental particle-matter interactions.
