The present invention is directed to methods of improving accuracy of droplet metering using at least one on-actuator reservoir as the fluid input. In some embodiments, the on-actuator reservoir that is used for metering droplets includes a loading port, a liquid storage zone, a droplet metering zone, and a droplet dispensing zone. The on-actuator reservoirs are designed to prevent liquid flow-back into the loading port and to prevent liquid from flooding into the droplet operations gap in the dispensing zone.

An electrostatic fluid delivery system is configured to deliver fluid, such as a disinfectant fluid, onto a surface by electrically charging the fluid and forming the fluid into a mist, fog, plume, or spray that can be directed onto a surface, such as a surface to be cleaned. The system atomizes the fluid using a high-pressure fluid stream and passes the fluid through an electrode of a nozzle assembly to charge droplets of the atomized fluid.

Voltage application device includes voltage application circuit. Voltage application circuit applies a voltage to load including discharge electrode that holds liquid, voltage application circuit generating discharge in discharge electrode. During a drive period, voltage application circuit periodically changes a magnitude of the voltage applied to load at a drive frequency within a predetermined range including a resonance frequency of liquid, voltage application circuit mechanically vibrating liquid.

An atomizer for applying a coating to a substrate includes a nozzle and at least one electrode. The nozzle defines a plurality of apertures. The nozzle includes a nozzle plate, a nozzle body, and an actuator. The nozzle plate defines the apertures. The nozzle body and an inner side of the nozzle plate define a reservoir in fluid communication with the first apertures. The actuator is configured to vibrate the nozzle plate to eject droplets of a liquid from the reservoir through the first apertures. The at least one electrode is configured to directly or indirectly electrostatically charge the droplets with a charge that repels the droplets from each other to reduce coalescence of the droplets before the droplets reach the substrate.

An electrospray printing system that produces conformal films includes a printhead. A housing of the printhead includes a solution reservoir operable to receive a solution that includes a print material suspended in a solvent. An electrical potential is applied to the solution to produce an electrically charged solution that is emitted from the solution reservoir towards a target substrate. Electrostatic focusing is used to guide the print material to the target substrate.

A method for fabricating a single electron transistor is provided. A substrate includes a substantially planar surface with a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode thereon, with the source and drain electrodes spaced apart from one another by a gap. The source electrode and the drain electrode are electrified, and a single nanometer-scale conductive particle is electrospray deposited in the gap. The single nanometer-scale conductive particle has an effective size of not greater than 10 nanometers. At least one carbon nanotube is deposited on the substrate and subjected to dielectrophoresis to position the carbon nanotube within 1 nanometer of the single nanometer-scale conductive particle. The at least one carbon nanotube establishes a first connection between the source electrode and the single nanometer-scale conductive particle and a second connection between the drain electrode and the single nanometer-scale conductive particle.

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method to achieve electrospray ionization at femtoliter/minute to nanoliter/minute flow rates including relatively rapid alternation between such flow rates within the same device. These flow rates provide enhanced and relatively more uniform ionization of sprayed compounds for subsequent analytical evaluations.

Disclosed is an apparatus and associated method for tagging insects and arthropods. According to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, an electrosprayer is provided including a nozzle cartridge, a spray chamber removably attached to the nozzle cartridge and a power supply operatively connected to the nozzle cartridge and a grounding plate within the spray chamber to electrically charge droplets expelled from the nozzle which coat one or more insects contained in the spray chamber.

A method of manufacturing optoelectronic components includes spraying a fluorescent layer of an optoelectronic component onto a substrate, the substance or the substance mixture of the fluorescent layer including an electric charge when sprayed on, and wherein the electrically charged substance or the at least partially electrically charged substance mixture includes a larger electric potential when the fluorescent layer is sprayed on than at least one area of the substrate; and locally adjusting the thickness of the fluorescent layer of the sprayed-on fluorescent substance when spraying on the fluorescent layer onto the substrate by an electric potential gradient.

A chamber (1) and an air conduit (7) connecting a liquid surface retaining hole (5) with an air hole (6) for supplying air from the outside of an electrostatic atomizer (50) to the chamber (1) are provided. When the liquid surface retaining hole (5) is blocked, the liquid supply from a liquid supplying section (3) to the chamber (1) will be stopped. The air conduit (7) has bent sections (8), and a space (10) for holding the liquid is formed in the air conduit (7).