A liquid droplet ejecting apparatus includes a liquid container including an upper opening for receiving liquid and a lower opening for supplying the liquid, the upper opening being larger than the lower opening, and a liquid ejection chip that is fixed to a lower surface of the liquid container, and includes a pressure chamber formed therein, a nozzle to eject liquid from the pressure chamber, and an actuator disposed adjacent to the nozzle. An opening of the pressure chamber is in fluid communication with the lower opening and is entirely included in an area of the lower opening.

A micro-valve includes an orifice plate including an orifice and a cantilevered beam coupled in spaced relation to the orifice plate and moveable between positions where the orifice is closed and opened by the cantilevered beam. The cantilevered beam includes one or more piezoelectric layers that facilitate bending of the cantilevered beam in response to the application of one or more electrical signals to the one or more piezoelectric layers. In response to respective application and termination of the one or more electrical signals to the one or more piezoelectric layers the cantilevered beam either: moves from a starting position spaced from the orifice plate toward the orifice plate and returns back to the starting position spaced from the orifice plate; or moves from a starting position adjacent the orifice plate away from the orifice plate and returns back to the starting position adjacent the orifice plate.

A nanoprinthead including an array of nanotip cantilevers, where each nanotip cantilever includes a nanotip at an end of a cantilever, and a method for forming the nanoprinthead. Each nanotip may be individually addressable through use of an array of piezoelectric actuators. Embodiments for forming a nanoprinthead including an array of nanotip cantilevers can include an etching process from a material such as a silicon wafer, or the formation of a metal or dielectric nanotip cantilever over a substrate. The nanoprinthead may operate to provide uses for technologies such as dip-pen nanolithography, nanomachining, and nanoscratching, among others.

The invention relates to a micro pilot valve 1, which is characterized by a micro cavity 2, which is connected with valve outlet 3, a first micro opening 4 between micro cavity 2 and a first pressure level 5, a second micro opening 6 between micro cavity 2 and a second pressure level 7, a sealing element 8 within micro cavity 2, which is movable between the micro openings, and which in a first end position closes micro opening 4 and in a second end position micro opening 6, whereas the control pressure in the first end position adopts the value of the second pressure level 7 and in the second end position the value of the first pressure level 5, and a micro actuator 10, which actuates sealing element 8 via a transfer element, which protrudes at least through one of the micro openings.

A non-contact deposition system comprises a jetting assembly including at least one micro-valve. The micro-valve includes an orifice plate defining an orifice therethrough. An actuating beam disposed in a spaced relationship to the orifice plate. The actuating beam including a base portion and a cantilevered portion extending from the base portion towards the orifice and is movable between a closed position and an open position. A sealing structure comprising a sealing member is disposed at the overlapping portion of the cantilevered portion. A fluid manifold is coupled to the micro-valve and defines a fluid reservoir containing a pressurized fluid. When the actuating beam is in the closed position, the cantilevered portion is positioned such that the sealing structure seals the orifice so as to close the micro-valve, and in the open position, the fluid is dispensed from the orifice towards a substrate and deposited thereon.