Plated silicon-based electronic cigarette atomizing chip and preparation method thereof

Abstract

A plated silicon-based electronic cigarette atomizing chip includes the following components: a silicon substrate, wherein the silicon substrate is provided with an array of micro-pillars or an array of micro-holes, an inlet end, and an outlet end, the outer walls of the micro-pillars are plated side walls, the inner walls of the micro-holes are plated inner walls, and the array of micro-pillars defines a plurality of micro-channels or electronic cigarette liquid channels penetrating the micro-holes are provided on the silicon substrate; a glass cover, wherein the air holes passing through the glass cover are provided; and the glass cover is fixedly connected to the silicon substrate by a bonding process.

Claims

1. A plated silicon-based electronic cigarette atomizing chip, comprising the following components: a silicon substrate, wherein the silicon substrate is provided with an array of micro-pillars or an array of micro-holes, an inlet end, and an outlet end, outer walls of the array of micro-pillars are plated side walls, inner walls of the array of micro-holes are plated inner walls, and the array of micro-pillars defines a plurality of micro-channels or electronic cigarette liquid channels penetrating the array of micro-holes are provided on the silicon substrate; a glass cover, wherein air holes passing through the glass cover are provided; and the glass cover is fixedly connected to the silicon substrate by a bonding process.

2. The plated silicon-based electronic cigarette atomizing chip according to claim 1, wherein a plated metal on the plated outer walls of the array of micro-pillars or the plated inner walls of the array of micro-holes is a metal or an alloy, wherein a standard electrode potential of metal or an alloy is more positive than a standard electrode potential of Si/SiO.sub.2.

3. The plated silicon-based electronic cigarette atomizing chip according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of each of the micro-pillars or each of the micro-holes ranges from 20 m to 300 m.

4. A method for preparing a plated silicon-based electronic cigarette atomizing chip, comprising the following steps: a, etching an array of micro-pillars or an array of micro-holes, an inlet end, and an outlet end on a silicon substrate; b, cleaning the silicon substrate after being etched in step a to obtain a clean electroplated surface of the silicon substrate; c, plating outer walls of an array of micro-pillars or inner walls of an array of micro-holes by a plating method to obtain a plated silicon wafer; d, manufacturing an array of air holes passing through a glass cover; e, bonding the plated silicon wafer obtained in step c with the glass cover obtained in step d to obtain a bonded silicon wafer by a bonding process; and f, filling an inlet pipe or a liquid-guiding material at the inlet end of the bonded silicon wafer, filling an outlet pipe or the liquid-guiding material at the outlet end, then, inserting wires into the bonded silicon wafer to obtain the plated silicon-based electronic cigarette atomizing chip.

5. The method for preparing the plated silicon-based electronic cigarette atomizing chip according to claim 4, wherein the cleaning in step b comprises: 1), cleaning and removing a photoresist etched on the silicon substrate with acetone or nitric acid; 2), ashing in an oxygen atmosphere to remove an residual polymer film, 3) immersing the silicon substrate in hydrofluoric acid to remove an oxide film formed during the ashing and to strip residual carbon from an oxidized surface; and 4) immersing the silicon substrate in hydrofluoric acid, then washing the silicon substrate with water and drying the silicon substrate to obtain the clean electroplated surface.

6. The method for preparing the plated silicon-based electronic cigarette atomizing chip according to claim 4, wherein the plating method in step c comprises a chemical plating method or an electroplating method.

7. The method for preparing the plated silicon-based electronic cigarette atomizing chip according to claim 4, wherein in step d, a mechanical method or a chemical method is configured to prepare the array of air holes passing through a cross-section of the glass cover.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a silicon substrate with micro-channels defined by an array of micro-pillars;

(2) FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a silicon substrate with micro-channels defined by an array of micro-holes;

(3) FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a silicon substrate with outer walls of an array of micro-pillars plated with nickel or a nickel alloy;

(4) FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a bonded silicon wafer with outer walls of an array of micro-pillars plated with nickel or a nickel alloy;

(5) FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a bonded silicon wafer with outer walls of an array of micro-pillars plated with nickel or a nickel alloy;

(6) FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a bonded silicon wafer with inner walls of an array of micro-holes plated with nickel or a nickel alloy;

(7) FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a bonded silicon wafer with inner walls of an array of micro-holes plated with nickel or a nickel alloy;

(8) FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a silicon wafer with inner walls of an array of micro-holes plated with nickel or a nickel alloy;

(9) FIG. 9 is another cross-sectional view of a silicon wafer with inner walls of an array of micro-holes plated with nickel or a nickel alloy;

(10) FIG. 10 is a structural schematic diagram of a plated atomizing chip with an array of plated micro-pillars; and

(11) FIG. 11 is a structural schematic diagram of a plated atomizing chip with an array of plated micro-holes.

(12) The meanings of the reference signs are as follows:

(13) 1silicon substrate, 2micro-pillar, 3micro-hole, 4plated film, 5glass cover, 6air hole, 7doped layer, 8silicon dioxide layer, 9inlet pipe, 10outlet pipe, 11wire, 12micro-channel, 13inlet end, 14outlet end, 15electronic cigarette liquid channel, 101plated silicon wafer, 102bonded silicon wafer, and 103plated silicon-based atomizing chip.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Embodiment 1

(14) The structure of the plated silicon-based electronic cigarette atomizing chip in this embodiment is as follows.

(15) The array of micro-pillars 2, the inlet end 13, and the outlet end 14 are arranged on the silicon substrate 1. The outer walls of the micro-pillars 2 are plated side walls. The array of micro-pillars 2 defines a plurality of micro-channels 12.

(16) The glass cover 5 is provided with the air holes 6 that pass through the glass cover 5.

(17) The glass cover 5 and the silicon substrate 1 are fixedly connected by an anodic bonding process.

(18) In this embodiment, an electroplating method is used to plate the outer walls of the micro-pillars 2, and nickel is used as the plated metal.

Embodiment 2

(19) The structure of the plated silicon-based electronic cigarette atomizing chip in this embodiment is as follows.

(20) The array of micro-holes 3, the inlet end 13, and the outlet end 14 are arranged on the silicon substrate 1. The inner walls of the micro-holes 3 are plated inner walls. The electronic cigarette liquid channels that passes through the micro-holes 3 are provided on the silicon substrate 1.

(21) The glass cover 5 is provided with the air holes 6 that pass through the glass cover 5.

(22) The glass cover 5 and the silicon substrate 1 are fixedly connected by an anodic bonding process.

(23) In this embodiment, a chemical plating method is used to plate the inner walls of the micro-holes 3, and a NiP alloy is used as the plated metal.