High-throughput manufacturing of polymer nanofibers via electrohydrodynamic jetting from planar arrays of microfabricated externally-fed emitters

We report the design, fabrication, and characterization of novel microfabricated, multiplexed sources for highthroughput production of polymer nanofibers. The devices are planar arrays of high-aspect-ratio silicon emitters with surfaces covered by an array of micropillars that enable surface tension-driven feed of liquid to the emitter tips. The sources are assembled from monolithic linear arrays of emitters etched out of a silicon wafer using deep reactiveion etching. Experimental data show high array utilization and uniform generation of nanofibers with average diameter equal to ~250 nm. Increase of the operational bias voltage results in increasing the emission current and nanofiber flux.