Piezoelectrically actuated flextensional micromachined ultrasound droplet ejectors

This paper reports a variation on the design of the flextensional transducer for use in ejecting liquids. The transducer is constructed by depositing a piezoelectric thin film to a thin, edge-clamped, circular annular plate. By placing a fluid behind one face of a vibrating compound plate that has an orifice at its center, we achieve continuous or drop-on-demand ejection of the fluid. We present results of ejection of water and isopropanol. The ejector is harmless to sensitive fluids and can be used to eject fuels as well as chemical and biological samples. Micromachined two-dimensional array piezoelectrically actuated flextensional droplet ejectors were realized using planar silicon micromachining techniques. Typical resonant frequency of the micromachined device ranges from 400 kHz to 4.5 MHz. The ejection of water through a 5-/spl mu/m diameter orifice at 3.5 MHz was demonstrated by using the developed micromachined two-dimensional array ejectors.