The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 28, 2024
Filed:
Jan. 20, 2021
National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, Llc, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Eric Langlois, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Judith Maria Lavin, Albuquerque, NM (US);
National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Abstract
Plasma micro nozzle adapters having various configurations and operating principles are disclosed. The plasma micro nozzle adapter is employed with a commercial plasma jet printer to produce smaller printed features than those possible with the original plasma jet printer. In a first class of embodiments, the plasma micro nozzle adapter narrows a plasma jet using electrostatic or magnetostatic lensing, permitting the printing of ceramic, metallic, dielectric, or plastic features with line widths of 10 μm or less. In a second class of embodiments, the plasma micro nozzle adapter narrows the plasma jet using a gas sheath. By adjusting the flow rate or pressure of the gas used to form the gas sheath, the cross-sectional shape of the plasma jet may form, for example, an ellipse, thereby controlling the width of the printed feature. A third class of embodiments employs both electrostatic (or magnetostatic) lensing along with the gas sheath.