Abstract

A micromachined valve and valve array having one or more pores which are electrochemically opened and closed by dissolving and redepositing a barrier layer across a tiny opening or pore in substrate. The pore is spanned by two electrodes which apply a voltage to an electrolytic barrier layer material which dissolves in an electrolyte. Each open pore has a distinct flow rate related to its minimal cross-sectional area which together can form a binary sized array with each subsequent member in the array having a flow rate twice as large as the preceding member in the array. Any integral multiple of the smallest flow rate may be achieved by opening an appropriate combination of the pores with addressing logic. In a preferred embodiment, each bit in a binary representation of the desired flow rate acts as a switch for a pore having a flow rate corresponding to the bit position.

Other References

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