A computer-controlled apparatus for micrometric drop deposition at liquid surfaces

Abstract

A low-cost, automated apparatus has been used to perform micrometric deposition of small pendant drops onto a quiet liquid surface. The approach of the drop to the surface is obtained by means of discrete, micron-scale translations in order to achieve deposition at adiabatically zero velocity. This process is not only widely used in scientific investigations in fluid mechanics and thermal sciences but also in engineering and biomedical applications. The apparatus has been designed to produce accurate deposition onto the surface and minimize the vibrations induced in the drop by the movement of the capillary tip. Calibration tests of the apparatus have shown that a descent of the drop by discrete translational steps of approximately 5.6 microm and duration of 150-200 ms is sufficient to minimize its penetration depth into the liquid when it touches the surface layer and reduce to a level of noise the vibrations transmitted to it by the translation of the dispenser. Different settings of the experimental setup can be easily implemented for use in a variety of other applications, including deposition onto solid surfaces, surface tension measurements of pendant drops, and wire bonding in microelectronics.