Frequently Asked Questions

A conventional nozzle forces liquid through a small orifice under pressure or compressed air. An ultrasonic nozzle instead vibrates a titanium tip at a fixed frequency, and the liquid film on that tip breaks into droplets through a standing capillary wave. No compressed air is needed for atomization, the droplet size is set by the frequency rather than by flow rate or pressure, and the mist leaves the tip at roughly one meter per second, so it settles onto the part instead of bouncing off it.

Higher frequency means smaller droplets and a lower maximum flow rate. Our 48 kHz nozzles produce median droplets around 38 to 45 microns at up to about 2.4 mL/s, 60 kHz gives 30 to 35 microns at up to about 1.2 mL/s, and 120 kHz gives 12 to 15 microns at up to about 0.4 mL/s. Those figures are measured close to the nozzle; droplets shrink in flight as solvent evaporates, so the size arriving at your substrate depends on standoff distance, solvent and temperature as well. There is no lower flow limit at any frequency. Most thin-film coating work uses 60 or 120 kHz; 48 kHz suits higher-volume deposition where a coarser droplet is acceptable. If you are unsure, tell us the fluid, the substrate and the target thickness and we will recommend one.

Three things: the nozzle, its generator, and a way to meter liquid. The generator is a 20 W broadband unit that automatically tracks the nozzle's resonance across 25 to 120 kHz. Liquid is usually delivered by a syringe pump, which covers sub-microliter-per-hour to more than 100 mL/min depending on syringe size. Optional additions are shaping air for a focused, cone or fan pattern, an adapter to mount the nozzle in your fixture or chamber, and an XY or XYZ motion stage for raster coating.

Both. Many research customers buy a nozzle, generator and syringe pump and integrate them into their own rig. For production and repeatable process work we supply complete platforms, including the UltraFlex System and a vacuum-compatible platform, and we configure custom systems from R&D prototypes through full-scale lines. See the Systems page for current configurations.

Ultrasonic atomization works best with low-viscosity liquids: below 50 cP, and ideally below 20 cP. The SprayBlade™ Air Knife attachment is rated for fluids under 10 cP. Many higher-viscosity formulations can be diluted or warmed into range, and because droplet size does not depend on flow rate you can usually recover the target coating by adjusting passes rather than chemistry. If your fluid is thicker, ask us before ordering.

Yes, within a stable formulation. There is no small orifice to block: the liquid travels through a titanium path and spreads as a film on the vibrating tip, and the acoustic energy at that surface discourages particles from agglomerating at the last moment. Catalyst inks, graphene and carbon nanotube dispersions, silicon nanoparticles and ceramic precursors are all routine. The nozzle does not rescue an unstable dispersion, though, so upstream dispersion chemistry still matters.

The wetted path is titanium, with stainless steel and PTFE in the fittings and liquid delivery. The electrically active elements are sealed away from the liquid, so the nozzle tolerates aggressive solvents and acidic or basic precursors without contaminating the coating.

Not for atomization. The mist is created purely acoustically, which is why our nozzles are described as zero-air. Compressed air or nitrogen is optional and used only for shaping: the Focused Nozzle uses a small air sheath for a pinpoint spot, the Vortex Nozzle for a stabilized cone, and the SprayBlade™ Air Knife for a wide flat fan. The Zero Air Nozzle uses none at all.

Yes. The nozzles are vacuum and pressure compatible, and we supply vacuum flange adapters and a vacuum-compatible coating platform for chamber work. The ThermalSpray™ nozzle is built for heated-substrate and reactor environments such as spray pyrolysis.

By how much liquid you deliver and how you deliver it, not by changing the droplet. Frequency fixes the droplet size, so you tune thickness with solution concentration, flow rate, traverse speed and the number of passes. Low-solids, multi-pass deposition builds layers from tens of nanometers to micrometers while keeping loading and morphology under independent control. Substrate temperature and nozzle height set how wet the droplets arrive, which governs whether they merge into a smooth film.

Lead times vary by product and customization. Contact us for a specific quote and timeline for your project.

Yes. Our nozzles are designed and built in Spring Mills, Pennsylvania and shipped worldwide, and we regularly work with university and R&D groups in Europe and Asia. Technical support comes directly from our engineers by email and video call. Contact us for lead times and shipping to your country.

Yes. We work with research groups on feasibility studies and peer-reviewed work under both collaborative and full-service engagement models, and we partner on SBIR and STTR proposals. MicroSpray was itself founded in 2010 with support from a Department of Energy grant. See the Partnership page for how an engagement is structured.