A Fully Micro-fabricated Planar Array of Electrospray Emitters for Space-propulsion Applications

Electrospray thrusters work by extracting ions or charged droplets directly from a liquid surface using an electrostatic field and accelerating them in that field to produce thrust [1]. This method could lead to more efficient and precise thrusters for space propulsion applications. Emission occurs from sharp emitter tips, which enhance the electric field and constrain the emission location. The electrospray process limits the thrust from a single tip. To get into the millinewton range will require an array with tens of thousands of emitters. Batch microfabrication is well suited to making this array.