A snapshot of electrified nanodroplets

TL;DR

This study examines the size distribution of electrified nanodroplets generated from silicon tips, revealing preferred droplet sizes likely due to Rayleigh instability, with tip size influencing deposition resolution.

Contribution

It provides new insights into nanodroplet size distribution and the influence of tip size on droplet formation and resolution, highlighting Rayleigh instability effects at nanoscales.

Findings

Preferred droplet diameters are 85.9 nm and 167.1 nm.

Tip size influences the resolution of droplet deposition.

Rayleigh instability causes droplet fission at nanoscales.

Abstract

We investigate the size distribution of electrically charged nanodroplets. The droplets were generated using nano- and micro- scale silicon tips. A brief voltage pulse results in a "snapshot" of charged nanodroplets on a metal surface. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) of the snapshot revealed that certain droplet diameters are favored suggesting droplet fission due to Rayleigh instability at nanometer length scales. The most occurring droplet diameters are 85.9(4.1) nm and 167.1 nm (9.7 nm) and for nano- and micro- scale tips respectively indicating that the tip size determines deposition resolution.