Patent ID: 8025025

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a plurality of applicators, each applicator with an ingress opening to receive a liquid, and an egress opening to release the liquid; and a conductor positioned in a conduit of each of the plurality of applicators, the conductor and the conduit having dimensions to cause a surface tension of the liquid to prevent a constant flow of the liquid from the egress opening, wherein the conductor of each applicator is a sleeve positioned in the applicator, wherein a diameter of the sleeve results in one of the outer surface of the sleeve contacting the surface of the conduit, and the outer surface of the sleeve having a separation from the surface of the conduit of the applicator, and wherein each conductor of the plurality of applicators is coupled to one of one or more power sources operable to apply a charge to the liquid to overcome the surface tension and form at the egress opening of each applicator a plurality of jet sprays of the liquid applicable on a substrate to form a thin film, and wherein the one or more power sources are operable to apply alternate charge polarities to portions of the plurality of applicators to create one or more desired net charges for one or more corresponding portions of the thin film.