Patent ID: 7963466

Claim:
A nozzle device having a nozzle ( 2 ) for atomization of a fluid, comprising: a nozzle plate support body ( 12 ) with a first main surface and a second main surface, a first main surface side and a second main surface side; a nozzle cavity ( 13 ) extending between the first main surface and the second main surface of the nozzle plate support body; a nozzle plate ( 10 , 40 , 50 , 220 , 276 , 340 ) at the first main surface side of said support body, said nozzle plate having at least one nozzle orifice ( 11 , 41 , 51 , 61 , 130 , 170 , 180 ) in fluid communication with said nozzle cavity ( 13 ); and a filtration means ( 3 ) at the second main surface side of said support body, said filtration means comprising a filtration plate ( 15 ) having at least one filtration orifice ( 16 ) in fluid communication with said nozzle cavity ( 13 ), wherein said nozzle cavity ( 13 ) is an etched cavity in said support body ( 12 ) formed by etching directly through at least one of said nozzle orifice ( 11 ) and said filtration orifice ( 16 ), wherein, the nozzle plate ( 10 ) has a thickness of less than 2 micron, and said at least one nozzle orifice ( 11 ) has a length which is less than six times a diameter thereof.