Patent ID: 7540469

Claim:
A microelectromechanical flow control apparatus, comprising: (a) a substrate; (b) a first layer of a nonconducting material disposed over the substrate to form a fluid channel which extends parallel to the substrate between an inlet port and an outlet port, with the inlet port, or the outlet port or both extending completely through the substrate to a backside thereof; (c) a first electrode formed on the first layer of the nonconducting material outside of the fluid channel; (d) a second layer of the nonconducting material disposed above the first layer of the nonconducting material to form a cavity which is completely outside of the fluid channel; and (e) a second electrode formed on an upper surface of the second layer of the nonconducting material above the first electrode, with the first layer of the nonconducting material being deformable away from the substrate to increase a cross-sectional size of the fluid channel in response to an electrostatic force of attraction produced by a voltage applied between the first and second electrodes.