Patent ID: 7654645

Claim:
A MEMS vapor bubble generator comprising: a chamber for holding liquid; a heater positioned in the chamber for thermal contact with the liquid; wherein, the heater is formed from a superalloy and configured to received an actuation signal from associated drive circuitry such that upon actuation the heater heats some of the liquid to a temperature above its bubble nucleation point in order to generate a vapor bubble that causes a pressure pulse through the liquid; wherein, the superalloy has a crystalline structure with a grain size less than 100 nano-meters, and the superalloy is MCrAlX, where M is one or more of Ni,Co,Fe with M contributing at least 50% by weight, Cr contributing between 8% and 35% by weight, Al contributing more than zero but less than 8% by weight, and X contributing less than 25% by weight, with X consisting of zero or more other elements, preferably including but not limited to Mo, Re, Ru, Ti, Ta, V, W, Nb, Zr, B, C, Si, Y, Hf.