We're the first to admit that not everyone needs to print 1 micron spots. However, those that do should keep in mind that our more experienced users have reported depositing some materials as small as 200 nm in diameter. That equates to an attoLiter in volume, which is 1.0 x 10ˆ-18 liters, or 1 billionth of 1 billionth of a liter. (We round it up to 1 micron as that's what we can consistently demonstrate during instrument setup and customer training.)

Just for clarification, here's a quick spot size comparison:

  • High-end inkjet printer single spot - 30-50 microns
  • Human hair thickness - 25-50 microns
  • Single cell - 20-50 microns
  • Nano eNabler single spot - 1-40 microns

Spot sizes this minuscule make the Nano eNabler useful for:

  • Placing a variety of materials on a surface at resolution and sizes suitable for contact by a single living cell
  • Creating a mixed array of multiple materials, such as checker board or other materials
  • Depositing materials with high spacial precision (100 nm) on tiny and/or delicate sensors
  • Depositing materials in high spot numbers while using minute amounts
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