Filter Expansion Aerosol Source (FEAS) was developed for generating a stream of mist and preparing nanometer size particles by spray pyrolysis. The mean size of the droplet was estimated to be between 0.65 and 1.9μm and standard deviation was 1.76. This FEAS has a capability of producing large quantity of misted flow (5ml of liquid/min) and being easily scaled up. It can also be applied to preparing thin films by a reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition(CVD) from a wide variety of precursors of low vapor pressure.
Pyrolysis of droplets produced from the FEAS was proved to be suitable for producing mono-dispersed particles of nanometer size from various acetate and nitrate precursors. Formation mechanism of this nanometer particles were found to be disintegration of large particles due to the gas off from the decomposition of precursors.
