TRW Digital
Micro-Thruster Chip Photo shows the size of TRW's prototype digital propulsion micro-thruster relative to a penny. The micro-thruster consists of a three-layer sandwich of silicon and glass; the gold-color squares are the silicon nitride rupture diaphragms at the bottom of diverging nozzles. A layer containing cylindrical chambers filled with lead styphnate is bonded to the underside of the diaphragm layer. The bottom layer contains polysilicon resistors that initiate combustion of the fuel. The prototype micro-thruster shown in this photo contains 15 individual thrusters in the central three-by-five array.
