Variations of the gas flow in a capillary tube can be obtained by changing the temperature of the capillary itself, in agreement with the solution of the Navier-Stokes equation. To obtain an integrated element of a xenon flow controller for space applications, a capillary, 85 mm long with a cross section of 4X10~3 #mu#m~2, has been fabricated on a silicon chip by means of micromachining and anodic bonding. A chrome resistor, integrated on the same chip, provides the heating power. The device, whose area is about 1 cm~2, was connected to the xenon line by means of stainless steel tubes. The fabrication process and the preliminary xenon flow measurements as a temperature function are presented and discussed.
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