Title :
A Drop-on-Demand-Based Electrostatically Actuated Microdispenser
Author :
Ahamed, Mohammed J. ; Ben-Mrad, Ridha ; Sullivan, Patrick
Author_Institution :
Univ. of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Abstract :
This paper presents a noncontact drop-on-demand three-layer microdroplet generator based on electrostatic actuation. The dispenser is actuated via a deformable membrane that isolates the electrical field from the working fluid. The dispenser controlled droplet formation, frequency, size, and velocity within the ranges tested. Prototypes were fabricated using three-step deep reactive-ion etching and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) plasma activated bonding. Experiments verified stable droplet dispensing with a variance in subsequent droplet volume of less than 15% between droplets. The frequency of stable generation was 20 Hz, and the average volume of dispensed droplet was 1 nL. The dispenser operating range and the nondestructive actuation make it suitable for biological applications.
Keywords :
bonding processes; electric fields; electrostatic actuators; sputter etching; PDMS; biological applications; deformable membrane; dispenser controlled droplet formation; electrical held; electrostatic actuated microdispenser; frequency 20 Hz; noncontact drop-on-demand three-layer microdroplet generator; nondestructive actuation; polydimethylsiloxane plasma activated bonding; three-step deep reactive-ion etching; Biomembranes; Bonding; Electrodes; Electrostatics; Force; Frequency synchronization; Liquids; Droplet; droplet generator; electrostatic actuation; finite-element analysis (FEA) and microfluidics; microdispenser;
Journal_Title :
Microelectromechanical Systems, Journal of
DOI :
10.1109/JMEMS.2012.2221681
