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Low-voltage droplet manipulation using liquid dielectrophoresis on electret

Tianzhun Wu1, Yuji Suzuki and Nobuhide Kasagi

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In order to make droplet-based digital microfluidics really 'digital' and compatible with standard integrated chips (ICs), a novel low-voltage droplet manipulation method named 'liquid dielectrophoresis on electret (L-DEPOE)' is proposed for dielectric liquids, which initializes the possibility of digital microfluidics for IC control and broad consumer electronic applications. By employing electret as a virtual voltage source embedded into microfluidics for the first time, a dielectric droplet between two electrodes can be transported by liquid dielectrophoresis (L-DEP) force when switching an external capacitor between electrodes using a manual switch or low-voltage-driven relays. A circuit model and force analysis for L-DEPOE are established to clarify its working principle and quantitatively depict the droplet motion. Nanoliter dielectric droplets have been transported reversibly between the two electrodes with a manual switch or five DCV-driven relays in microfabricated proof-of-concept prototypes. The surface voltage stability of electret in liquid is examined with different polymer materials and coatings. Furthermore, the droplet motion traces in a L-DEPOE device are compared with numerical simulation results, indicating the important role of contact angle hysteresis for nanoliter droplets.


PACS

82.45.Un Dielectric materials in electrochemistry

84.70.+p High-current and high-voltage technology: power systems; power transmission lines and cables

77.22.Ch Permittivity (dielectric function)

85.85.+j Micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) and devices

77.84.Nh Liquids, emulsions, and suspensions; liquid crystals

Subjects

Soft matter, liquids and polymers

Condensed matter: electrical, magnetic and optical

Electronics and devices

Nanoscale science and low-D systems

Chemical physics and physical chemistry

Dates

Issue 8 (August 2010)

Received 4 June 2010, in final form 29 June 2010

Published 28 July 2010



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