Chip-integrated non-mechanical microfluidic pump driven by electrowetting on dielectrics

Abstract

A microfluidic pump is presented that generates its pumping action via the EWOD (electrowetting-on-dielectric) effect. The flow is generated by the periodic movement of liquid–vapor interfaces in a large number (≈10⁶) of microcavities resulting in a volume change of approx. 0.5 pl per cavity per pump stroke. The total flow resulting from all microcavities adds up to a few hundred nanolitres per cycle. Passive, topologically optimized, non-mechanical Tesla valves are used to rectify the flow. As a result, the micropump operates without any moving components. The dimensioning, fabrication, and characterization process of the micropump are described. Device fabrication is done using conventional manufacturing processes from microsystems technology, enabling cost-effective mass production on wafer-level without additional assembly steps like piezo chip-level bonding, etc. This allows for direct integration into wafer-based microfluidic or lab-on-a-chip applications. Furthermore, first measurement results obtained with prototypes of the micropump are presented. The voltage- and frequency-dependent pump performance is determined. The measurements show that a continuous flow rate larger than 0.2 ml min⁻¹ can be achieved at a maximum pump pressure larger than 12 mbar.