No-Assembly Devices for Microfluidics Inside a Cavity

Reduce or eliminate assembly steps Scalable production Accurate delivery of liquid volumes (sub-nanoliter volumes)

Fabrication of microfluidics devices for small and precise fluid volumes Quick and low-cost fabrication of microfluidic devices

Researchers at UCLA have developed a method to fabricate microfluidic devices monolithically without assembly of subcomponents by using a surface micromachining process.

Patent Number: US20120305400A1
Application Number: US13486777A
Inventor: Nelson, Wyatt C. | Kim, Chang-Jin
Priority Date: 3 Jun 2011
Priority Number: US20120305400A1
Application Date: 1 Jun 2012
Publication Date: 6 Dec 2012
IPC Current: C25B000900 | B05D000300 | B05D000512
US Class: 204643 | 427058
Assignee Applicant: The Regents of the University of California
Title: MONOLITHICALLY FORMED EWOD DEVICE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME
Usefulness: MONOLITHICALLY FORMED EWOD DEVICE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME
Summary: The method is useful for fabricating electrowetting-on-dielectric devices, which are useful for digital microfluidics of picoliter droplets.
Novelty: Fabricating an electrowetting-on-dielectric device, comprises providing a substrate having a sacrificial layer, selectively etching portions of sacrificial layer to form anchor points, and patterning electrowetting-on-dielectric electrodes

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半导体

8883014

State Of Development

An EWOD-based digital microfluidic device has been experimentally validated by performing all core microfluidic droplet operations (i.e., creation, transport, division, and addition of droplets). The device has performed these core operations using aqueous droplets (~100 picoliters) in air and oil.

Background

Current microfluidic devices having a cavity configuration with multiple electrodes must have their components separately fabricated and subsequently assembled (e.g., bonded, clamped) in order to form a cavity. For example, fabrication of a "parallel-plate" electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD)-based device commonly involves photolithographic patterning of electrodes on one or both plates, followed by a coating of thin-film dielectric, manual alignment, and bonding of the plates using a spacer. The assembly step is not suitable for batch fabrication. Also, assembled devices require large tolerances in cavity dimensions leading to significant error in droplet volumes.

This invention enables scalable production of microfluidic devices without assembling the subcomponents. Also, the no-assembly process produces cavities of precise dimensions making it particularly suitable for designs requiring smaller fluid volumes (e.g., sub-nanoliter volumes) with high accuracy.

Additional Technologies by these Inventors

• Complete Transfer of Liquid Drops by Modification of Nozzle Design
• Micropumping of Liquids by Directional Growth and Selective Venting of Bubbles
• High-speed Switching of Droplet by Electric Meniscus Actuation
• Selective Surface Coating and/or Treatment of Printing Pins
• On-chip, Real-time Feedback Control for Electrical Manipulation of Droplets
• Localized Droplet Heating with Surface Electrodes in Microfluidic Chips
• Methods of Restoring and Maintaining Gas Film on Superhydrophobic Surfaces while Underwater
• Membraneless Fuel Cell with Self-Pumped Fuel and Oxidant
• Microstructured Cathode for Self-Regulated Oxygen Generation and Consumption
• Liquid-Repellent Surfaces Made of Any Materials
• A Low-Profile Flow Shear Sensing Unit
• Method for Commercial Production of Super-Hydrophobic Materials
• Method of Fluid Manipulation By Electrodewetting

Tech ID/UC Case

22087/2011-819-0

Related Cases

2011-819-0

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