A Performance-testing Platform for a Conduction Micropump with an FR-4 Copper-clad Electrode Plate

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Microfluidics
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Conduction micropumps are essential for microfluidic applications.
• Understanding the impact of fabrication materials and chamber geometry is crucial for optimizing micropump performance.
• Flame-retardant glass-reinforced epoxy (FR-4) copper-clad laminate (CCL) offers a potential substrate for microelectronic devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate a conduction micropump using FR-4 CCL with symmetric planar electrode pairs.
• To investigate the influence of varying chamber dimensions on micropump performance.
• To assess the reliability of the conduction micropump using acetone as the working fluid.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a conduction micropump on FR-4 CCL.
• Development of a testing platform to evaluate performance under varied conditions.
• Systematic variation of chamber dimensions, specifically chamber height.

Main Results:

• The conduction micropump was successfully fabricated on FR-4 CCL.
• Micropump performance was significantly influenced by chamber dimensions.
• Peak pump pressure was observed at a chamber height of 0.2 mm.

Conclusions:

• FR-4 CCL is a viable substrate for fabricating conduction micropumps.
• Chamber height is a critical parameter for optimizing conduction micropump performance.
• A chamber height of 0.2 mm yields the highest pump pressure in this configuration.