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Texture-structure-based liquid metal filling for blind-end microchannels and its application on multi-layer chips.
Yuqing Li1,2, Huimin Zhang1,3, Qian Li1,3
1Key Laboratory of Cryogenics, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences 29 Zhongguancun East Road, Haidian District Beijing 100190 China lingui@mail.ipc.ac.cn.
RSC Advances
|August 16, 2023
Summary
This study introduces a novel texture-like surface bonding for fast liquid metal injection in microfluidic chips. This method enables complex blind-end electrodes and simplifies multi-layer chip integration for enhanced devices.
Area of Science:
- Microfluidics
- Materials Science
- Surface Engineering
Background:
- Achieving efficient liquid metal (LM) injection in blind-end microchannels is challenging, especially for multi-layer microfluidic devices.
- Conventional methods often struggle with air entrapment and structural integrity during fabrication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel method for fast and reliable liquid metal injection into blind-end microchannels.
- To enable the fabrication of complex, multi-layer microfluidic chips with integrated liquid metal electrodes.
- To simplify the design and enhance the integration of liquid metal-based devices, such as electroosmotic micropumps.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a texture-like surface on a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) slab using soft-lithography.
- Bonding of the textured PDMS slab with another PDMS slab containing microelectrode patterns.
- Parametric study of texture structure dimensions to optimize bonding strength.
Main Results:
- Successful demonstration of fast and perfect liquid metal injection into blind-end patterns.
- Prevention of chamber collapse during the bonding process.
- Integration of three layers of blind-end liquid metal patterns into a single multi-layer chip.
- Realization of a series connection of two liquid metal-based electroosmotic micropumps (EOPs) with simplified structure and higher integration.
Conclusions:
- The novel texture-like surface bonding technology facilitates efficient liquid metal injection and complex electrode fabrication in microfluidic chips.
- This method significantly simplifies the structure and increases the integration level of multi-layer microfluidic devices, including EOPs.
- The technique offers a robust solution for fabricating advanced microfluidic systems with integrated liquid metal components.
