Abstract ▼ AI-Helper

In this paper, a valveless bubble-actuated fluid micropump was has been developed and its performance was tested. The valveless micropump consists of the lower plate, the middle plate, the upper plate and a resistive heater. The lower plate includes the nozzle-diffuser elements and the double-chambe...

In this paper, a valveless bubble-actuated fluid micropump was has been developed and its performance was tested. The valveless micropump consists of the lower plate, the middle plate, the upper plate and a resistive heater. The lower plate includes the nozzle-diffuser elements and the double-chamber. Nozzle-diffuser elements and a double-chamber are fabricated on the silicon wafer by the DRIE(Deep Reactive Ion Etching) process. The lower plate also has inlet/outlet channels for fluid flow. The middle plate is made of glass and plays the role of the diaphragm. The chamber in the upper plate is filled with deionized water, and which contacts with the resistive heater. The resistive heater is patterned on a silicon substrate by Ti/Pt sputtering. Three plates and the resister heater are laminated by the aligner and bonded in the anodic bonder. Since the bubble is evaporated and condensed periodically in the chamber, the fluid flows from inlet to outlet with respect to the diffusion effect. In order to avoid backflow, the double chamber system is introduced. Analytical and experimental results show the validity of the developed double-chamber micropump.