Droplets Contact Behaviors and a Droplet Manipulation on the Tunable Textured Surfaces
Date Issued
2012
Date
2012
Author(s)
Hwang, Chih-Yu
Abstract
This master thesis features a novel suction-type, open-surface micro-droplet actuation device by constructing a gradient of Gibbs frees energy on a tunable hydrophobic surface. In this device, the tunable hydrophobic surface is consisting a PDMS membrane with upright micro-pillars and PDMS air chambers which sustains the membrane. The hydrophobicity of the hydrophobic surface could be tuned by applying a minus pressure to the air chamber under the surface which induces deformation of PDMS membrane enhancing the change of surface morphology as well as the liquid/solid contacting fraction. The Gibb’s free energy could be changed by different liquid/solid contacting fractions, hence creating a gradient of Gibbs free energy and actuating the micro-droplet subsequently. In this thesis, the membrane deformation and surface morphology are analyzed firstly by finite-element-analysis software and utilizing theoretical solutions to calculate the contacting behavior of micro-droplet and the Gibbs free energy changed of the surface. The detail parameters of the device are designed from the analyzed results. The experimental results prove the feasibility of the theoretical results in this thesis. The concept of droplet actuation of the device is using the Gibbs free energy gradient as driving force. Therefore it can avoid any interference from manipulation of the droplet. The results of this thesis provide a novel design concept for droplet actuation of digital fluidic systems which can be utilized for chemical or biological applications.
Subjects
microfluidics
micro total analysis system
Gibbs free energy
droplet actuation
Type
thesis
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