TY - JOUR
T1 - A monolithic poly(dimethylsiloxane) electrostatic actuator for controlling integrated pneumatic microsystems
AU - Tice, Joshua D.
AU - Bassett, Thomas A.
AU - Desai, Amit V.
AU - Apblett, Christopher A.
AU - Kenis, Paul J.A.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Dr. Gregory Ten Eyck, Andrew Collard, and Christopher Hamlin for performing preliminary fabrication and characterization. Dane Sievers assisted in measuring the sheet resistance of the carbon nanotube electrodes. Dr. James Wentz provided electrical testing equipment. We also gratefully acknowledge financial support from Sandia National Laboratories, funded by the DOE through grant LDRD PR#922327 ; the Center for Nanoscale Chemical Electrical Mechanical Manufacturing Systems at the University of Illinois, funded by the NSF through grant DMI-0328162 ; and the Center for Microanalysis of Materials in the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory Central Facilities at the University of Illinois.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Although pneumatic microvalves are widely utilized in microfluidic systems, they are rarely used in portable applications due to the bulky ancillary equipment required for their actuation. The microvalves rely on transducers that convert electrical signals into mechanical forces, and the miniaturization and integration of these transducers has proven to be challenging. Here, we report a strategy for operating pneumatic valves where microscale electrostatic actuators were used to relay commands from electronic ancillaries. Each electrostatic actuator occupied a footprint less than 0.5 mm2, and was composed entirely of poly(dimethylsiloxane) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Similar to typical pneumatic microvalves, the electrostatic actuators were fabricated exclusively with soft-lithographic techniques, which permitted both components to be integrated monolithically. The actuators operated at electric potentials less than 300 V, and regulated microchannels pressurized up to ~4 kPa, which is sufficient for many microfluidic applications.
AB - Although pneumatic microvalves are widely utilized in microfluidic systems, they are rarely used in portable applications due to the bulky ancillary equipment required for their actuation. The microvalves rely on transducers that convert electrical signals into mechanical forces, and the miniaturization and integration of these transducers has proven to be challenging. Here, we report a strategy for operating pneumatic valves where microscale electrostatic actuators were used to relay commands from electronic ancillaries. Each electrostatic actuator occupied a footprint less than 0.5 mm2, and was composed entirely of poly(dimethylsiloxane) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Similar to typical pneumatic microvalves, the electrostatic actuators were fabricated exclusively with soft-lithographic techniques, which permitted both components to be integrated monolithically. The actuators operated at electric potentials less than 300 V, and regulated microchannels pressurized up to ~4 kPa, which is sufficient for many microfluidic applications.
KW - Electrostatic actuator
KW - Microfluidics
KW - Microvalve
KW - Pneumatic microsystems
KW - Soft-lithography
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84876531845&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84876531845&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.sna.2013.03.020
DO - 10.1016/j.sna.2013.03.020
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84876531845
SN - 0924-4247
VL - 196
SP - 22
EP - 29
JO - Sensors and Actuators, A: Physical
JF - Sensors and Actuators, A: Physical
ER -