Digital Microfluidic Chip Electrode Based on Inkjet Printing

Abstract

Inkjet Printing technology has become one of digital microfluidic chips (DMF) making methods. The inkjet printing has its advantage of simplicity, rapidity, flexibility, high resolution, ink thickness controllability and high efficiency. In this paper, DMF electrode structure and many layers such as electrode shape, electrode guide line, contact angle and hydrophobic were analyzed, and the printing suitability and the requirement were discussed. In addition, the experimental measured the droplet movement and showed the data reference for further research. We investigated the relationship between the contact angle and driven voltages, the droplet split time of the various rate of the droplet and electrode size based on AgNWs conductive printed electrodes. We tested the electrodes guide line on single layer and performed the perfect relationship of inkjet printing method with AgNWs ink between electrode unit and droplet size for functional electronics.