Surface micromachined paraffin-actuated microvalve

Abstract

Normally-open microvalves have been fabricated and tested which use a paraffin microactuator as the active element. The entire structure with nominal dimension of /spl phi/600 /spl mu/m /spl times/ 30 /spl mu/m is batch-fabricated by surface micromachining the actuator and channel materials on top of a single substrate. Gas flow rates in the 0.01-0.1 sccm range have been measured for several devices with actuation powers ranging from 50 to 150 mW on glass substrates. Leak rates as low as 500 /spl mu/sccm have been measured. The normally-open blocking microvalve structure has been used to fabricate a precision flow control system of microvalves consisting of four blocking valve structures. The control valve is designed to operate over a 0.01-5.0 sccm flow range at a differential pressure of 800 torr. Flow rates ranging from 0.02 to 4.996 sccm have been measured. Leak rates as low as 3.2 msccm for the four valve system have been measured.