Fluid filling into micro-fabricated reservoirs

• Published in: Sensors and actuators. A, Physical Physical, 2002-04, Vol.97, p.131-138
• Main Authors: Tseng, F.-G., Yang, I.-D., Lin, K.-H., Ma, K.-T., Lu, M.-C., Tseng, Y.-T., Chieng, C.-C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Computational model; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Hydrophilic; Micro- and nanoelectromechanical devices (mems/nems); Micro-reservoir; Microelectronic fabrication (materials and surfaces technology); Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Surface tension
• ISSN: 0924-4247; 1873-3069
• DOI: 10.1016/S0924-4247(01)00826-3

This study reports that the success of reservoir-filling strongly depends on the designs of the hydrophilic wall surface and the well shape/size of the flow network. The idea is illustrated both by experiments and numerical simulations: micro-particle-image-velocimetry (μ-PIV) system is setup to monitor the process of a liquid slug moving in and out of the micro-reservoir and numerical computations are performed by solving first principle equations to provide the details of the flow process. The cross-check between measurements and computations validate the computations. Numerical computations solve conservation equations similar to homogenous flow model used in two phase flow calculation in co-operation with volume-of-fluid (VOF) interface tracking methodology and continuum surface force (CSF) model. The simulations show that wall surface property as hydrophilic/hydrophobic is a dominating factor in filling processes of reservoirs of various shapes. A flow system consisting of micro-channels and micro-wells is fabricated using MEMS technology to demonstrate the filling process and validate numerical simulation. The agreement between measurement and computation helps to fully understand the process.