Dielectric breakdown is a common problem in a digital microfluidic system, which limits its application in chemical or biomedical applications. We propose a new fabrication of an electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) device using Si3N4 deposited by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) as a dielectric layer. This material exhibits a greater relative permittivity, purity, uniformity, and biocompatibility than polymeric films. These properties also increase the breakdown voltage of a dielectric layer and increase the stability of an EWOD system when applied in biomedical research. Medium droplets with mouse embryos were manipulated in this manner. The electrical properties of the Si3N4 dielectric layer—breakdown voltage, refractive index, relative permittivity, and variation of contact angle with input voltage—were investigated and compared with a traditional Si3N4 dielectric layer deposited as a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition to confirm the potential of LPCVD Si3N4 applied as the dielectric layer of an EWOD digital microfluidic system.
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March 2015
Research Article|
March 23 2015
Improving the dielectric properties of an electrowetting-on-dielectric microfluidic device with a low-pressure chemical vapor deposited Si3N4 dielectric layer
Hsien-Hua Shen;
Hsien-Hua Shen
1Institute of NanoEngineering and MicroSystems,
National Tsing Hua University
, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
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Lung-Yuan Chung;
Lung-Yuan Chung
1Institute of NanoEngineering and MicroSystems,
National Tsing Hua University
, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
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Da-Jeng Yao
Da-Jeng Yao
a)
1Institute of NanoEngineering and MicroSystems,
National Tsing Hua University
, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
2Department of Power Mechanical Engineering,
National Tsing Hua University
, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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a)
E-mail: djyao@mx.nthu.edu.tw
Biomicrofluidics 9, 022403 (2015)
Article history
Received:
December 26 2014
Accepted:
February 18 2015
Citation
Hsien-Hua Shen, Lung-Yuan Chung, Da-Jeng Yao; Improving the dielectric properties of an electrowetting-on-dielectric microfluidic device with a low-pressure chemical vapor deposited Si3N4 dielectric layer. Biomicrofluidics 1 March 2015; 9 (2): 022403. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4915613
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