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Dielectric materials for electrowetting-on-dielectric actuation

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Abstract

The fundamental building blocks of typical electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) actuation and their importance in the EWOD mechanism are introduced and reviewed, respectively. The emphasis in this experimental study of EWOD is on dielectric materials, upon which the performance of EWOD devices is heavily dependent. Dielectric breakdown of several typical polymeric and inorganic insulators employed as dielectrics for EWOD has been analytically investigated, which is forced to occur between the electrodes and conductive liquids under certain threshold potential. The electric breakdown occurring in both dielectric layer and surrounding medium (air or silicon oil) has been studied to build up a mathematical model of breakdown voltage as a function of dielectric thickness. Contact angle measurement of some polymeric materials and self-assembled monolayer using pure water has been carried out to demonstrate the contact angle tunability and reversibility, respectively, upon EWOD actuation.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) and Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 3 Research Link, Singapore, 117602, Singapore

    Hong Liu & Devendra K. Maurya

  2. Innovative Nano Systems Pte Ltd, 4, Toh Tuck Link, Level 3, Singapore, 596226, Singapore

    Saman Dharmatilleke

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117576, Singapore

    Andrew A. O. Tay

Authors
  1. Hong Liu
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  2. Saman Dharmatilleke
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  3. Devendra K. Maurya
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  4. Andrew A. O. Tay
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Correspondence to Hong Liu.

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Liu, H., Dharmatilleke, S., Maurya, D.K. et al. Dielectric materials for electrowetting-on-dielectric actuation. Microsyst Technol 16, 449–460 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-009-0933-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-009-0933-z

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