Integrated Nano Bubble Actuators
Micro bubble actuators have been applied to many different applications, including inkjet printheads, micro mixer, micro pump, micro cell sorter, micro cell manipulators. This project focuses on design, fabrication and characterization of nano bubble actuators. We successfully modified the FinFET fabrication technique to make nano bubble actuators (minimum feature size = 0.1 um) without using time-consuming e-beam lithography. In order to visualize bubble dynamics on such a tiny device, we used stroboscopic video microscopy with water immersion objective.
SEM of Fabricated of Nano Bubble Actuator (0.12um ¡Ñ 2.4um)
SEM of Fabricated Nano Bubble Actuator Top (0.65um ¡Ñ 1.9um)
SEM of Fabricated Nano Bubble Actuator Side wall (0.65um ¡Ñ 1.9um)
Packaged Device with an Array of Nano Bubble Actuator
Micro Bubble ActuatorBubble Dynamics
Heater size: 3um ¡Ñ 10um
1.6 ms heating pulse, Onset power
Bubble Dynamics Self-sensing Micro Bubble Actuator
Heater size: 3.3um ¡Ñ 8.6um
1.6 ms heating pulse, Onset power
Bubble Dynamics Self-sensing Nano Bubble Actuator
Heater size: 300 nm ¡Ñ 1um
Packaged Device with an Array of Nano Bubble Actuator
Packaged Device with an Array of Nano Bubble Actuator
Selected References
P. Deng, Y.-K. Lee and P. Cheng, "Characterization of an Integrated Self-sensing Submicron Bubble Actuators," Asia-Pacific Conference of Transducers and Micro-Nano Technology (APCOT), Sapporo, Japan, pp.310-315, 2004.
P.K. Leung, "Fabrication and Characterization of Nano Bubble Actuators Without E-beam Lithography," submitted to APL, Sep, 2006.