Dielectric wetting device

Abstract

A dielectric wetting device includes a first substrate having a plurality of driving units, wherein each driving unit includes a first electrode and an active control element to control the first electrode; a second substrate opposite to the first substrate and including a second electrode; a dielectric layer disposed on a side of the first electrode facing the second substrate; a first hydrophobic layer disposed on a side of the dielectric layer facing the second substrate; and a second hydrophobic layer disposed on a side of the second electrode facing the first substrate. The first and second hydrophobic layers define a cavity, and the cavity is formed in communication with at least part of the driving units. Corresponding to each driving unit, the first hydrophobic layer includes a first and a second hydrophobic portion, the second hydrophobic portion is disposed spaced apart, and the second hydrophobic portion has a greater hydrophobicity than the first hydrophobic portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a dielectric wetting device. More specifically, this invention relates to a dielectric wetting device having a hydrophobic portion. Background Technology

[0002] A dielectric wetting device is a device that generates a capacitance change in a dielectric layer, thereby altering the interfacial polarity of the dielectric layer to change its hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties, thus manipulating the fluid. As described above, according to the dielectric wetting device, the fluid can be moved, divided, or collected based on the change in its hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties. However, to achieve these effects, a driving voltage is often required, thus increasing power consumption. Therefore, there is a need to develop a dielectric wetting device that can reduce the driving voltage while still achieving the desired fluid operation and maintaining structural stability. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention proposes a dielectric wetting device for manipulating fluid movement, comprising a first substrate, a second substrate, a dielectric layer, a first hydrophobic layer, and a second hydrophobic layer. The first substrate includes multiple driving units, each driving unit including a first electrode and an active control element, wherein the first electrode is independently controlled by a corresponding active control element. The second substrate is disposed opposite to the first substrate and includes at least one second electrode. The dielectric layer is disposed on the side of the first electrodes facing the second substrate. The first hydrophobic layer is disposed on the side of the dielectric layer facing the second substrate. The second hydrophobic layer is disposed on the side of the second electrode facing the first substrate. The first and second hydrophobic layers define a cavity sandwiched between the first and second substrates. Corresponding to each driving unit, the first hydrophobic layer includes a first hydrophobic portion and a second hydrophobic portion, wherein the hydrophobicity of the second hydrophobic portion is greater than that of the first hydrophobic portion. Corresponding to each driving unit, the second hydrophobic portions are spaced apart in the peripheral region of each driving unit, and the cavity is formed in a manner corresponding to at least a portion of the driving units.

[0004] In the dielectric wetting device of the present invention, the aforementioned active control element controls the first electrode to generate a driving voltage, enabling the fluid to move within the chamber corresponding to a portion of the driving units.

[0005] In the dielectric wetting device of the present invention, the first hydrophobic portion is made of a first hydrophobic material, and the second hydrophobic portion is made of a second hydrophobic material different from the first hydrophobic material.

[0006] In the dielectric wetting device of the present invention, the second hydrophobic portion protrudes toward the second substrate relative to the first hydrophobic portion.

[0007] In the dielectric wetting device of the present invention, the first hydrophobic portion is a planar portion formed by the first hydrophobic material, and the second hydrophobic portion is a hydrophobic microstructure formed by the second hydrophobic material.

[0008] In the dielectric wetting device of the present invention, the first hydrophobic portion is a planar portion formed by a first hydrophobic material, and the second hydrophobic portion is a hydrophobic microstructure formed by the first hydrophobic material.

[0009] In the dielectric wetting device of the present invention, the hydrophobic microstructure comprises a plurality of densely distributed bumps, wherein the diameter of the bumps parallel to the plane in which the first hydrophobic portion is located is less than 0.25 mm.

[0010] In the dielectric wetting device of the present invention, the height of the bumps protruding from the plane where the first hydrophobic portion is located toward the second substrate is less than 10 μm, and the diameter parallel to the plane where the first hydrophobic portion is located is less than 0.05 mm.

[0011] In the dielectric wetting device of the present invention, a first insulating layer is sandwiched between the first electrode and the first hydrophobic layer, and the second hydrophobic portion has at least one hydrophobic protrusion structure, wherein the first electrode, the first insulating layer, the dielectric layer, or a combination thereof have at least one protrusion structure corresponding to the outline of the hydrophobic protrusion structure.

[0012] In the dielectric wetting device of the present invention, the first hydrophobic portions of each of the adjacent first driving unit and second driving unit are at least partially connected to each other.

[0013] In the dielectric wetting device of the present invention, in each of the aforementioned driving units, the second hydrophobic portion is provided corresponding to the corner of the driving unit, and at least a portion of the corner of the driving unit connecting the adjacent driving unit is a channel portion formed by the first hydrophobic portion, wherein the channel portion connects the driving unit and the adjacent driving unit.

[0014] In the dielectric wetting device of the present invention, in each of the aforementioned driving units, the proportion of the projected area of ​​the second hydrophobic portion to the area of ​​each driving unit on a virtual plane parallel to the first hydrophobic layer ranges from 10% to 60%.

[0015] In the dielectric wetting device of the present invention, in each of the aforementioned driving units, the proportion of the projected area of ​​the second hydrophobic portion to the area of ​​each driving unit on a virtual plane parallel to the first hydrophobic layer ranges from 20% to 40%.

[0016] In the dielectric wetting device of the present invention, in each of the aforementioned driving units, on a virtual plane parallel to the first hydrophobic layer, the proportion of the projected area of ​​the second hydrophobic portion to the area of ​​each driving unit is less than the proportion of the projected area of ​​the first hydrophobic portion to the area of ​​each driving unit.

[0017] In the dielectric wetting device of the present invention, corresponding to the predetermined fluid, when the active control element does not control the first electrode to generate a driving voltage, the contact angle of the fluid in the first hydrophobic portion is between 140 degrees and 90 degrees, and the contact angle of the fluid in the second hydrophobic portion is between 150 degrees and 100 degrees, wherein the contact angle of the fluid in the second hydrophobic portion is greater than the contact angle of the fluid in the first hydrophobic portion.

[0018] In the dielectric wetting device of the present invention, corresponding to the predetermined fluid, when the active control element does not control the first electrode to generate a driving voltage, the contact angle of the fluid in the first hydrophobic portion is between 130 degrees and 100 degrees, and the contact angle of the fluid in the second hydrophobic portion is between 140 degrees and 120 degrees.

[0019] In the dielectric wetting device of the present invention, the first hydrophobic portion is made of PDMS or a fluorine-containing or carboxyl-containing polymer, and the second hydrophobic portion is made of PDMS or a fluorine-containing or methyl-containing polymer.

[0020] In the dielectric wetting device of the present invention, the first hydrophobic portion and the dielectric layer are made of a first hydrophobic material having dielectric properties, and the dielectric layer is directly connected to the first hydrophobic layer or the dielectric layer and the first hydrophobic layer are integrally formed.

[0021] Compared to the problems achieved in the prior art, the dielectric wetting device provided according to the embodiments of the present invention, by providing a first hydrophobic portion and a second hydrophobic portion corresponding to each driving unit, can improve the efficiency of fluid movement across the driving units due to hydrophobicity. Therefore, the driving voltage required to be applied to the dielectric wetting device can be reduced while maintaining structural stability, thereby improving the control fluid efficiency of the dielectric wetting device and reducing the overall power consumption of the dielectric wetting device. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1A and Figure 1B This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a dielectric wetting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2A This is a schematic diagram of the contact angle of the first hydrophobic portion of a dielectric wetting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2BThis is a schematic diagram of the contact angle of the second hydrophobic portion of a dielectric wetting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3A and Figure 3B This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the first hydrophobic portion and the second hydrophobic portion of a dielectric wetting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4A and Figure 4B This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the first hydrophobic portion and the second hydrophobic portion of a dielectric wetting device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 5A and Figure 5B This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the first hydrophobic portion and the second hydrophobic portion of a dielectric wetting device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 6A and Figure 6B This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the first hydrophobic portion and the second hydrophobic portion of a dielectric wetting device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 7A and Figure 7B This is a proportional schematic diagram of a hydrophobic microstructure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a protrusion structure corresponding to a first hydrophobic layer in other stacks according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a protrusion structure having a hydrophobic protrusion structure corresponding to a first hydrophobic layer in another embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram showing the relative distribution configuration of the first hydrophobic portion and the second hydrophobic portion corresponding to each driving unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram showing the relative distribution configuration of the first hydrophobic portion and the second hydrophobic portion corresponding to each driving unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram showing the relative distribution of the first hydrophobic portion and the second hydrophobic portion of each driving unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 13A and Figure 13B This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application of the dielectric wetting device for operating fluid movement according to the above embodiments.

[0036] In the attached figures, the following labels are used:

[0037] 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90: Dielectric wetting device

[0038] 100: First substrate

[0039] 110: First electrode

[0040] 130: Active control element

[0041] 200: Second substrate

[0042] 210: Second electrode

[0043] 300: Dielectric layer

[0044] 410: First hydrophobic layer

[0045] 411: First hydrophobic section

[0046] 412: Second hydrophobic section

[0047] 415: Passage Section

[0048] 420: Second hydrophobic layer

[0049] 500: First insulating layer

[0050] Cr: Central region

[0051] D, D1, D2, D3, D4: Drive units

[0052] F: Fluid

[0053] F1, F2: Fluid components

[0054] FP: Reserved Location

[0055] G: Corner

[0056] H, H1, H2: Area

[0057] h: height

[0058] K, K1, K2, K3: Outline

[0059] L: Corner

[0060] M: Direction of movement

[0061] M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, M8: Driving unit row; MS: Hydrophobic microstructure

[0062] N1, N2: Contact angle

[0063] P: Bump

[0064] PL: Planar portion

[0065] Pr: Surrounding Area

[0066] Q: Hydrophobic protrusion structure

[0067] Q1, Q2, Q3: Protruding structure

[0068] R: Chamber

[0069] r1, r2: Diameter

[0070] W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, W6: Drive Unit Columns Detailed Implementation

[0071] Various embodiments will be described below, and those skilled in the art should readily understand the spirit and principles of the invention by referring to the description and accompanying drawings. However, while specific embodiments will be described in detail herein, these embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to be limiting or exhaustive in any respect. Therefore, various changes and modifications to the invention will be readily apparent and easily achievable by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and principles of the invention.

[0072] Reference Figure 1A and Figure 1B According to one embodiment of the present invention, a dielectric wetting device 10 for manipulating the movement of a fluid F is disclosed. The dielectric wetting device 10 includes: a first substrate 100, a second substrate 200 disposed opposite to the first substrate 100, a dielectric layer 300 disposed on the first substrate 100, a first hydrophobic layer 410 disposed on the first substrate 100 and the dielectric layer 300, and a second hydrophobic layer 420 disposed on the second substrate 200 opposite to the first hydrophobic layer 410. The first hydrophobic layer 410 and the second hydrophobic layer 420 define a chamber R sandwiched between the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 200, and a predetermined fluid F intended for operation by the dielectric wetting device 10 can be disposed in the chamber R.

[0073] As described above, according to this embodiment, the first substrate 100 may substantially include multiple driving units, and Figure 1A and Figure 1BFour driving units D1, D2, D3, and D4 are illustrated illustratively. However, those skilled in the art will understand that this is merely an example, and the actual number of driving units included in the first substrate 100 of the dielectric wetting device 10 according to embodiments of the present invention is not limited thereto. Continuing above, the chamber R defined by the first hydrophobic layer 410 and the second hydrophobic layer 420 may be formed in communication corresponding to at least a portion of the driving units (e.g., driving units D1, D2, D3, and D4). Alternatively, the chamber R may be formed across at least a portion of the driving units (e.g., driving units D1, D2, D3, and D4).

[0074] Specifically, each drive unit D1, D2, D3, and D4 may include a first electrode 110 and an active control element 130. The first electrode 110 can be independently controlled by the corresponding active control element 130 to generate a drive voltage. That is, the conduction and driving of the first electrode 110 of each drive unit are independent of other drive units, allowing each drive unit to be selectively turned on or off individually.

[0075] According to the above embodiments, the active control element 130 may be a thin-film transistor including elements such as a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode, and may control the conduction and driving of the first electrode 110. However, this is only an example, and the types of active control elements 130 that can control the conduction and driving of the first electrode 110 according to other embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this.

[0076] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the second substrate 200 opposite to the first substrate 100 may also include at least one second electrode 210. The second electrode 210 may be disposed across one or more driving units (such as driving units D1, D2, D3, D4) and may be kept in a conducting state. Therefore, the generation of electrode potential between the first electrode 110 and the second electrode 210 for each driving unit may depend on whether the first electrode 110 of each driving unit is turned on. That is, the generation of electrode potential between the first electrode 110 and the second electrode 210 for each driving unit may depend independently on the control of the active control element 130 of each driving unit.

[0077] In addition to the aforementioned components, the first substrate 100 and the second substrate 200 may selectively include other known common components or parts, such as, but not limited to, glass substrates, depending on the design. Further details regarding these aspects will not be elaborated upon here.

[0078] As described above, the dielectric layer 300 is disposed on the side of the first electrodes 110 facing the second substrate 200, and the dielectric layer 300 can be polarized based on the conduction of the first electrodes 110. Additionally, a first hydrophobic layer 410 is disposed on the side of the dielectric layer 300 facing the second substrate 200. Therefore, the polarization of the dielectric layer 300 can change the hydrophobic properties of the first hydrophobic layer 410 thereon. Specifically, the conduction of the first electrodes 110 generates a capacitive potential and causes positive or negative charges to accumulate at the surface interface of the dielectric layer 300, thereby polarizing it. Subsequently, the polarization of the dielectric layer 300 can weaken the hydrophobicity of the first hydrophobic layer 410 relative to the fluid F and increase its hydrophilicity. Therefore, the fluid F in the cavity R between the first hydrophobic layer 410 and the second hydrophobic layer 420 disposed on the side of the second electrode 210 facing the first substrate 100 can move accordingly to the adjustment and change in hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity.

[0079] For example, refer to Figure 1A The fluid F can be correspondingly placed in the chambers R of the drive units D3 and D4 that generate the drive voltage by connecting the first electrode 110. Then, if from Figure 1A When the first electrode 110 in drive units D3 and D4 is turned off, and the first electrode 110 in drive units D1 and D2 is turned on, the fluid F will flow as follows: Figure 1B The device moves along the direction of movement M from chamber R of corresponding drive units D3 and D4 to chamber R of corresponding drive units D1 and D2. Continuing from the above... Figure 1B The illustration shows the exemplary movement of fluid F and its final state upon reaching the predetermined position FP in chamber R.

[0080] As described above, the first electrode 110 can be controlled by the active control element 130 in each drive unit such as each drive unit D1, D2, D3, D4 to generate a drive voltage, so that the fluid F can move in the chamber R by correspondingly crossing some of these drive units such as drive units D1, D2, D3, D4, thereby realizing the active matrix dielectric wetting device 10.

[0081] According to the above embodiments, the fluid F used in the predetermined operation can be a polar fluid. Additionally, according to the above embodiments, the chamber R can be selectively filled with other fluids immiscible with fluid F, besides the fluid F used in the predetermined operation, to fill the chamber R, expel air, and / or help fluid F maintain its contour. Furthermore, according to the above embodiments, the fluid F used in the predetermined operation can be a polar fluid, and the other fluids filled in the chamber R can be non-polar fluids such as ink. However, this is merely an example, and other embodiments according to the present invention are not limited thereto.

[0082] During the aforementioned movement, a sufficient driving voltage needs to be applied to the first electrode 110 so that the fluid F can cross the movement energy barrier and move. However, increasing the driving voltage will increase the power consumption of the overall dielectric wetting device 10. Therefore, in order to further reduce the driving voltage to achieve the mobility of the fluid F and maintain the stable thickness of the dielectric layer 300, the energy barrier for the fluid F to move on the first hydrophobic layer 110 can be relatively reduced. Continuing on this, in order to reduce the movement energy barrier, according to the dielectric wetting device 10 of this embodiment, corresponding to each driving unit (e.g., each driving unit D1, D2, D3, D4), the first hydrophobic layer 410 may actually include a first hydrophobic portion 411 and a second hydrophobic portion 412 with different hydrophobic properties. The hydrophobicity of the second hydrophobic portion 412 may be greater than that of the first hydrophobic portion 411. Continuing from the above, corresponding to each of the drive units D1, D2, D3, and D4, a second hydrophobic portion 412 with higher hydrophobicity can be spaced out in the peripheral region Pr of each drive unit D1, D2, D3, and D4. Here, the peripheral region Pr can be the outer region relative to the central region Cr of each drive unit, and is connected to the peripheral regions Pr of other adjacent or connected drive units. Therefore, when fluid F needs to move through the peripheral region Pr to the chamber R on other drive units, the energy barrier for fluid F to move on the first hydrophobic layer 110 can be relatively reduced.

[0083] In detail, please include Figure 1A and Figure 1B Reference Figure 2A and Figure 2BAccording to the above embodiments, corresponding to the predetermined fluid F, when the active control element 130 does not control the first electrode 110 to generate a driving voltage, the first hydrophobic portion 411 and the second hydrophobic portion 412 can also be hydrophobic such that their contact angles relative to the predetermined fluid F are at least equal to or greater than 90 degrees. For example, according to the above embodiments, the contact angle N1 of the fluid F in the first hydrophobic portion 411 can be between 140 degrees and 90 degrees, and the contact angle N2 of the fluid F in the second hydrophobic portion 412 can be between 150 degrees and 100 degrees. As another example, in some preferred embodiments, corresponding to the predetermined fluid F, when the active control element 130 does not control the first electrode 110 to generate a driving voltage, the contact angle N1 of the fluid F in the first hydrophobic portion 411 can be between 130 degrees and 100 degrees, and the contact angle N2 of the fluid F in the second hydrophobic portion 412 can be between 140 degrees and 120 degrees. Since the hydrophobicity of the second hydrophobic portion 412 needs to be greater than that of the first hydrophobic portion 411, the contact angle N2 of the fluid F in the second hydrophobic portion 412 can be greater than the contact angle N1 of the fluid F in the first hydrophobic portion 411. For example, the contact angle N1 of the first hydrophobic portion 411 can be 100 degrees and the contact angle N2 of the second hydrophobic portion 412 can be 140 degrees, but this is only an example, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

[0084] When the active control element 130 controls the first electrode 110 to generate a driving voltage, the contact angles N1 and N2 of the fluid F on the first hydrophobic portion 411 and the second hydrophobic portion 412 can both be reduced, thereby increasing the adhesion of the fluid F to the first hydrophobic portion 411 and the second hydrophobic portion 412. Therefore, compared to the state where the driving voltage is not turned on, the fluid F can adhere more stably to the first hydrophobic portion 411 and the second hydrophobic portion 412. That is, when the first electrode 110 generates a driving voltage, the hydrophilicity of the first hydrophobic portion 411 and the second hydrophobic portion 412 can be improved.

[0085] According to the above embodiments, the first hydrophobic portion 411 can be made of PDMS or a fluorinated or carboxyl-containing polymer, and the second hydrophobic portion 412 can be made of PDMS or a fluorinated or methyl-containing polymer. For example, according to the above embodiments, the first hydrophobic portion 411 can be made of 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid, and the second hydrophobic portion 412 can be made of octadecanethiol, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Furthermore, according to the above embodiments, the first hydrophobic portion 411 and the dielectric layer 300 can be made of a first hydrophobic material having dielectric properties, and the dielectric layer 300 and the first hydrophobic layer 410 can be directly connected or integrally formed. However, this is only an example, and the first hydrophobic portion 411 and the dielectric layer 300 can also be made of completely different materials. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the examples detailed herein.

[0086] The first hydrophobic portion 411 and the second hydrophobic portion 412 of the first hydrophobic layer 410 can be made or configured in various known or future ways, including but not limited to chemical etching, inkjet printing, photolithography, etc., and will not be described in detail here.

[0087] Next, the arrangement of the first hydrophobic portion 411 and the second hydrophobic portion 412 with different hydrophobic properties according to various embodiments of the present invention will be further described. Here, for the sake of brevity, the adjacent driving units D1 and D2 will only be schematically shown in the following figures for illustration.

[0088] First, refer to Figure 3A and Figure 3B The dielectric wetting device 20 of the illustrated embodiment, wherein Figure 3A The diagram shows a top view of the first hydrophobic layer 410 as viewed from the second substrate 200 side toward the first substrate 100 side, and Figure 3B A cross-sectional view of the dielectric wetting device 20 is shown.

[0089] Continuing from the above, according to the dielectric wetting device 20 of this embodiment, the first hydrophobic portion 411 can be made of a first hydrophobic material, and the second hydrophobic portion 412 can be made of a second hydrophobic material different from the first hydrophobic material. Therefore, the hydrophobic difference between the first hydrophobic portion 411 and the second hydrophobic portion 412 can be formed by the hydrophobic difference between the different hydrophobic materials. Thus, when, for example, fluid F is initially disposed in the drive unit D2, and the drive unit D2 is off its drive voltage while the drive unit D1 is on its drive voltage, fluid F tends to move along the first hydrophobic portion 411 of the drive unit D2 to the drive unit D1, which has a higher hydrophilicity, due to the higher hydrophobicity of the second hydrophobic portion 412, thereby creating a pushing effect based on the second hydrophobic portion 412. Therefore, compared to moving along the entire drive unit D2, the fluid F tends to move along the first hydrophobic portion 411 in the drive unit D2 (referring to the direction of movement M). Furthermore, due to the pushing effect of the second hydrophobic portion 412 and the narrower channel formed by the first hydrophobic portion 411, the overall energy barrier for moving from the drive unit D2 to the drive unit D1 is reduced. This correspondingly reduces the required drive voltage, thereby reducing the power consumption of the overall dielectric wetting device 20 for operating the movement of the fluid F.

[0090] Next, refer to Figure 4A and Figure 4B The dielectric wetting device 30 of the illustrated embodiment, wherein Figure 4A The diagram shows a top view of the first hydrophobic layer 410 as viewed from the second substrate 200 side toward the first substrate 100 side, and Figure 4B A cross-sectional view of the dielectric wetting device 30 is shown.

[0091] Continuing on, the dielectric wetting device 30 according to this embodiment differs from the dielectric wetting device 20 described above in that the second hydrophobic portion 412, made of a second hydrophobic material, can protrude toward the second substrate 200 relative to the first hydrophobic portion 411, made of a first hydrophobic material. Therefore, when fluid F moves from the second hydrophobic portion 412 to the first hydrophobic portion 411 due to the pushing effect of the higher hydrophobicity of the second hydrophobic portion 412, the energy required for movement can be further reduced based on the level difference. This correspondingly reduces the required driving voltage, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the dielectric wetting device 30 for operating the movement of fluid F.

[0092] Next, refer to Figure 5A and Figure 5B The dielectric wetting device 40 of the illustrated embodiment, wherein Figure 5A The diagram shows a top view of the first hydrophobic layer 410 as viewed from the second substrate 200 side toward the first substrate 100 side, and Figure 5B A cross-sectional view of the dielectric wetting device 40 is shown.

[0093] Continuing on, the dielectric wetting device 40 according to this embodiment differs from the dielectric wetting device 30 described above in that the second hydrophobic portion 412 made of the second hydrophobic material can not only protrude toward the second substrate 200 relative to the first hydrophobic portion 411 made of the first hydrophobic material, but can also further form a hydrophobic microstructure MS.

[0094] Specifically, according to this embodiment, the first hydrophobic portion 411 may be a planar portion PL formed of a first hydrophobic material, and the second hydrophobic portion 412 may be a hydrophobic microstructure MS formed of a second hydrophobic material. Here, the hydrophobic microstructure MS may, for example, be a structure comprising a plurality of densely distributed bumps P. Figure 5A As shown, the hydrophobic microstructure MS can be a densely distributed 3×3 matrix of bumps P, but is not limited to this. Continuing from the above embodiment, the hydrophobic microstructure MS can also be any number and shape of densely distributed bumps P, or even irregularly distributed bumps P. Therefore, the hydrophobic microstructure MS of the second hydrophobic portion 412 can be set relative to the relative dimensions of the first hydrophobic portion 411 and the second hydrophobic portion 412, thereby disrupting the integrity of the contacted fluid F, and further improving the hydrophobicity of the second hydrophobic portion 412 (greater than the hydrophobicity of the first hydrophobic portion 411) in addition to the difference in hydrophobicity based on the second hydrophobic material. Therefore, due to the pushing effect of the second hydrophobic portion 412 and the narrower channel formed by the first hydrophobic portion 411, the energy barrier for the entire device to move from the driving unit D2 to the driving unit D1 is reduced. This correspondingly reduces the required driving voltage, thereby reducing the power consumption required by the overall dielectric wetting device 40 to operate the movement of the fluid F.

[0095] Next, refer to Figure 6A and Figure 6B The dielectric wetting device 50 of the illustrated embodiment, wherein Figure 6A The diagram shows a top view of the first hydrophobic layer 410 as viewed from the second substrate 200 side toward the first substrate 100 side, and Figure 6B A cross-sectional view of the dielectric wetting device 50 is shown.

[0096] Continuing from the above, the dielectric wetting device 50 according to this embodiment differs from the dielectric wetting device 40 in that the second hydrophobic portion 412 can actually be made of the same first hydrophobic material as the first hydrophobic portion 411, and the difference in hydrophobicity between the first hydrophobic portion 411 and the second hydrophobic portion 412 is generated based on the setting of the hydrophobic microstructure MS. That is, the first hydrophobic portion 411 can be a planar portion PL formed by the first hydrophobic material, and the second hydrophobic portion 412 can be a hydrophobic microstructure MS formed by the first hydrophobic material. In this way, the hydrophobic microstructure MS of the second hydrophobic portion 412 can be set relative to the relative size of the first hydrophobic portion 411 and the second hydrophobic portion 412, thereby disrupting the integrity of the contacted fluid F, and thus improving the hydrophobicity of the second hydrophobic portion 412 (greater than the hydrophobicity of the first hydrophobic portion 411). In addition, the cost and effort required to set the second hydrophobic portion 412 can be reduced. Continuing from the above, due to the pushing effect of the second hydrophobic portion 412 and the narrower channel formed by the first hydrophobic portion 411, the energy barrier for the entire device to move from the driving unit D2 to the driving unit D1 is reduced. This allows for a corresponding reduction in the required driving voltage, thereby reducing the power consumption of the entire dielectric wetting device 50 for operating the movement of the fluid F.

[0097] Further reference Figure 7A and Figure 7B The corresponding enlarged schematic diagram shown above, according to the above embodiment, Figures 5A to 6B In the hydrophobic microstructure MS shown, the diameters r1 and r2 of the bumps P parallel to the plane (e.g., the planar portion PL) of the first hydrophobic portion 411 can be less than 0.25 mm. Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, the height h of the bumps P protruding from the plane of the first hydrophobic portion 411 toward the second substrate 200 can be less than 10 μm, and the diameters r1 and r2 parallel to the plane of the first hydrophobic portion 411 can be less than 0.05 mm. However, the above are merely examples, and according to other embodiments of the present invention, the dimensions of the hydrophobic microstructure MS can vary, provided that the dimensions are sufficient to form a hydrophobic microstructure MS relative to the sizes of the first hydrophobic portion 411 and the second hydrophobic portion 412.

[0098] Next, refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 The dielectric wetting devices 60 and 70 of the illustrated embodiments. According to the above embodiments, corresponding to the hydrophobic protrusion structure Q protruding from the first hydrophobic portion 411 relative to the second hydrophobic portion 412, other stacked layers on the side of the first hydrophobic layer 410 opposite to the second substrate 200 may have corresponding protrusion structures.

[0099] For example, such as Figure 8As shown, the second hydrophobic portion 412 can be formed as a hydrophobic microstructure MS as described above. That is, the second hydrophobic portion 412 can have at least one hydrophobic protrusion structure Q as a hydrophobic microstructure MS. According to this embodiment, other stacked layers on the side of the first hydrophobic layer 410 opposite to the second substrate 200 can have at least one protrusion structure corresponding to the contour K of the hydrophobic protrusion structure. Here, a first insulating layer 500 for various purposes, such as preventing ion penetration, can be sandwiched between the first electrode 110 and the first hydrophobic layer 410, and the first electrode 110, the first insulating layer 500, the dielectric layer 300, or combinations thereof (e.g., only the dielectric layer 300; both the dielectric layer 300 and the first insulating layer 500; or the dielectric layer 300, the first insulating layer 500, and the first electrode 110, etc.) can have at least one protrusion structure Q1, Q2, Q3 corresponding to the contour K of the hydrophobic protrusion structure Q. Continuing on the above, the protruding structures Q1, Q2, and Q3 may have contours K1, K2, and K3 that are substantially the same as or similar to contour K. For example, by first forming protruding structures Q1, Q2, and Q3 with contours K1, K2, and K3, such as the first electrode 110, the first insulating layer 500, the dielectric layer 300, or combinations thereof, the first hydrophobic layer 410 can naturally form a hydrophobic protruding structure Q corresponding to the contours K1, K2, and K3 of the protruding structures Q1, Q2, and Q3. Therefore, the protruding structures Q1, Q2, and Q3 may have contours K1, K2, and K3 that are substantially the same as or similar to the contour K of the hydrophobic protruding structure Q, and the contours K1, K2, and K3 may substantially overlap with the contour K.

[0100] Continuing from the above, according to another embodiment, such as Figure 9 As shown, the second hydrophobic portion 412 can protrude entirely toward the second substrate 200 relative to the first hydrophobic portion 411 as the at least one hydrophobic protrusion structure Q. According to this embodiment, other layers stacked on the side of the first hydrophobic layer 410 opposite to the second substrate 200 can also similarly have at least one protrusion structure corresponding to the contour K of the hydrophobic protrusion structure Q. For example, the first electrode 110, the first insulating layer 500, the dielectric layer 300, or combinations thereof have at least one protrusion structure Q1, Q2, Q3 corresponding to the contour K of the hydrophobic protrusion structure Q, and the protrusion structures Q1, Q2, Q3 can have contours K1, K2, K3 that are substantially the same as or similar to the contour K. This is consistent with the above... Figure 8 The embodiments shown are identical or similar in principle except for their shapes, and will not be described again here.

[0101] According to the above embodiments, refer to Figure 10In the dielectric wetting device 80 shown, in each driving unit, such as the first driving unit D1 or the second driving unit D2, the proportion of the projected area of ​​the second hydrophobic portion 412 to the area of ​​each driving unit on a virtual plane parallel to the first hydrophobic layer 410 can range from 10% to 60%. For example, on the virtual plane parallel to the first hydrophobic layer 410, the total projected area H of the first driving unit D1 can be the sum of the projected area H1 of the first hydrophobic portion 411 and the projected area H2 of the second hydrophobic portion 412 of the first driving unit D1, and the proportion of the projected area H2 of the second hydrophobic portion 412 of the first driving unit D1 to the total projected area H of the first driving unit D1 can range from 10% to 60%. Furthermore, according to the above embodiments, in each driving unit, such as the first driving unit D1, on a virtual plane parallel to the first hydrophobic layer 410, the proportion of the projected area H2 of the second hydrophobic portion 412 of each driving unit, such as the first driving unit D1, to the projected area H of each driving unit, such as the first driving unit D1, can be between 20% and 40%.

[0102] Here, the area of ​​each driving unit can be the area of ​​a block on a virtual plane parallel to the first hydrophobic layer 410, where each driving unit is driven by the first electrode 110 and the second electrode 210 and can have a driving voltage change.

[0103] As described above, according to the above embodiments of the present invention, in each driving unit, such as the first driving unit D1, on a virtual plane parallel to the first hydrophobic layer 410, the proportion of the projected area H2 of the second hydrophobic portion 412 to the projected area H of the first driving unit D1 may be less than the proportion of the projected area H1 of the first hydrophobic portion 411 to the projected area H of the first driving unit D1.

[0104] As described in the above embodiments, the first hydrophobic portions 411 of adjacent or connected drive units in a plurality of drive units may be at least partially connected, allowing fluid to move correspondingly along the first hydrophobic portions 411 between adjacent or connected drive units, thereby reducing the drive voltage. For example, referring to... Figure 11In another embodiment of the dielectric wetting device 90 shown, adjacent or connected first driving units D1 and second driving units D2, the second hydrophobic portion 412 may be provided corresponding to the corner G of each driving unit D1 and D2, and at least a portion of the corner L connecting the first driving unit D1 to the adjacent second driving unit D2 may be a channel portion 415 formed by the first hydrophobic portion 411. Continuing, by connecting the first driving unit D1 and the adjacent second driving unit D2 through the channel portion 415, fluid can move back and forth through the peripheral region Pr along the channel portion 415 formed by the first hydrophobic portion 411, which has lower hydrophobicity. However, this embodiment and the embodiments listed above are merely illustrative, and the first hydrophobic portion 411 and the second hydrophobic portion 412 according to other embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

[0105] For example, please refer to Figure 12 According to the above embodiments of the present invention, even if the second hydrophobic portion 412 is disposed in the peripheral region Pr surrounding the central region Cr, the second hydrophobic portion 412 may not correspond to the corner G. For example, as Figure 12 As shown in the dielectric wetting device 15, the second hydrophobic portion 412 can also be provided at a corner L corresponding to the adjacent driving unit, such as the first driving unit D1 and the second driving unit D2. In this configuration, a channel portion 415 formed by the first hydrophobic portion 411 can be formed at the corner G where the first driving unit D1 connects to the second driving unit D2.

[0106] As described above, as long as adjacent or connected drive units have a channel portion 415 formed by the first hydrophobic portion 411 that is connected, various relative configurations of the first hydrophobic portion 411 and the second hydrophobic portion 412 can be achieved according to various embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, the above references Figures 1A to 12 The various configurations and states shown are merely examples, and other embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

[0107] As described above, according to the various embodiments of the present invention, by providing a first hydrophobic portion 411 and a second hydrophobic portion 412 with different hydrophobic properties, a predetermined fluid F can be moved, divided, or collected by driving with a lower driving voltage. For example, referring to... Figure 13A and Figure 13BThe dielectric wetting device 25 may have drive unit rows M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, M8 and drive unit columns W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, W6. Continuing on, multiple drive units D may be arranged according to the drive unit rows M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, M8 and drive unit columns W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, W6, and each drive unit D may have the same or similar arrangement of the first and second hydrophobic portions described in the above embodiments. Under this arrangement, if each drive unit D is individually controlled such that multiple drive units D corresponding to the entire row of drive unit rows M4 and M5, a single drive unit D corresponding to the junction of drive unit row M3 and drive unit column W5, and a single drive unit D corresponding to the junction of drive unit row M6 and drive unit column W3 are turned off, then by increasing the hydrophobicity of these drive units D, as... Figure 13A The fluid F shown can move towards the other drive units D that are still in operation, so that the fluid F naturally flows as... Figure 13B The diagram shows the flow divided into fluid portions F1 and F2. As described above, those skilled in the art will understand that, based on the same or similar operating modes, operations such as movement, division, or convergence of the predetermined fluid F can be achieved by turning each individual drive unit D on and off with a lower drive voltage. That is, the position and area to be occupied by the fluid F can be adjusted based on the on / off state of each individual drive unit. Other embodiments will not be described further here.

[0108] According to various embodiments of the present invention, since the fluid can be driven to move, divide, or collect across different driving units, the dielectric wetting device described above can be applied to various situations requiring the manipulation of fluid movement, division, or collection for detection, experimentation, processing, etc. For example, it can be applied to detect the properties of test samples in a chip; or to a reaction chip to perform predetermined chemical or physical treatments on a predetermined fluid, or even mix it with other predetermined second fluids; or to other devices that achieve special effects after manipulating fluid movement, division, or collection. Therefore, the dielectric wetting device according to various embodiments of the present invention can achieve high efficiency in fluid movement, division, or collection operations with low power consumption, and can thus be applied to many components or applications requiring fluid manipulation, such as microfluidic chips, thereby improving the efficiency and applicability of such dielectric wetting devices.

[0109] The above description is merely some preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from its spirit and principles. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is defined by the appended claims, and that various possible substitutions, combinations, modifications, and uses, etc., do not exceed the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims, provided they conform to the intent of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for operating a fluid moving dielectrophoretic wetting apparatus, characterized by, The display device comprises: a first substrate comprising a plurality of driving units, each of the driving units comprising a first electrode and an active control element, wherein the first electrode is independently controlled by the corresponding active control element; a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate and comprising at least one second electrode; a dielectric layer disposed on a side of the first electrode facing the second substrate; a first hydrophobic layer disposed on a side of the dielectric layer facing the second substrate; and a second hydrophobic layer disposed on a side of the second electrode facing the first substrate; wherein the first hydrophobic layer and the second hydrophobic layer define a cavity sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate; wherein, corresponding to each of the driving units, the first hydrophobic layer comprises a first hydrophobic portion and a second hydrophobic portion, and the second hydrophobic portion has a greater hydrophobicity than the first hydrophobic portion; wherein, corresponding to each of the driving units, the second hydrophobic portion is disposed at a peripheral region in each of the driving units, and wherein the cavity is formed in communication with at least part of the driving units; wherein, in each of the driving units, the second hydrophobic portion is disposed corresponding to a corner of the driving unit, and at least part of a side edge of the driving unit connecting an adjacent driving unit is a channel portion formed by the first hydrophobic portion, and wherein the channel portion communicates the driving unit and the adjacent driving unit.

2. The di electri cally w etted device of claim 1, wherein, The active control element controls the first electrode to generate a driving voltage, so that the fluid can move in the cavity corresponding to part of the driving units.

3. The diel ectric wicking device of claim 1, wherein, The first hydrophobic portion is made of a first hydrophobic material, and the second hydrophobic portion is made of a second hydrophobic material different from the first hydrophobic material.

4. The diel ectric wicking device of claim 3, wherein, The second hydrophobic portion protrudes towards the second substrate relative to the first hydrophobic portion.

5. The di electri cally w etted device of claim 3, wherein, The first hydrophobic portion is a planar portion formed by the first hydrophobic material, and the second hydrophobic portion is a hydrophobic microstructure formed by the second hydrophobic material.

6. The dielectric wetting device of claim 1, wherein, The first hydrophobic portion is a planar portion formed by a first hydrophobic material, and the second hydrophobic portion is a hydrophobic microstructure formed by the first hydrophobic material.

7. The diwetting device of claim 5 or 6, wherein The hydrophobic microstructure comprises a plurality of protrusions densely distributed, and wherein The protrusions have a diameter parallel to the plane where the first hydrophobic portion is less than 0.25mm.

8. The di electri cally w etted device of claim 7, wherein, The protrusions have a height protruding from the plane where the first hydrophobic portion is less than 10um, and a diameter parallel to the plane where the first hydrophobic portion is less than 0.05mm.

9. The dielectric wetting device of claim 1, wherein, A first insulating layer is sandwiched between the first electrode and the first hydrophobic layer, and the second hydrophobic portion has at least one hydrophobic protruding structure, and wherein the first electrode, the first insulating layer, the dielectric layer, or a combination thereof has at least one protruding structure corresponding to the profile of the hydrophobic protruding structure.

10. The dielectric wetting device of claim 1, wherein, The first hydrophobic portion of a first driving unit and a second driving unit adjacent in the driving units at least partially connects in communication.

11. The di electri cally w etted device of claim 1, wherein, In each of the driving units, the projection area of the second hydrophobic portion occupies a proportion of the area of each of the driving units in the range of 10% to 60% on a virtual plane parallel to the first hydrophobic layer.

12. The di electri cally w etted device of claim 11, wherein, In each of the driving units, a projected area of the second hydrophobic portion occupies a proportion of 20% to 40% of an area of each of the driving units in a virtual plane parallel to the first hydrophobic layer.

13. The di electri cally w etted device of claim 1, wherein, In each of the driving units, a projected area of the second hydrophobic portion occupies a proportion of 20% to 40% of an area of each of the driving units in a virtual plane parallel to the first hydrophobic layer.

14. The dielectric wetting device of claim 1, wherein, Corresponding to the predetermined fluid, a contact angle of the fluid on the first hydrophobic portion is between 140 degrees and 90 degrees, and a contact angle of the fluid on the second hydrophobic portion is between 150 degrees and 100 degrees when the active control element does not control the first electrode to generate a driving voltage, and wherein the contact angle of the fluid on the second hydrophobic portion is greater than the contact angle of the fluid on the first hydrophobic portion.

15. The di electri cally w etted device of claim 14, wherein, Corresponding to the predetermined fluid, a contact angle of the fluid on the first hydrophobic portion is between 130 degrees and 100 degrees, and a contact angle of the fluid on the second hydrophobic portion is between 140 degrees and 120 degrees when the active control element does not control the first electrode to generate a driving voltage.

16. The dielectric wetting device of claim 1, wherein, The first hydrophobic portion is made of PDMS or a fluorine-containing or carboxyl-containing polymer, and the second hydrophobic portion is made of PDMS or a fluorine-containing or methyl-containing polymer.

17. The dielectric wetting device of claim 1, wherein, The first hydrophobic portion and the dielectric layer are made of a first hydrophobic material having dielectricity, and the dielectric layer is directly connected to the first hydrophobic layer or the dielectric layer is integrally formed with the first hydrophobic layer.

Images