Microfluidic substrate and preparation method thereof and microfluidic chip

Abstract

The present application discloses a microfluidic substrate and its preparation method and a microfluidic chip, which mainly relates to the field of microfluidic technology. The data signal line, the active switch and the driving main electrode are arranged in series in sequence, the connection between the scanning signal line and the active switch is connected, and the on-off between the active switch and the data signal line is controlled; the microfluidic substrate also includes a first voltage signal line, the first voltage signal line is connected to the driving main electrode; the voltage received by the first voltage signal line is greater than the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch; the voltage received by the data signal line is less than the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch, and the difference between the voltage received by the first voltage signal line and the voltage received by the data signal line is less than the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch. Through the above design, the driving ability of the microfluidic substrate is improved to enhance the applicability of the microfluidic substrate, and the damage rate of the active switch can also be reduced, thereby enhancing the service life of the microfluidic substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of microfluidics, and in particular to a microfluidics substrate and a preparation method thereof, and a microfluidics chip. Background Art

[0002] Microfluidics refers to a technology that uses microchannels to process or manipulate tiny droplets. Microfluidic chips are the main platform for the implementation of microfluidics. Microfluidic chips have the characteristics of parallel collection and processing of samples, high integration, high throughput, fast analysis speed, low power consumption, low material consumption, and low pollution. Existing microfluidic chips are mainly used to drive the flow of droplets.

[0003] The current mainstream solution is to use a microfluidic substrate to control the movement of droplets by opening the active switch to control the main electrode to generate an electric field. However, since controlling the movement of droplets requires applying a large voltage to achieve more precise control, simply increasing the voltage of the data signal line will cause the active switch to be damaged. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to provide a microfluidic substrate and a preparation method thereof and a microfluidic chip, which can improve the driving ability of the microfluidic substrate to improve the applicability of the microfluidic substrate, and can also reduce the active switch damage rate and increase the service life of the microfluidic substrate.

[0005] The present application discloses a microfluidic substrate, which includes a scanning signal line, a data signal line, an active switch and a driving main electrode;

[0006] The data signal lines and the scanning signal lines are arranged in a crisscross pattern to divide a plurality of driving units, each of the driving units being provided with an active switch and a driving main electrode;

[0007] The data signal line, the active switch and the driving main electrode are sequentially arranged in series, the scanning signal line is connected to the active switch, and controls the on-off between the active switch and the data signal line;

[0008] The microfluidic substrate also includes a first voltage signal line, which is connected to the driving main electrode; the voltage received by the first voltage signal line is greater than the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch; the voltage received by the data signal line is less than the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch, and the difference between the voltage received by the first voltage signal line and the voltage received by the data signal line is less than the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch.

[0009] Optionally, each column of the driving main electrodes is connected to one of the data signal lines, each row of the active switches is connected to one of the scanning signal lines, and each column of the driving main electrodes is connected to one of the first voltage signal lines.

[0010] Optionally, the microfluidic substrate further includes a second voltage signal line and a driving auxiliary electrode, the second voltage signal line is connected to the driving auxiliary electrode, and the driving auxiliary electrode is located between the two driving main electrodes;

[0011] The second voltage signal line is used for receiving a negative voltage, and the first voltage signal line is used for receiving a positive voltage.

[0012] Optionally, the microfluidic substrate comprises a substrate, a first metal layer, a first insulating layer, a second metal layer, a second insulating layer, a driving electrode layer and a hydrophobic layer; the first metal layer, the first insulating layer, the second metal layer, the second insulating layer, the driving electrode layer and the hydrophobic layer are sequentially arranged on the substrate;

[0013] The main driving electrode is located on the driving electrode layer, and the auxiliary driving electrode is located in the second metal layer.

[0014] Optionally, the length direction of the gap between two adjacent driving main electrodes is defined as a first direction, the width of the driving auxiliary electrode first decreases and then increases along the first direction, and both sides of the driving auxiliary electrode close to the two driving main electrodes are recessed inwards.

[0015] Optionally, the active switch includes a first sub-active switch and a second sub-active switch, the data signal line, the first sub-active switch, the second sub-active switch and the driving main electrode are arranged in series in sequence, the scanning signal line is connected to the first sub-active switch and the second sub-active switch, and controls the on-off between the driving main electrode and the data signal line.

[0016] Optionally, the scanning signal line includes a first sub-scanning signal line and a second sub-scanning signal line, the first sub-scanning signal line is connected to the active switch corresponding to the driving main electrode of a row of odd columns, the second sub-scanning signal line is connected to the active switch corresponding to the driving main electrode of the same row of even columns, the first voltage signal line is simultaneously connected to the two adjacent columns of the driving main electrodes, and one driving main electrode is only connected to one first voltage signal line.

[0017] The present application also discloses a driving method for a microfluidic substrate, the driving method is used for the microfluidic substrate described above; the microfluidic substrate is used to drive a droplet to move, the initial position of the droplet is defined as the initial position, and the position of the droplet after movement is defined as the target position;

[0018] The driving method of the microfluidic substrate comprises the steps of:

[0019] When the driving main electrode at the initial position and the driving main electrode at the target position are connected to different scanning signal lines and are connected to the same first voltage signal line:

[0020] The scanning signal line at the target position turns off the active switch at the target position, the driving main electrode at the target position is disconnected from the data signal line, and the first voltage signal line transmits a high voltage signal to the driving main electrode at the target position;

[0021] The first voltage signal line transmits a high voltage signal to the driving main electrode at the initial position, the scanning signal line at the initial position turns on the active switch at the initial position, the driving main electrode at the initial position receives a low voltage signal input from the data signal line, and the droplet moves from the driving main electrode at the initial position to the driving main electrode at the target position.

[0022] The present application also discloses a driving method for a microfluidic substrate, the driving method is used for the microfluidic substrate described above; the microfluidic substrate is used to drive a droplet to move, the initial position of the droplet is defined as the initial position, and the position of the droplet after movement is defined as the target position;

[0023] The driving method of the microfluidic substrate comprises the steps of:

[0024] When the driving main electrode at the initial position and the driving main electrode at the target position are connected to the same scanning signal line and to different first voltage signal lines:

[0025] The scanning signal line at the target position turns off the active switch at the target position, the driving main electrode at the target position is disconnected from the data signal line, and the first voltage signal line at the target position inputs a high voltage signal to the driving main electrode at the target position;

[0026] The first voltage signal at the initial position stops inputting a high voltage signal to the driving main electrode at the initial position, and the droplet moves from the driving main electrode at the initial position to the driving main electrode at the target position.

[0027] The present application also discloses a microfluidic chip, which includes an opposing substrate and a microfluidic substrate. The opposing substrate and the microfluidic substrate are spaced apart, and a channel is formed between the opposing substrate and the microfluidic substrate.

[0028] Compared with the existing microfluidic substrate solutions, the present application adds a first voltage signal line, which is directly connected to the driving main electrode. The voltage received by the first voltage signal line is greater than the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch, and the difference between the voltage received by the data signal line and the voltage on the first voltage signal line is less than the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch. In this way, the voltage of the driving main electrode can be increased when driving droplets without causing damage to the active switch, thereby improving the driving ability of the microfluidic substrate to enhance the applicability of the microfluidic substrate, and can reduce the damage rate of the active switch and increase the service life of the microfluidic substrate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The included drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present application, which constitute a part of the specification, are used to illustrate the implementation methods of the present application, and together with the text description, explain the principles of the present application. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work. In the drawings:

[0030] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a microfluidic chip according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a microfluidic substrate of the first embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a single drive unit of the first embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a driving auxiliary electrode according to the first embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 5 is a plan view schematically showing a driving auxiliary electrode according to the first embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 6 is a schematic plan view of a first driving auxiliary part and a second driving auxiliary part of the first embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a dual active switch according to the first embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a microfluidic substrate according to a second embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a microfluidic substrate provided with a driving auxiliary electrode in the second embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of a driving method of a microfluidic substrate according to the first embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Fig.11 It is a schematic diagram of a driving method of a microfluidic substrate according to the second embodiment of the present application.

[0041] Among them, 10, microfluidic chip; 11, droplet; 20, opposing substrate; 21, opposing substrate; 22, common electrode; 23, upper dielectric layer; 24, upper hydrophobic layer; 100, microfluidic substrate; 110, substrate; 120, first metal layer; 130, first insulating layer; 140, semiconductor layer; 150, second metal layer; 160, second insulating layer; 170, driving electrode layer; 180, dielectric layer; 190, hydrophobic layer; 200, scanning signal line; 210, first sub-scanning signal line; 220, The second sub-scanning signal line; 300, the data signal line; 400, the active switch; 410, the first sub-active switch; 420, the second sub-active switch; 431, the first drive auxiliary active switch; 432, the second drive auxiliary active switch; 510, the drive main electrode; 511, the first drive main electrode; 512, the second drive main electrode; 520, the drive auxiliary electrode; 521, the first drive auxiliary part; 522, the second drive auxiliary part; 610, the first voltage signal line; 620, the second voltage signal line. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] It should be understood that the terms used herein, the specific structures and functional details disclosed are only for describing specific embodiments and are representative, but the present application can be implemented in many alternative forms and should not be construed as being limited to only the embodiments described herein.

[0043] In the description of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, unless otherwise specified, features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features; "plurality" means two or more. The term "including" and any variation thereof means non-exclusive inclusion, and one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, units, components and / or combinations thereof may exist or be added.

[0044] In addition, terms indicating orientation or positional relationships, such as “center,” “lateral,” “up,” “down,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inside,” and “outside,” are described based on the orientation or relative positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are merely simplified descriptions for the convenience of describing the present application. They do not indicate that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limitations on the present application.

[0045] In addition, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be internally connected between two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0046] The present application is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and optional embodiments.

[0047] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a microfluidic chip according to an embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 1 As shown, the present application discloses a microfluidic chip 10, which includes an opposing substrate 20 and a microfluidic substrate 100, wherein the opposing substrate 20 is spaced apart from the microfluidic substrate 100, and a channel is formed between the opposing substrate 20 and the microfluidic substrate 100.

[0048] The opposing substrate 20 also includes an opposing substrate 21, a common electrode 22, an upper dielectric layer 23 and an upper hydrophobic layer 24. The common electrode 22, the upper dielectric layer 23 and the upper hydrophobic layer 24 are sequentially arranged on the opposing substrate 21. The channel is used to accommodate the droplets 11. The driving main electrode 510 on the microfluidic substrate 100 and the common electrode 22 on the opposing substrate 20 are used to control the movement of the droplets 11 in the channel. Of course, the common electrode 22 may not be arranged, which is not limited here.

[0049] The present application also discloses a microfluidic substrate 100, which can be used in the microfluidic chip 10 described above. For the microfluidic substrate 100, the present application provides the following design, which is specifically introduced through several embodiments:

[0050] Embodiment 1:

[0051] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a microfluidic substrate of the first embodiment of the present application, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a single drive unit of the first embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 2-3 As shown, the present application discloses a microfluidic substrate 100, which includes a scanning signal line 200, a data signal line 300, an active switch 400 and a driving main electrode 510; the data signal line 300 and the scanning signal line 200 are arranged in a criss-cross pattern and divided into a plurality of driving units, each of which is provided with an active switch 400 and a driving main electrode 510.

[0052] The data signal line 300 , the active switch 400 and the driving main electrode 510 are sequentially arranged in series, and the scanning signal line 200 is connected to the active switch 400 and controls the on-off between the active switch 400 and the data signal line 300 .

[0053] The microfluidic substrate 100 also includes a first voltage signal line 610, which is connected to the driving main electrode 510; the voltage received by the first voltage signal line 610 is greater than the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch 400; the voltage received by the data signal line 300 is less than the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch 400, and the difference between the voltage received by the first voltage signal line 610 and the voltage received by the data signal line 300 is less than the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch 400.

[0054] For example, in the existing microfluidic substrate, a voltage of 60V is required to drive the droplet 11 to move, and the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch 400 is 30V. At this time, if a voltage exceeding 60V is directly input to the data signal line 300, the active switch 400 will be damaged and cannot be used.

[0055] Therefore, the present application adds a first voltage signal line 610, and the first voltage signal line 610 is directly connected to the driving main electrode 510. For example, taking a driving unit as an example, when it is necessary to drive the droplet 11 to move to the driving unit, the driving main electrode 510 of the driving unit should be a high voltage, and the driving main electrode 510 in the driving unit where the current droplet 11 is located should be a low voltage, so as to drive the droplet 11 to move.

[0056] When the driving main electrode 510 in the driving unit becomes a high voltage, a high voltage needs to be input through the first voltage signal line 610. Since the first voltage signal line 610 is connected to the driving main electrode 510 without passing through the active switch 400, the active switch 400 will not be damaged.

[0057] When the driving main electrode 510 in the driving unit becomes a low voltage, the active switch 400 needs to be opened through the scanning signal line 200, and the data signal line 300, the driving main electrode 510 and the first voltage signal line 610 are turned on, and the difference between the voltage on the data signal line 300 and the voltage on the first voltage signal line 610 is less than the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch 400.

[0058] Exemplarily, the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch 400 is 30V, the voltage on the first voltage signal line 610 is 50V, and the voltage on the data signal line 300 is 25V, so that the voltage when driving the droplet 11 to move can reach 50V, thereby driving the droplet 11 to move smoothly.

[0059] Compared with the existing microfluidic substrate 100 solution, the present application adds a first voltage signal line 610, and the first voltage signal line 610 is directly connected to the driving main electrode 510. The voltage received by the first voltage signal line 610 is greater than the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch 400, and the difference between the voltage received by the data signal line 300 and the voltage on the first voltage signal line 610 is less than the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch 400. In this way, the voltage of the driving main electrode 510 can be increased when driving the droplet 11, and the active switch 400 will not be damaged, thereby improving the driving ability of the microfluidic substrate 100 to enhance the applicability of the microfluidic substrate 100, and can reduce the damage rate of the active switch 400, thereby enhancing the service life of the microfluidic substrate 100.

[0060] In this embodiment, each column of the driving main electrodes 510 is connected to a data signal line 300 as an example. Specifically, each column of the driving main electrodes 510 is connected to a data signal line 300, each row of the active switches 400 is connected to a scanning signal line 200, and each column of the driving main electrodes 510 is connected to a first voltage signal line 610.

[0061] Of course, it is also possible to connect a first voltage signal line 610 to each driving main electrode 510, or to divide all the driving main electrodes 510 into zones, with the driving main electrodes 510 in each zone connected to a first voltage signal line 610. In this embodiment, a column in the vertical direction is used as a zone, and each column of driving main electrodes 510 is connected to a first voltage signal line 610.

[0062] In this way, in the vertical direction, although each driving main electrode 510 is connected to the same first voltage signal line 610, each driving main electrode 510 is connected to a different scanning signal line 200, thereby satisfying the up and down movement of the driving droplet 11 in the vertical direction; in the horizontal direction, although the active switches 400 of two adjacent driving main electrodes 510 are connected to the same scanning signal line 200, each driving main electrode 510 is connected to a different first voltage signal line 610, thereby satisfying the left and right movement of the driving droplet 11 in the horizontal direction.

[0063] Combination Figure 1 As shown, the microfluidic substrate 100 includes a substrate 110 , a first metal layer 120 , a first insulating layer 130 , a semiconductor layer 140 , a second metal layer 150 , a second insulating layer 160 , a driving electrode layer 170 , a dielectric layer 180 and a hydrophobic layer 190 .

[0064] The active switch 400 may be a top gate structure or a bottom gate structure, which is not limited herein. The present application takes the active switch 400 as an example of a bottom gate structure, and the first metal layer 120, the first insulating layer 130, the semiconductor layer 140, the second metal layer 150, the second insulating layer 160, the driving electrode layer 170, the dielectric layer 180 and the hydrophobic layer 190 are sequentially arranged on the substrate 110.

[0065] The first metal layer 120 includes a gate signal line and a gate, the semiconductor layer 140 includes a semiconductor, and the second metal layer 150 includes a data signal line 300, a source and a drain; the semiconductor is arranged between the source and the drain, and the gate, semiconductor, source, and drain form the active switch 400.

[0066] The driving main electrode 510 is located in the driving electrode layer 170 , and the first voltage signal line 610 can be set in the second metal layer 150 or the driving electrode layer 170 .

[0067] When the first voltage signal line 610 is located on the second metal layer 150, the driving main electrode 510 is connected to the first voltage signal line 610 through a via; when the first voltage signal line 610 is located on the driving electrode layer 170, the driving main electrode 510 can be directly connected to the first voltage signal line 610, and at this time, the distance between the first voltage signal line 610 and the data signal line 300 is farther, and the signal interference between them is smaller.

[0068] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a driving auxiliary electrode of the first embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 4As shown, the present application also adds a schematic diagram of a driving auxiliary electrode 520 . The driving auxiliary electrode 520 of the present application can receive a negative voltage to push the droplet 11 , and cooperate with the driving main electrode 510 to achieve rapid movement of the droplet 11 .

[0069] That is, the microfluidic substrate 100 also includes a second voltage signal line 620 and a driving auxiliary electrode 520, the second voltage signal line 620 is connected to the driving auxiliary electrode 520, the driving auxiliary electrode 520 is located between the two driving main electrodes 510, the second voltage signal line 620 is used to receive a negative voltage, and the first voltage signal line 610 is used to receive a positive voltage.

[0070] The second voltage signal line 620 includes a second horizontal voltage signal line arranged in parallel with the scanning signal line 200, and a second vertical voltage signal line arranged in parallel with the data signal line 300, wherein the second horizontal voltage signal line is arranged in the first metal layer 120, the second vertical voltage signal line is arranged in the second metal layer 150, and the second horizontal voltage signal line is connected to a row of driving auxiliary electrodes 520 arranged horizontally, and the second vertical voltage signal line is connected to a column of driving auxiliary electrodes 520 arranged vertically.

[0071] For example, when the droplet 11 needs to move to the left, the driving auxiliary electrodes 520 above, below and to the right of the droplet 11 are controlled to have a negative voltage, thereby pushing the droplet 11 to the left. The driving auxiliary electrode 520 on the left side of the droplet 11 does not need to input a voltage signal or a positive voltage signal to complete the auxiliary driving function of the droplet 11.

[0072] In addition, the present application also arranges the driving auxiliary electrode 520 in the second metal layer 150 to generate an inclined upward thrust on the droplet 11. Specifically, the microfluidic substrate 100 includes a substrate 110, a first metal layer 120, a first insulating layer 130, a second metal layer 150, a second insulating layer 160, a driving electrode layer 170, and a hydrophobic layer 190; the first metal layer 120, the first insulating layer 130, the second metal layer 150, the second insulating layer 160, the driving electrode layer 170 and the hydrophobic layer 190 are arranged in sequence on the substrate 110; the driving main electrode 510 is located on the driving electrode layer 170, and the driving auxiliary electrode 520 is located in the second metal layer 150.

[0073] The second transverse voltage signal line in the first metal layer 120 is connected to the driving auxiliary electrode 520 in the second metal layer 150 through a via hole.

[0074] Figure 5 is a schematic plan view of a driving auxiliary electrode according to the first embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 As shown, since the shape of the droplet 11 is generally spherical, the present application further improves the shape of the driving auxiliary electrode 520, and defines the length direction of the gap between two adjacent driving main electrodes 510 as the first direction. The width of the driving auxiliary electrode 520 first decreases and then increases along the first direction, and the two sides of the driving auxiliary electrode 520 close to the two driving main electrodes 510 are both concave inward. In short, the two sides of the driving auxiliary electrode 520 are concave inward to form an arc, and are close to the two sides of the driving main electrode 510. In this way, a uniform thrust can be generated on the droplet 11 to prevent the droplet 11 from running off.

[0075] Figure 6 is a plan view of a first driving auxiliary part and a second driving auxiliary part of the first embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 6 As shown, the driving auxiliary electrode 520 includes a first driving auxiliary part 521 and a second driving auxiliary part 522; the microfluidic substrate 100 also includes a first driving auxiliary active switch 431 and a second driving auxiliary active switch 432, the first driving auxiliary active switch 431 and the second driving auxiliary active switch 432 are both P-type active switches, that is, the source and the drain are turned on when the gate voltage is low, and the active switch 400 is an N-type active switch, that is, the source and the drain can only be turned on when the gate is at a high voltage.

[0076] Two adjacent driving main electrodes 510 are defined as a first driving main electrode 511 and a second driving main electrode 512 , and the first driving auxiliary portion 521 and the second driving auxiliary portion 522 are both disposed between the first driving main electrode 511 and the second driving main electrode 512 .

[0077] The gate of the first driving auxiliary active switch 431 is connected to the first driving main electrode 511 , the source of the first driving auxiliary active switch 431 is connected to the second voltage signal line 620 , and the drain of the first driving auxiliary active switch 431 is connected to the first driving auxiliary part 521 .

[0078] The gate of the second driving auxiliary active switch 432 is connected to the second driving main electrode 512 , the source of the second driving auxiliary active switch 432 is connected to the second voltage signal line 620 , and the drain of the second driving auxiliary active switch 432 is connected to the second driving auxiliary part 522 .

[0079] And the second driving auxiliary part 522 is located between the first driving main electrode 511 and the first driving auxiliary part 521, and the first driving auxiliary part 521 is located between the second driving main electrode 512 and the second driving auxiliary part 522; the absolute value of the negative voltage value output by the second voltage signal line 620 is less than 1 / 2 of the high voltage value output by the first voltage signal line 610.

[0080] Exemplarily, when the droplet 11 is driven to move from the top of the first driving main electrode 511 to the top of the second driving main electrode 512 on the right: the first voltage signal line 610 inputs a high-voltage signal to the connected second driving main electrode 512, and the scanning signal line 200 does not open the active switch 400 of the connected first driving main electrode 511 and the active switch 400 of the second driving main electrode 512, at which time the second driving main electrode 512 is in a high-voltage state.

[0081] The first voltage signal line 610 is disconnected to input high voltage signals to the first driving main electrode 511 , the second driving main electrode 512 above the first driving main electrode 511 , the second driving main electrode 512 on the left, and the second driving main electrode 512 below.

[0082] At this time, the low voltage stored in the second driving main electrode 512 above the first driving main electrode 511 will open the second driving auxiliary active switch 432 between the first driving main electrode 511 and the second driving auxiliary part 522 between the second driving main electrode 512 above the first driving main electrode 511 has a negative pressure.

[0083] At this time, the low voltage stored in the second driving main electrode 512 below the first driving main electrode 511 will open the second driving auxiliary active switch 432 between the first driving main electrode 511 and the second driving auxiliary part 522 between the second driving main electrode 512 below the first driving main electrode 511 has negative pressure.

[0084] At this time, the low voltage stored in the second driving main electrode 512 on the left side of the first driving main electrode 511 will open the second driving auxiliary active switch 432 between the first driving main electrode 511 and the second driving auxiliary part 522 between the second driving main electrode 512 on the left side of the first driving main electrode 511 has a negative pressure;

[0085] In simple terms, at this time, the second driving auxiliary parts 522 above, below and on the left of the first driving main electrode 511 will all have negative pressure, thereby pushing the droplet 11. Thus, the droplet 11 can move to the top of the right driving main electrode 510 faster.

[0086] When the droplet 11 is driven to move from the top of the first driving main electrode 511 to the top of the second driving main electrode 512 above: the first voltage signal line 610 inputs a high-voltage signal to the connected second driving main electrode 512, and the scanning signal line 200 does not open the active switch 400 of the connected second driving main electrode 512. At this time, the second driving main electrode 512 is in a high-voltage state.

[0087] Since the first voltage signal line 610 is also connected to the first driving main electrode 511 and the second driving main electrode 512 below the first driving main electrode 511, the scanning signal line 200 turns on the active switch 400 of the first driving main electrode 511 and the active switch 400 of the second driving main electrode 512 below the first driving main electrode 511.

[0088] The first voltage signal line 610 is disconnected to input a high voltage signal to the second driving main electrode 512 on the left side of the first driving main electrode 511 and the second driving main electrode 512 on the right side of the first driving main electrode 511 .

[0089] At this time, the low voltage stored in the second driving main electrode 512 below the first driving main electrode 511 will open the second driving auxiliary active switch 432 between the first driving main electrode 511 and the second driving auxiliary part 522 between the second driving main electrode 512 below the first driving main electrode 511 has negative pressure.

[0090] At this time, the low voltage stored in the second driving main electrode 512 on the left side of the first driving main electrode 511 will open the second driving auxiliary active switch 432 between the first driving main electrode 511 and the second driving auxiliary part 522 between the second driving main electrode 512 on the left side of the first driving main electrode 511 has negative pressure.

[0091] At this time, the low voltage stored in the second driving main electrode 512 on the right side of the first driving main electrode 511 will open the second driving auxiliary active switch 432 between the first driving main electrode 511 and the second driving auxiliary part 522 between the second driving main electrode 512 on the right side of the first driving main electrode 511 has negative pressure.

[0092] In short, the second driving auxiliary parts 522 below, on the left and on the right of the first driving main electrode 511 will all have negative pressure, thereby pushing the droplet 11. This allows the droplet 11 to move to the top of the driving main electrode 510 more quickly.

[0093] And relative to the way in which the second voltage signal line 620 is directly connected to the first drive auxiliary part 521 and the second drive auxiliary part 522, the present application realizes the function of controlling the switch by the surrounding drive main electrode 510 by adding a P-type first drive auxiliary active switch 431 and a second drive auxiliary active switch 432. There is no need for complex drive timing, and only the second voltage signal line 620 needs to be kept open, so the timing control is simpler.

[0094] Furthermore, the first driving auxiliary part 521 is concave inwardly to form an arc on the side away from the second driving auxiliary part 522, and the second driving auxiliary part 522 is concave inwardly to form an arc on the side away from the first driving auxiliary part 521. In this way, a uniform thrust can be generated on the droplet 11 to prevent the droplet 11 from running off.

[0095] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a dual active switch according to the first embodiment of the present application. Figure 7 As shown, the present application sets two active switches 400 for each driving unit, and the active switch 400 includes a first sub-active switch 410 and a second sub-active switch 420. The data signal line 300, the first sub-active switch 410, the second sub-active switch 420 and the driving main electrode 510 are sequentially arranged in series, and the scanning signal line 200 is connected to the first sub-active switch 410 and the second sub-active switch 420, and controls the on-off between the driving main electrode 510 and the data signal line 300.

[0096] The first sub-active switch 410 and the second sub-active switch 420 connected in series realize the effect of voltage division, so the voltage received by the first voltage signal line 610 can be further increased, thereby achieving better driving capability. The voltage received by the first voltage signal line 610 is greater than the sum of the maximum withstand voltage of the first sub-active switch 410 and the maximum withstand voltage of the second sub-active switch 420. The difference between the voltage received by the data signal line 300 and the voltage on the first voltage signal line 610 is less than the sum of the maximum withstand voltage of the first sub-active switch 410 and the maximum withstand voltage of the second sub-active switch 420, and the first sub-active switch 410 and the second sub-active switch 420 will not be damaged.

[0097] Embodiment 2:

[0098] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a microfluidic substrate of the second embodiment of the present application, Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a microfluidic substrate provided with a driving auxiliary electrode in the second embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 8-9As shown, the difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the first voltage signal line 610 of the first embodiment of the present application only controls one column of driving main electrodes 510, while the first voltage signal line 610 of this embodiment simultaneously controls two adjacent columns of driving main electrodes 510, thereby reducing the number of first voltage signal lines 610 set and reducing interference problems between adjacent signal lines.

[0099] The scanning signal line 200 includes a first sub-scanning signal line 210 and a second sub-scanning signal line 220. The first sub-scanning signal line 210 is connected to the active switch 400 corresponding to the driving main electrode 510 in an odd column of a row, and the second sub-scanning signal line 220 is connected to the active switch 400 corresponding to the driving main electrode 510 in the even column of the same row. The first voltage signal line 610 is simultaneously connected to the two adjacent columns of the driving main electrodes 510, and one driving main electrode 510 is only connected to one first voltage signal line 610.

[0100] On a row of driving main electrodes 510, the active switches 400 corresponding to two adjacent driving main electrodes 510 are respectively connected to the first sub-scanning signal line 210 and the second sub-scanning signal line 220. In this way, regardless of whether the two adjacent driving main electrodes 510 are connected to the same first voltage signal line 610, they can also be controlled separately to realize the driving of the droplet 11 to move left and right in the horizontal direction.

[0101] Although the driving main electrodes 510 in one column are connected to the same first voltage signal line 610, since the active switches 400 corresponding to the driving main electrodes 510 are connected to different scanning signal lines 200, they can also be controlled separately to achieve the vertical movement of the droplets 11.

[0102] Furthermore, the first voltage signal line 610 is located between two adjacent columns of driving main electrodes 510, and the data signal line 300 is located on the side of the driving main electrode 510 away from the first voltage signal line 610, so as to increase the distance between the data signal line 300 and the first voltage signal line 610, so as to avoid mutual interference between the voltage signal in the data signal line 300 and the voltage signal in the first voltage signal line 610.

[0103] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of a driving method of a microfluidic substrate according to the first embodiment of the present application, such as Fig.10 As shown, the present application also discloses a driving method for a microfluidic substrate 100, and the driving method is used for the microfluidic substrate 100; the microfluidic substrate 100 is used to drive the droplet 11 to move, and the initial position of the droplet 11 is defined as the initial position, and the position of the droplet 11 after movement is defined as the target position.

[0104] With respect to the structure of the first embodiment, the driving method of the microfluidic substrate 100 comprises the following steps:

[0105] S1: receiving a driving signal for controlling the droplet to move from an initial position to a target position;

[0106] S2: Determine whether the scanning signal line connected to the driving main electrode at the initial position of the droplet and the scanning signal line connected to the driving main electrode at the target position are the same; determine whether the first voltage signal line connected to the driving main electrode at the initial position of the droplet and the first voltage signal line connected to the driving main electrode at the target position are the same;

[0107] S31: When the driving main electrode at the initial position and the driving main electrode at the target position are connected to different scanning signal lines and are connected to the same first voltage signal line:

[0108] In simple terms, the driving main electrode 510 at the initial position and the driving main electrode 510 at the target position are in different rows, and the exemplary droplet 11 moves up by one driving unit, or the droplet 11 moves down by one driving unit.

[0109] S311: the scan signal line at the target position turns off the active switch at the target position, the driving main electrode at the target position is disconnected from the data signal line, and the first voltage signal line transmits a high voltage signal to the driving main electrode at the target position;

[0110] That is, the connection between the driving main electrode 510 and the data signal line 300 is disconnected by turning off the active switch 400 . At this time, the voltage carried by the driving main electrode 510 is the high voltage transmitted by the first voltage signal line 610 .

[0111] S312: The first voltage signal line transmits a high voltage signal to the driving main electrode at the initial position, the scanning signal line at the initial position turns on the active switch at the initial position, the driving main electrode at the initial position receives a low voltage signal input from the data signal line, and the droplet moves from the driving main electrode at the initial position to the driving main electrode at the target position.

[0112] At this time, the first voltage signal line 610 and the data signal line 300 are short-circuited, and the driving main electrode 510 can be regarded as a conductor with a zero voltage.

[0113] S32: When the driving main electrode at the initial position and the driving main electrode at the target position are connected to the same scanning signal line and to different first voltage signal lines:

[0114] In simple terms, the driving main electrode 510 at the initial position is in the same row as the driving main electrode 510 at the target position, and the exemplary droplet 11 moves one driving unit to the left, or the droplet 11 moves one driving unit to the right.

[0115] S321: the scan signal line at the target position turns off the active switch at the target position, the driving main electrode at the target position is disconnected from the data signal line, and the first voltage signal line at the target position inputs a high voltage signal to the driving main electrode at the target position;

[0116] That is, the connection between the driving main electrode 510 and the data signal line 300 is disconnected by turning off the active switch 400 . At this time, the voltage carried by the driving main electrode 510 is the high voltage transmitted by the first voltage signal line 610 .

[0117] S3221: the first voltage signal at the initial position stops inputting a high voltage signal to the driving main electrode at the initial position, and the droplet moves from the driving main electrode at the initial position to the driving main electrode at the target position.

[0118] Or you can also follow the steps:

[0119] S3222: The first voltage signal line 610 transmits a high voltage signal to the driving main electrode 510 at the initial position, the scanning signal line 200 at the initial position opens the active switch 400 at the initial position, the driving main electrode 510 at the initial position receives the low voltage signal input from the data signal line 300, and the droplet 11 moves from the driving main electrode 510 at the initial position to the driving main electrode 510 at the target position.

[0120] At this time, the first voltage signal line 610 and the data signal line 300 are short-circuited, and the driving main electrode 510 can be regarded as a conductor with a voltage of zero. It is also possible to achieve that the driving main electrode 510 at the target position is a high voltage and the driving main electrode 510 at the initial position is a low voltage, so that the droplet 11 moves from the driving main electrode 510 at the initial position to the driving main electrode 510 at the target position.

[0121] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram of a driving method of a microfluidic substrate according to the second embodiment of the present application, such as Fig.11 As shown, the present application also discloses a driving method for a microfluidic substrate 100, and the driving method is used for the microfluidic substrate 100; the microfluidic substrate 100 is used to drive the droplet 11 to move, and the initial position of the droplet 11 is defined as the initial position, and the position of the droplet 11 after movement is defined as the target position.

[0122] According to the structure of the second embodiment, the driving method of the microfluidic substrate 100 comprises the following steps:

[0123] S1: receiving a driving signal for controlling the droplet to move from an initial position to a target position;

[0124] S2: Determine whether the scanning signal line connected to the driving main electrode at the initial position of the droplet and the scanning signal line connected to the driving main electrode at the target position are the same; determine whether the first voltage signal line connected to the driving main electrode at the initial position of the droplet and the first voltage signal line connected to the driving main electrode at the target position are the same;

[0125] S33: When the driving main electrode at the initial position and the driving main electrode at the target position are connected to different scanning signal lines and are connected to the same first voltage signal line:

[0126] In simple terms, the driving main electrode 510 at the initial position and the driving main electrode 510 at the target position are located in the same column. For example, the droplet 11 moves upward by one driving unit, or the droplet 11 moves downward by one driving unit.

[0127] Alternatively, the driving main motor at the initial position and the driving main electrode 510 at the target position are located on two adjacent columns of driving main electrodes 510 connected to the same first voltage signal line 610. For example, the droplet 11 moves one driving unit to the left, or the droplet 11 moves one driving unit to the right.

[0128] S331: the scan signal line at the target position turns off the active switch at the target position, the driving main electrode at the target position is disconnected from the data signal line, and the first voltage signal line transmits a high voltage signal to the driving main electrode at the target position;

[0129] That is, the connection between the driving main electrode 510 and the data signal line 300 is disconnected by turning off the active switch 400 . At this time, the voltage carried by the driving main electrode 510 is the high voltage transmitted by the first voltage signal line 610 .

[0130] S332: The first voltage signal line transmits a high voltage signal to the driving main electrode at the initial position, the scanning signal line at the initial position turns on the active switch at the initial position, the driving main electrode at the initial position receives a low voltage signal input from the data signal line, and the droplet moves from the driving main electrode at the initial position to the driving main electrode at the target position.

[0131] At this time, the first voltage signal line 610 and the data signal line 300 are short-circuited, and the driving main electrode 510 can be regarded as a conductor with a zero voltage.

[0132] S34: When the driving main electrode at the initial position and the driving main electrode at the target position are connected to different scanning signal lines and to different first voltage signal lines:

[0133] In simple terms, the driving main electrode 510 at the initial position and the driving main electrode 510 at the target position are located at adjacent left and right positions in the same row, and no first voltage signal line 610 is set between the driving main electrode 510 at the initial position and the driving main electrode 510 at the target position.

[0134] S341: the scan signal line at the target position turns off the active switch at the target position, the driving main electrode at the target position is disconnected from the data signal line, and the first voltage signal line transmits a high voltage signal to the driving main electrode at the target position;

[0135] S342: the first voltage signal at the initial position stops inputting a high voltage signal to the driving main electrode at the initial position, and the droplet moves from the driving main electrode at the initial position to the driving main electrode at the target position.

[0136] It should be noted that the limitations on the various steps involved in this solution, without affecting the implementation of the specific solution, are not deemed to limit the order of the steps. The steps written in front can be executed first, or later, or even simultaneously. As long as this solution can be implemented, it should be deemed to fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0137] It should be noted that the inventive concept of the present application can form a large number of embodiments, but the length of the application document is limited and it is impossible to list them one by one. Therefore, under the premise of no conflict, the embodiments or technical features described above can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments. After the embodiments or technical features are combined, the original technical effects will be enhanced.

[0138] The above content is a further detailed description of the present application in combination with specific optional implementation methods, and it cannot be determined that the specific implementation of the present application is limited to these descriptions. For ordinary technicians in the technical field to which the present application belongs, several simple deductions or substitutions can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, which should be deemed to fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A microfluidic substrate, characterized in that: The microfluidic substrate includes a scanning signal line, a data signal line, an active switch and a driving main electrode; The data signal lines and the scanning signal lines are arranged in a crisscross pattern to divide a plurality of driving units, each of the driving units being provided with an active switch and a driving main electrode; The data signal line, the active switch and the driving main electrode are sequentially arranged in series, the scanning signal line is connected to the active switch, and controls the on-off between the active switch and the data signal line; The microfluidic substrate further comprises a first voltage signal line, the first voltage signal line is connected to the driving main electrode; the voltage received by the first voltage signal line is greater than the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch; the voltage received by the data signal line is less than the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch, and the difference between the voltage received by the first voltage signal line and the voltage received by the data signal line is less than the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch; Inputting a high voltage signal to a driving main electrode at the target position through a first voltage signal line at the target position to drive the droplet to move; Each column of the driving main electrodes is connected to one of the data signal lines, each row of the active switches is connected to one of the scanning signal lines; each column of the driving main electrodes is connected to one of the first voltage signal lines.

2. The microfluidic substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The microfluidic substrate further comprises a second voltage signal line and a driving auxiliary electrode, wherein the second voltage signal line is connected to the driving auxiliary electrode, and the driving auxiliary electrode is located between the two driving main electrodes; The second voltage signal line is used for receiving a negative voltage, and the first voltage signal line is used for receiving a positive voltage.

3. The microfluidic substrate according to claim 2, characterized in that: The microfluidic substrate comprises a substrate, a first metal layer, a first insulating layer, a second metal layer, a second insulating layer, a driving electrode layer and a hydrophobic layer; the first metal layer, the first insulating layer, the second metal layer, the second insulating layer, the driving electrode layer and the hydrophobic layer are sequentially arranged on the substrate; The main driving electrode is located on the driving electrode layer, and the auxiliary driving electrode is located in the second metal layer.

4. The microfluidic substrate according to claim 3, characterized in that: The length direction of the gap between two adjacent driving main electrodes is defined as a first direction, the width of the driving auxiliary electrode first decreases and then increases along the first direction, and both sides of the driving auxiliary electrode close to the two driving main electrodes are recessed inwards.

5. The microfluidic substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that: The active switch includes a first sub-active switch and a second sub-active switch. The data signal line, the first sub-active switch, the second sub-active switch and the driving main electrode are sequentially arranged in series. The scanning signal line is connected to the first sub-active switch and the second sub-active switch, and controls the on-off between the driving main electrode and the data signal line.

6. A microfluidic substrate, characterized in that: The microfluidic substrate includes a scanning signal line, a data signal line, an active switch and a driving main electrode; The data signal lines and the scanning signal lines are arranged in a crisscross pattern to divide a plurality of driving units, each of the driving units being provided with an active switch and a driving main electrode; The data signal line, the active switch and the driving main electrode are sequentially arranged in series, the scanning signal line is connected to the active switch, and controls the on-off between the active switch and the data signal line; The microfluidic substrate further comprises a first voltage signal line, the first voltage signal line is connected to the driving main electrode; the voltage received by the first voltage signal line is greater than the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch; the voltage received by the data signal line is less than the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch, and the difference between the voltage received by the first voltage signal line and the voltage received by the data signal line is less than the maximum withstand voltage of the active switch; Inputting a high voltage signal to a driving main electrode at the target position through a first voltage signal line at the target position to drive the droplet to move; Each column of the driving main electrodes is respectively connected to one of the data signal lines, the scanning signal lines include a first sub-scanning signal line and a second sub-scanning signal line, the first sub-scanning signal line is connected to the active switches corresponding to the driving main electrodes in an odd-numbered column of a row, the second sub-scanning signal line is connected to the active switches corresponding to the driving main electrodes in an even-numbered column of the same row, the first voltage signal line is connected to the driving main electrodes in two adjacent columns at the same time, and one driving main electrode is only connected to one first voltage signal line.

7. A method for driving a microfluidic substrate, characterized in that: The driving method is used for the microfluidic substrate described in any one of claims 1 to 6 above; the microfluidic substrate is used to drive the droplet to move a driving unit, defining the initial position of the droplet as the initial position, and defining the position of the droplet after movement as the target position; The driving method of the microfluidic substrate comprises the steps of: When the driving main electrode at the initial position and the driving main electrode at the target position are connected to different scanning signal lines and are connected to the same first voltage signal line: The scanning signal line at the target position turns off the active switch at the target position, the driving main electrode at the target position is disconnected from the data signal line, and the first voltage signal line transmits a high voltage signal to the driving main electrode at the target position; The first voltage signal line transmits a high voltage signal to the driving main electrode at the initial position, the scanning signal line at the initial position turns on the active switch at the initial position, the driving main electrode at the initial position receives a low voltage signal input from the data signal line, and the droplet moves from the driving main electrode at the initial position to the driving main electrode at the target position.

8. A method for driving a microfluidic substrate, characterized in that: The driving method is used for the microfluidic substrate described in any one of claims 1 to 5 above; the microfluidic substrate is used to drive the droplet to move a driving unit, defining the initial position of the droplet as the initial position, and defining the position of the droplet after movement as the target position; The driving method of the microfluidic substrate comprises the steps of: When the driving main electrode at the initial position and the driving main electrode at the target position are connected to the same scanning signal line and to different first voltage signal lines: The scanning signal line at the target position turns off the active switch at the target position, the driving main electrode at the target position is disconnected from the data signal line, and the first voltage signal line at the target position inputs a high voltage signal to the driving main electrode at the target position; The first voltage signal at the initial position stops inputting a high voltage signal to the driving main electrode at the initial position, and the droplet moves from the driving main electrode at the initial position to the driving main electrode at the target position.

9. A microfluidic chip, characterized in that: The microfluidic chip comprises an opposing substrate and the microfluidic substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the opposing substrate is spaced apart from the microfluidic substrate and a channel is formed between the opposing substrate and the microfluidic substrate.

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