Fluidic device with pumping and sensing functions for precise flow control

Abstract

We have developed and characterized a planar fluidic device consisting of a piezoelectric (PZT) acutated valveless micropump and a p-type silicon hotwire as a flow sensor. The device is fabricated by standard MEMS process. The performance of the device is studied by experiment and simulation. The flow rate and backpressure attain 2.9 mL/min and 0.3 kPa, respectively, when using a 50 Vp-p sinusoidal driving voltage at the resonant frequency of 7.9 kHz. At low driving voltage of 10 Vp-p where the pump performance cannot be resolved by conventional flow meter, a flow rate of 0.05 mL/min is obtained by the hotwire. The successful integration of hotwire allows the device to be applicable to lab-on-a-chip analysis, gas sensing, and other systems where the integration and precise flow are required. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.