TY - JOUR
T1 - Manipulating Liquid Metal Droplets in Microfluidic Channels with Minimized Skin Residues Toward Tunable RF Applications
AU - Koo, C.
AU - Leblanc, B.E.
AU - Kelley, M.
AU - Fitzgerald, H.E.
AU - Huff, G.H.
AU - Han, A.
N1 - cited By 35
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - A nontoxic liquid metal, such as eutectic gallium-indium (EGaIn) alloy, has been used to develop tunable radio frequency (RF) components, such as antennas, inductors, or capacitors, for enabling large tunable range, better linearity, and low loss, using fluidic displacement of the liquid metal. However, EGaIn residue, due to its fast oxidation, limits multiple movement of the EGaIn in the reconfigurable RF components. This paper focuses on the use of surfactants, carrier liquids, and microchannel coating materials that minimize EGaIn fragmentation and EGaIn residues on poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-based microfluidic channels during repeated actuation of an EGaIn plug. Using a combination of carrier liquids and microchannel coating materials to minimize EGaIn from leaving residues on the PDMS microfluidic channel, a microstrip transmission line switch as a proof-of-concept reconfigurable RF application using the EGaIn plug is demonstrated. It is switched ON
AB - A nontoxic liquid metal, such as eutectic gallium-indium (EGaIn) alloy, has been used to develop tunable radio frequency (RF) components, such as antennas, inductors, or capacitors, for enabling large tunable range, better linearity, and low loss, using fluidic displacement of the liquid metal. However, EGaIn residue, due to its fast oxidation, limits multiple movement of the EGaIn in the reconfigurable RF components. This paper focuses on the use of surfactants, carrier liquids, and microchannel coating materials that minimize EGaIn fragmentation and EGaIn residues on poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-based microfluidic channels during repeated actuation of an EGaIn plug. Using a combination of carrier liquids and microchannel coating materials to minimize EGaIn from leaving residues on the PDMS microfluidic channel, a microstrip transmission line switch as a proof-of-concept reconfigurable RF application using the EGaIn plug is demonstrated. It is switched ON
U2 - 10.1109/JMEMS.2014.2381555
DO - 10.1109/JMEMS.2014.2381555
M3 - Article
SN - 1057-7157
VL - 24
SP - 1069
EP - 1076
JO - Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems
JF - Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems
IS - 4
ER -