Integrated surface-machined micro flow controller method and apparatus
First Claim
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1. An electrostatic valve device comprising:
- a substrate;
a first fluid channel disposed on the substrate;
a second fluid channel disposed on the substrate;
a polymer based diaphragm coupled between the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel;
an orifice disposed within a portion of the polymer diaphragm, the orifice being adapted to provide fluid communication between the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel;
a first electrode coupled to the substrate;
a second electrode coupled to the polymer based diaphragm and separated from the first electrode by the first fluid channel; and
a power source coupled between the first electrode and the second electrode, the power source being adapted to actuate the diaphragm to block fluid communication between the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel through the orifice.
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Abstract
A surface-micromachined mass flow controller (MFC) comprises an electrostatically actuated microvalve integrated with a thermal flow sensor. The microvalve comprises a normally-open diaphragm defining an aperture allowing fluid communication between first and second flow channels. The diaphragm includes a second electrode actuable toward a valve seat including a first electrode. Fabricated utilizing a multilayer Parylene process, the active microvalve and the flow sensor are integrated onto a single chip to perform closed-loop flow control. For flow control, both Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) and actuation voltage adjustment are demonstrated.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An electrostatic valve device comprising:
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a substrate;
a first fluid channel disposed on the substrate;
a second fluid channel disposed on the substrate;
a polymer based diaphragm coupled between the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel;
an orifice disposed within a portion of the polymer diaphragm, the orifice being adapted to provide fluid communication between the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel;
a first electrode coupled to the substrate;
a second electrode coupled to the polymer based diaphragm and separated from the first electrode by the first fluid channel; and
a power source coupled between the first electrode and the second electrode, the power source being adapted to actuate the diaphragm to block fluid communication between the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel through the orifice. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for fabricating a micro fluidic device, the method comprising:
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providing a substrate;
forming a first electrically conducting layer overlying the substrate;
patterning the first electrode layer to form a first electrode element;
forming a first polymer based layer overlying the first electrode element and the substrate;
forming a first sacrificial layer overlying the first polymer based layer;
forming a second polymer based layer overlying the first sacrificial layer, the second polymer layer defining an aperture;
forming a second electrically conducting layer overlying the first polymer based layer;
patterning the second electrode layer to form a second electrode element associated with the first electrode element, the second electrode layer excluded from the aperture;
forming a third polymer based layer overlying the second electrode element to sandwich the second electrode element between the second polymer based layer and the third polymer based layer, the third polymer based layer also excluded from the aperture;
forming a second sacrificial layer overlying the third polymer based layer and the first sacrificial layer within the aperture;
forming a fourth polymer based layer overlying the second sacrificial layer; and
releasing the first and second sacrificial layers to define respective first and second flow channels in fluid communication through the aperture. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of controlling a flow of fluid comprising:
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providing a first polymer based layer overlying a first electrode supported by a substrate;
defining a flow channel between the first polymer layer and a diaphragm comprising a second electrode sandwiched between second and third polymer based layers, the second electrode and second and third polymer based layers defining an aperture; and
selectively applying a potential difference between the first and second electrodes to draw the second electrode toward the first electrode, thereby causing the diaphragm to seat on the first polymer layer and block a flow of fluid through the aperture. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification