Droplet actuator devices and methods

• US 8,926,065 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Liquid Logic, Inc. (Illumina Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Liquid Logic, Inc. (Illumina Incorporated)
• Inventors: Winger, Theodore
• Primary Examiner(s): JACKSON, JUANITA DIONNE
• Application Number:
  US13/238,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20120044299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 347/20, 347/54, 347/56, 347/45, 347/63, 347/50
• US Class Current: 347/45
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0427 Electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502792 for moving individual droplets on a plate, e.g. by locally altering surface tension
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/087 Arrangements of electrodes, e.g. of charging, shielding, collecting electrodes B05B5/12, B05B5/14 take precedence; arrangements of electrodes on the discharge apparatus B05B5/0533
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14 Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1606 Coating the nozzle area or the ink chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14322 Print head without nozzle
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14395 Electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 Composite [nonstructural laminate]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/3154 Of fluorinated addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31855 Of addition polymer from unsaturated monomers

Abstract

A microfluidic device having a substrate with an electrically conductive element made using a conductive ink layer underlying a hydrophobic layer.

Claims

1. A microfluidic device comprising:

a layered substrate comprising;

(a) a base substrate;

(b) an electrically conductive element comprising a conductive ink layer on the base substrate; and

(c) a hydrophobic layer overlying at least a portion of the conductive ink layer in the base substrate; and

further comprising a second substrate separated from the layered substrate to provide a gap between the layered substrate and the second substrate.

2. The layered substrate of claim 1 wherein the conductive ink comprises a PEDOT ink.

3. The layered substrate of claim 1 wherein the conductive ink comprises a PEDOT:

PSS ink.

4. The layered substrate of claim 1 wherein the conductive ink comprises a PEDOT ink and the hydrophobic layer comprises a CYTOP coating.

5. The layered substrate of claim 1 wherein the conductive ink comprises a PEDOT:

PSS ink and the hydrophobic layer comprises a CYTOP coating.

6. The layered substrate of claim 1 wherein the conductive ink comprises a PEDOT ink and the hydrophobic layer comprises a fluoropolymer coating.

7. The layered substrate of claim 1 wherein the conductive ink comprises a PEDOT:

PSS ink and the hydrophobic layer comprises a fluoropolymer coating.

8. The layered substrate of claim 1 wherein the conductive ink comprises a PEDOT ink and the hydrophobic layer comprises an amorphous fluoropolymer coating.

9. The layered substrate of claim 1 wherein the conductive ink comprises a PEDOT:

PSS ink and the hydrophobic layer comprises an amorphous fluoropolymer coating.

10. The microfluidic device of claim 1 wherein the second substrate comprises:

(a) an electrically conductive element comprising a conductive ink layer on the second substrate facing the gap; and

(b) a hydrophobic layer overlying at least a portion of the conductive ink layer on the second substrate.

11. The microfluidic device of claim 1 further comprising a droplet in the gap.

12. The microfluidic device of claim 1 further comprising an oil filler fluid in the gap.

13. The layered substrate of claim 1 wherein the base substrate is made from a material selected from the group consisting of silicon-based materials, glass, plastic and PCB.

14. The layered substrate of claim 1 wherein the base substrate is made from a material selected from the group consisting of glass, polycarbonate, COC, COP, PMMA, polystyrene and plastic.

15. The layered substrate of claim 1 wherein the hydrophobic layer material comprises a fluoropolymer.

16. The layered substrate of claim 1 wherein the hydrophobic layer material comprises an amorphous fluoropolymer.

17. The layered substrate of claim 1 wherein the hydrophobic layer material comprises a polytetrafluoroethylene polymer.

18. The layered substrate of claim 1 wherein the conductive ink layer comprises a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) material.

19. The layered substrate of claim 1 wherein the conductive ink layer comprises at least one of CLEVOS P Jet N, CLEVOS P Jet HC, CLEVOS P Jet N V2 and CLEVOS P Jet HC V2.

20. A layered substrate comprising:

(a) a base substrate;

(b) an electrically conductive element comprising the conductive ink layer on the base substrate; and

(c) a hydrophobic layer overlying at least a portion of the conductive ink layer in the base substrate; and

wherein the electrically conductive element comprising a conductive ink layer on the base substrate comprises an electrode in an array of electrodes.

21. The layered substrate of claim 20 further comprising a droplet on the hydrophobic layer.

22. The layered substrate of claim 20 further comprising an oil filler fluid on the hydrophobic layer.

23. A layered substrate comprising:

(a) a base substrate;

(b) an electrically conductive element comprising the conductive ink layer on the base substrate; and

(c) a hydrophobic layer overlying at least a portion of the conductive ink layer in the base substrate; and

wherein the electrically conductive element comprising a conductive ink layer on the base substrate comprises electrowetting electrodes.

24. A layered substrate comprising:

(a) a base substrate;

(b) an electrically conductive element comprising the conductive ink layer on the base substrate; and

(c) a hydrophobic layer overlying at least a portion of the conductive ink layer on the base substrate; and

further comprising a dielectric layer disposed between the an electrically conductive element comprising a conductive ink layer on the base substrate and the hydrophobic layer overlying at least a portion of the conductive ink layer on the base substrate.

25. A layered substrate comprising:

(a) a base substrate;

(b) an electrically conductive element comprising a conductive ink layer on the base substrate; and

(c) a hydrophobic layer overlying at least a portion of the conductive ink layer on the base substrate;

wherein the base substrate is subject to a corona treatment prior to applying the conductive ink.

26. A layered substrate comprising:

(a) a base substrate

(b) an electrically conductive element comprising a conductive ink layer on the base substrate; and

(c) a hydrophobic layer overlying at least a portion of the conductive ink layer on the base substrate;

wherein the conductive ink comprises a CYTOP and the CYTOP is applied as a formulation in which the CYTOP is dissolved in a fluorinert solvent.