Wang Yong, Zhang Qian, Tao Ran, Xie Jin, Canyelles-Pericas Pep, Torun Hamdi, Reboud Julien, McHale Glen, Dodd Linzi E, Yang Xin, Luo Jingting, Wu Qiang, Fu YongQing
The State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
Faculty of Engineering and Environment, University of Northumbria, Tyne NE1 8ST, U.K.
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2021 Apr 14;13(14):16978-16986. doi: 10.1021/acsami.0c22576. Epub 2021 Apr 4.
In this paper, we explore the acoustofluidic performance of zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices fabricated on flexible and bendable thin aluminum (Al) foils/sheets with thicknesses from 50 to 1500 μm. Directional transport of fluids along these flexible/bendable surfaces offers potential applications for the next generation of microfluidic systems, wearable biosensors and soft robotic control. Theoretical calculations indicate that bending under strain levels up to 3000 με causes a small frequency shift and amplitude change (<0.3%) without degrading the acoustofluidic performance. Through systematic investigation of the effects of the Al sheet thickness on the microfluidic actuation performance for the bent devices, we identify the optimum thickness range to both maintain efficient microfluidic actuation and enable significant deformation of the substrate, providing a guide to design such devices. Finally, we demonstrate efficient liquid transportation across a wide range of substrate geometries including inclined, curved, vertical, inverted, and lateral positioned surfaces using a 200 μm thick Al sheet SAW device.
在本文中，我们探究了在厚度为50至1500μm的柔性可弯曲薄铝箔/薄板上制造的氧化锌（ZnO）薄膜表面声波（SAW）器件的声流体性能。流体沿着这些柔性/可弯曲表面的定向传输为下一代微流体系统、可穿戴生物传感器和软机器人控制提供了潜在应用。理论计算表明，在高达3000με的应变水平下弯曲会导致小的频率偏移和幅度变化（<0.3%），而不会降低声流体性能。通过系统研究铝板厚度对弯曲器件微流体驱动性能的影响，我们确定了既能保持高效微流体驱动又能使基板发生显著变形的最佳厚度范围，为设计此类器件提供了指导。最后，我们使用200μm厚的铝板SAW器件展示了在包括倾斜、弯曲、垂直、倒置和横向定位表面在内的各种基板几何形状上的高效液体传输。
