Offer | Applications | Microfluidic Devices
Microfluidic Devices
The MultiMEMS MPW process allows the manufacturing of designs for a large variety of microfluidic applications, such as flow rate sensors, chemical reaction chambers, passive or thermo-pneumatically actuated pumps and valves.
For a comprehensive presentation of microfluidic applications, the reader is referred to microBUILDER.
Flow Rate Sensors
The simplified cross-section of a MultiMEMS liquid flow rate sensor is illustrated below. The liquid is forced to flow through a narrow channel, manufactured by RIE in the silicon wafer, thus generating a pressure drop between the inlet and outlet cavities proportional to the flow rate.
Cross-Sectional View:
Flow rate sensor
 © 2007 Infineon Technologies SensoNor. |
The flow rate sensors pictured below have been developed by SINTEF. They may be used, with proper modifications, in implantable medical dosing systems, in reagent flow control in chemical analysis, as lab-on-a-chip, etc.
 Flow rate sensors. Courtesy of SINTEF. © 2007 SINTEF. |
Micro-Pumps
The micro-pump pictured below, relying on electromagnetic actuation, has been developed by CNM for handling of fluids in micro total analysis systems (µTAS).
  Electromagnetic micro-pump. Courtesy of CNM. © 2007 CNM. |
While the thermo-pneumatically actuated valves and pumps can be entirely manufactured in the MultiMEMS MPW process, those relying on electromagnetic actuation require external electrodes.
Other Examples of Microfluidic Devices
A flow detector and a flow rate sensor, both designed by MICAS at KU Leuven, are presented in the 
Resonators page.