Electrowetting panel and operation method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11318465-B2
Application number	US-201916438796-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2019
Priority date	Mar 26, 2019
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

An electrowetting panel includes a base substrate; an electrode array layer, including a plurality of electrodes arranged into an array; an insulating hydrophobic layer; a microfluidic channel layer located on the base substrate. Each electrode of the plurality of electrodes is connected to a driving circuit, and a droplet can move along a first direction by applying an electric voltage on each electrode. The insulating hydrophobic layer is located on the electrode array layer, and the microfluidic channel layer is located on the insulating hydrophobic layer. The electrodes includes a plurality of driving electrodes and a plurality of detecting electrodes. Along the first direction, a number N of the driving electrodes is located between every two adjacent detecting electrodes, where N is a natural number. The electrowetting panel also includes a detecting chip electrically connected to the detecting electrodes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrowetting panel, comprising:
a base substrate; an electrode array layer; an insulating hydrophobic layer; and a microfluidic channel layer, wherein:
the electrode array layer is located on a side of the base substrate, wherein the electrode array layer includes a plurality of electrodes arranged into an array, each electrode of the plurality of electrodes is connected to a driving circuit, and the electrode array layer is configured to drive a droplet to move in the microfluidic channel layer along a first direction by applying an electric voltage on each electrode of the plurality of electrodes through the driving circuit corresponding to each electrode,
the insulating hydrophobic layer is located on a side of the electrode array layer away from the base substrate,
the microfluidic channel layer is located on a side of the insulating hydrophobic layer away from the electrode array layer,
the plurality of electrodes includes a plurality of driving electrodes and a plurality of detecting electrodes, wherein along the first direction,
a number N of the plurality of driving electrodes is located between every two adjacent detecting electrodes of the plurality of detecting electrodes, where N is a natural number,
the electrowetting panel further including:
a detecting chip electrically connected to the plurality of detecting electrodes,
the detecting chip is configured to receive a detection signal of a detecting electrode of the plurality of detecting electrodes, and

the plurality of electrodes further includes a plurality of auxiliary electrodes, wherein:
along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the plurality of auxiliary electrodes is located on a side of the plurality of detecting electrodes; and
each auxiliary electrode of the plurality of auxiliary electrodes is electrically connected to the detecting chip, and the detecting chip transmits a second electric-potential signal to the auxiliary electrode.

2. The electrowetting panel according to claim 1 , wherein:
along the first direction, any driving electrode of the plurality of driving electrodes that is adjacent to the detecting electrode of the plurality of detecting electrodes is electrically connected to the detecting chip, wherein the detecting chip transmits a first electric-potential signal to the driving electrode of the plurality of driving electrodes that is adjacent to the detecting electrode of the plurality of detecting electrodes.

3. The electrowetting panel according to claim 2 , wherein:
the first electric-potential signal is an alternating current (AC) signal; and
when the detecting chip receives the detection signal of the detecting electrode, an electric potential of the detecting electrode is a first detecting electric-potential signal, and a peak electric potential of the first electric-potential signal is lower than an electric potential of the first detecting electric-potential signal.

4. The electrowetting panel according to claim 1 , wherein:
the second electric-potential signal is an AC signal; and
when the detecting chip receives the detection signal of the detecting electrode, an electric potential of the detecting electrode is a second detecting electric-potential signal, and a peak electric potential of the second electric-potential signal is lower than an electric potential of the second detecting electric-potential signal.

5. The electrowetting panel according to claim 1 , wherein:
a length of the plurality of auxiliary electrodes in the first direction is smaller than or equal to a length of the plurality of detecting electrodes.

6. An electrowetting panel, comprising:
a base substrate; an electrode array layer; an insulating hydrophobic layer; and a microfluidic channel layer, wherein:
the electrode array layer is located on a side of the base substrate, wherein the electrode array layer includes a plurality of electrodes arranged into an array, each electrode of the plurality of electrodes is connected to a driving circuit, and the electrode array layer is configured to drive a droplet to move in the microfluidic channel layer along a first direction by applying an electric voltage on each electrode of the plurality of electrodes through the driving circuit corresponding to each electrode,
the insulating hydrophobic layer is located on a side of the electrode array layer away from the base substrate,
the microfluidic channel layer is located on a side of the insulating hydrophobic layer away from the electrode array layer,
the plurality of electrodes includes a plurality of driving electrodes and a plurality of detecting electrodes, wherein along the first direction, a number N of the plurality of driving electrodes is located between every two adjacent detecting electrodes of the plurality of detecting electrodes, where N is a natural number,

the electrowetting panel further including:
a detecting chip electrically connected to the plurality of detecting electrodes wherein:
the detecting chip is configured to transmit a third electric-potential signal to a detecting electrode of the plurality of detecting electrodes, wherein:
the third electric-potential signal is an AC signal, and
a valley electric potential of the third electric-potential signal is higher than an electric potential of any electrode of the plurality of electrodes that is adjacent to the detecting electrode of the plurality of detecting electrodes.

7. The electrowetting panel according to claim 6 , wherein:
the electrode array layer further includes a plurality of auxiliary electrode strips extending along the first direction, wherein:
each auxiliary electrode strip of the plurality of auxiliary electrode strips is electrically connected to the detecting chip, and
the detecting chip is configured to receive a detection signal of the auxiliary electrode strip of the plurality of auxiliary electrode strips.

8. The electrowetting panel according to claim 6 , wherein:
the electrode array layer includes a number M of electrodes of the plurality of electrodes in the first direction numbered from a first electrode to an M th electrode, where M is an integer larger than or equal to 3; and
a length of the plurality of auxiliary electrode strips is equal to a distance from the first electrode to the M th electrode of the plurality of electrodes along the first direction.

9. The electrowetting panel according to claim 1 , wherein:
edges of each electrode of the plurality of electrodes have zigzag structures.

10. The electrowetting panel according to claim 9 , wherein:
edges of adjacent electrodes of the plurality of electrodes mutually, conformally fit with each other.

11. The electrowetting panel according to claim 6 , wherein:
the detecting chip is configured to receive a detection signal of a detecting electrode of the plurality of detecting electrodes.

12. The electrowetting panel according to claim 11 , wherein:
along the first direction, any driving electrode of the plurality of driving electrodes that is adjacent to the detecting electrode of the plurality of detecting electrodes is electrically connected to the detecting chip, wherein the detecting chip transmits a first electric-potential signal to the driving electrode of the plurality of driving electrodes that is adjacent to the detecting electrode of the plurality of detecting electrodes.

13. The electrowetting panel according to claim 12 , wherein:
the first electric-potential signal is an alternating current (AC) signal; and
when the detecting chip receives the detection signal of the detecting electrode, an electric potential of the

Assignees

• Shanghai Tianma Micro Elect Co

Inventors

• Lin Baiquan
• Xi Kerui
• Ouyang Junting
• Li Jinyu
• Li Xiaohe

Classifications

• B01L2400/0427

  Electrowetting · CPC title

• B01L3/502792 Primary

  for moving individual droplets on a plate, e.g. by locally altering surface tension · CPC title

• B01F33/3031

  using electro-hydrodynamic [EHD] or electro-kinetic [EKI] phenomena to mix or move the fluids · CPC title

• B01L3/50273 Primary

  characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids · CPC title

• B01L2300/0819

  Microarrays; Biochips · CPC title