Microfluidic device, method of using microfluidic device and micro total analysis system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11534762-B2
Application number	US-201916420760-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2019
Priority date	Nov 12, 2018
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A microfluidic device, a method of using a microfluidic device and a micro total analysis system are provided. The microfluidic device includes a first substrate, and the first substrate includes a base substrate and a pixel array. The pixel array includes a plurality of pixels and is on the base substrate, and each of the plurality of pixels includes a driving electrode. Driving electrodes of two adjacent pixels are in different layers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A microfluidic device, comprising a first substrate, the first substrate comprising:
a base substrate; and
a pixel array on the base substrate, comprising a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels comprising a driving electrode,
wherein the first substrate further comprises a plurality of electrode layers, different electrode layers have different distances from the base substrate, a distance between an electrode layer of the plurality of electrode layers and the base substrate is a distance between an upper-most horizontal plane of the electrode layer and an upper-most horizontal plane of the base substrate along a vertical direction, and driving electrodes of two adjacent pixels are in different electrode layers;
orthographic projections of the driving electrodes of the two adjacent pixels on the base substrate have an overlapping area, or the orthographic projections of the driving electrodes of the two adjacent pixels on the base substrate have an overlapping edge.

2. The microfluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pixels of the pixel array are arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns,
driving electrodes of two adjacent pixels in each row are in different electrode layers, and
driving electrodes of two adjacent pixels in each column are in different electrode layers.

3. The microfluidic device according to claim 2 , wherein, in four pixels forming a 2*2 matrix, driving electrodes of two pixels on a diagonal line are in a same electrode layer.

4. The microfluidic device according to claim 3 , wherein the driving electrodes of the two pixels on the diagonal line have a pitch.

5. The microfluidic device according to claim 4 , wherein the driving electrode of each of the plurality of pixels has a notch, and orthographic projections of notches of the driving electrodes of the two adjacent pixels on the base substrate at least partially coincide.

6. The microfluidic device according to claim 5 , wherein sizes of the notches of the driving electrodes of the two adjacent pixels are not equal.

7. The microfluidic device according to claim 5 , wherein, in the four pixels forming the 2*2 matrix, the notch of the driving electrode of each pixel is at a corner of the driving electrode near a center of the 2*2 matrix.

8. The microfluidic device according to claim 7 , wherein notches of the driving electrodes of the two pixels on the diagonal line are oppositely arranged.

9. The microfluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein the first substrate further comprises a passivation layer, and the plurality of electrode layers comprise a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer,
the driving electrodes of the two adjacent pixels are respectively in the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer,
the first electrode layer, the second electrode layer and the passivation layer are laminated on the base substrate, and the passivation layer is between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer.

10. The microfluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of pixels further comprises a switching circuit, and
the switching circuit and the driving electrode of each of the plurality of pixels are electrically connected, correspondingly.

11. The microfluidic device according to claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of pixels further comprises a connection portion, and
the switching circuit and the driving electrode of each of the plurality of pixels are electrically connected through the connection portion, correspondingly.

12. The microfluidic device according to claim 11 , wherein the switching circuit of each of the plurality of pixels comprises a thin film transistor, a first electrode of each thin film transistor is electrically connected to a corresponding connection portion, and the corresponding connection portion is electrically connected to a corresponding driving electrode.

13. The microfluidic device according to claim 1 , further comprising a second substrate, wherein the second substrate faces the first substrate.

14. The microfluidic device according to claim 13 , further comprising a common electrode, wherein the common electrode is on the second substrate.

15. A method of using a microfluidic device, the microfluidic device comprising a first substrate, the first substrate comprising a base substrate and a pixel array, the pixel array comprising a plurality of pixels and being on the base substrate, each of the plurality of pixels comprising a driving electrode, the first substrate further comprising a plurality of electrode layers, different electrode layers having different distances from the base substrate, a distance between an electrode layer of the plurality of electrode layers and the base substrate being a distance between an upper-most horizontal plane of the electrode layer and an upper-most horizontal plane of the base substrate along a vertical direction, and driving electrodes of two adjacent pixels being in different electrode layers, orthographic projections of the driving electrodes of the two adjacent pixels on the base substrate having an overlapping area or the orthographic projections of the driving electrodes of the two adjacent pixels on the base substrate having an overlapping edge,
wherein the method comprises:
applying voltages to the driving electrodes of the two adjacent pixels.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of pixels further comprises a switching circuit, and applying the voltages to the driving electrodes of the two adjacent pixels comprises:
controlling switching circuits of the two adjacent pixels to be turned on, to apply the voltages to the driving electrodes of the two adjacent pixels.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the voltages applied to the driving electrodes of the two adjacent pixels are different from each other.

18. A micro total analysis system, comprising a microfluidic device, wherein the microfluidic device comprises a first substrate, and the first substrate comprises a base substrate and a pixel array;
the pixel array comprises a plurality of pixels and is on the base substrate, and each of the plurality of pixels comprises a driving electrode; and
the first substrate further comprises a plurality of electrode layers, different electrode layers have different distances from the base substrate, a distance between an electrode layer of the plurality of electrode layers and the base substrate is a distance between an upper-most horizontal plane of the electrode layer and an upper-most horizontal plane of the base substrate along a vertical direction, and driving electrodes of two adjacent pixels are in different electrode layers;
orthographic projections of the driving electrodes of the two adjacent pixels on the base substrate have an overlapping area or the orthographic projections of the driving electrodes of the two adjacent pixels on the base substrate have an overlapping edge.

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liu Yingming
• Wang Haisheng
• Chen Xiaochuan
• Dong Xue
• Ding Xiaoliang
• Gu Pinchao
• Wang Lei
• Li Changfeng
• Zhang Ping

Classifications

• B81B2207/03

  Electronic circuits for micromechanical devices which are not application specific, e.g. for controlling, power supplying, testing, protecting · CPC title

• B01L2400/0415

  electrical forces, e.g. electrokinetic · CPC title

• B01L3/502715

  characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces · CPC title

• B81B2201/058

  Microfluidics not provided for in B81B2201/051 - B81B2201/054 · CPC title

• B01L2300/0645

  Electrodes · CPC title