Micro fluid actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11536394-B2
Application number	US-201916661060-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2019
Priority date	Nov 23, 2018
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A micro fluid actuator includes an orifice layer, a flow channel layer, a substrate, a chamber layer, a vibration layer, a lower electrode layer, a piezoelectric actuation layer and an upper electrode layer, which are stacked sequentially. An outflow aperture, a plurality of first inflow apertures and a second inflow aperture are formed in the substrate by an etching process. A storage chamber is formed in the chamber layer by the etching process. An outflow opening and an inflow opening are formed in the orifice layer by the etching process. An outflow channel, an inflow channel and a plurality of columnar structures are formed in the flow channel layer by a lithography process. By providing driving power which have different phases to the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer, the vibration layer is driven to displace in a reciprocating manner, so as to achieve fluid transportation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A micro fluid actuator comprising:
a substrate having a first surface, a second surface, an outlet groove, an inlet groove, an outflow aperture, a plurality of first inflow apertures and a second inflow aperture, wherein the outlet groove, the inlet groove, the outflow aperture, the plurality of first inflow apertures and the second inflow aperture are formed by an etching process, the outlet groove is in fluid communication with the outflow aperture, and the inlet groove is in fluid communication with the plurality of first inflow apertures and the second inflow aperture;
a chamber layer formed on the first surface of the substrate by a deposition process, and etched to form a storage chamber, wherein the storage chamber is in fluid communication with the outflow aperture, the plurality of first inflow apertures and the second inflow aperture;
a vibration layer formed on the chamber layer by the deposition process;
a lower electrode layer formed on the vibration layer by the deposition process and the etching process;
a piezoelectric actuation layer formed on the lower electrode layer by the deposition process and the etching process;
an upper electrode layer formed on the piezoelectric actuation layer by the deposition process and the etching process;
an orifice layer having an outflow opening and an inflow opening formed by the etching process; and
a flow channel layer formed on the orifice layer by a rolling process with a dry film material, wherein an outflow channel, an inflow channel and a plurality of columnar structures are formed in the flow channel layer by a lithography process, wherein the flow channel layer is mounted onto the second surface of the substrate by a flip-chip alignment process and a hot-pressing process, wherein the outflow opening of the orifice layer is in fluid communication with the outlet groove of the substrate through the outflow channel, and wherein the inflow opening of the orifice layer is in fluid communication with the inlet groove of the substrate through the inflow channel;
wherein driving power which have different phases are provided to the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer so as to drive and control the vibration layer to displace in a reciprocating manner, so that fluid is inhaled from the inflow opening, flows into the storage chamber through the plurality of first inflow apertures and the second inflow aperture, is compressed to flow through the outflow aperture and is then discharged out from the outflow opening to achieve fluid transportation.

2. The micro fluid actuator according to claim 1 , wherein after the fluid is inhaled from the inflow opening, the fluid flows through the inflow channel, the inlet groove, the plurality of first inflow apertures and the second inflow aperture sequentially and enters into the storage chamber.

3. The micro fluid actuator according to claim 1 , wherein after the storage chamber is compressed, the fluid contained in the storage chamber flows through the outflow aperture, the outlet groove and the outflow channel sequentially and is discharged out from the outflow opening.

4. The micro fluid actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of columnar structures are formed within the inflow channel.

5. The micro fluid actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate is made of silicon material.

6. The micro fluid actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber layer is made of silicon dioxide material.

7. The micro fluid actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the lower electrode layer is made of platinum material.

8. The micro fluid actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the lower electrode layer is made of titanium material.

9. The micro fluid actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the upper electrode layer is made of gold material.

10. The micro fluid actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the upper electrode layer is made of aluminum material.

11. The micro fluid actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the outflow aperture, the plurality of first inflow apertures and the second inflow aperture of the substrate are formed by a deep reactive ion etching process.

12. The micro fluid actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the storage chamber of the chamber layer is formed by a hydrofluoric acid wet etching process.

13. The micro fluid actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the orifice layer is made of stainless steel material.

14. The micro fluid actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the orifice layer is made of glass material.

15. The micro fluid actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the dry film material of the flow channel layer is a photosensitive polymer dry film.

16. The micro fluid actuator according to claim 1 , wherein when a positive voltage is applied to the upper electrode layer and a negative voltage is applied to the lower electrode layer, the piezoelectric actuation layer drives the vibration layer to displace in a direction away from the substrate.

17. The micro fluid actuator according to claim 1 , wherein when a negative voltage is applied to the upper electrode layer and a positive voltage is applied to the lower electrode layer, the piezoelectric actuation layer drives the vibration layer to displace in a direction toward the substrate.

18. The micro fluid actuator according to claim 1 , wherein:
applying a positive voltage to the upper electrode layer and a negative voltage to the lower electrode layer, the piezoelectric actuation layer then drives and controls the vibration layer to displace in a direction away from the substrate, so that fluid is inhaled from the exterior into the micro fluid actuator through the inflow opening, flows through the inflow channel, the inlet groove, the plurality of first inflow apertures and the second aperture sequentially, and is then converged in the storage chamber; and
converting the electrical properties of the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer, so as to apply the negative voltage to the upper electrode layer and the positive voltage to the lower electrode layer, the piezoelectric actuation layer then drives and controls the vibration layer to displace in a direction toward the substrate, so that the volume of the storage chamber is compressed by the vibration layer, and the fluid converged in the storage chamber flows through the outflow aperture, the outlet groove and the outflow channel sequentially and is discharged out of the micro fluid actuator from the outflow opening to achieve fluid transportation.

19. A micro fluid actuator comprising:
at least one substrate having at least one first surface, at least one second surface, at least one outlet groove, at least one inlet groove, at least one outflow aperture, a plurality of first inflow apertures and at least one second inflow aperture, wherein the outlet groove, the inlet groove, the outflow aperture, the plurality of first inflow apertures and the second inflow aperture are formed by an etching process, the outlet groove is in fluid communication with the outflow aperture, and the inlet groove is in fluid communication with the plurality of first inflow apertures and the second inflow aperture;
at least one chamber layer formed on the first surface of the substrate by a deposition process, and is etched to form at least one storage chamber, wherein the storage chamber is in fluid communication with the outflow aperture, the plurality of first inflow apertures and the second inflow aperture;
at least one vibration layer formed on the chamber layer by the

Assignees

• Microjet Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Mou Hao-Jan
• Yu Rong-Ho
• Chang Cheng-Ming
• Tai Hsien-Chung
• Liao Wen-Hsiung
• Huang Chi-Feng
• Han Yung-Lung
• Chen Hsuan-Kai

Classifications

• B81B2201/036

  Micropumps · CPC title

• B81C1/00031

  Regular or irregular arrays of nanoscale structures, e.g. etch mask layer (photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces G03F7/00; lithographic processes for making patterned surfaces using printing and stamping G03F7/0002) · CPC title

• B81B2203/0315

  Cavities · CPC title

• F16K99/0048 Primary

  using piezoelectric means · CPC title

• B81C1/00182 Primary

  Arrangements of deformable or non-deformable structures, e.g. membrane and cavity for use in a transducer · CPC title