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A novel micromixer with three‐dimensionally cross‐linked capillary array structure fabricated by deep X‐ray lithography
Author(s) -
Kondo Saki,
Ukita Yoshiaki,
Fujiwara Kuniyo,
Utsumi Yuichi
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
electrical engineering in japan
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.136
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 1520-6416
pISSN - 0424-7760
DOI - 10.1002/eej.21157
Subject(s) - micromixer , computational fluid dynamics , materials science , microfluidics , fluent , mixing (physics) , capillary action , filter (signal processing) , lithography , mechanics , nanotechnology , optoelectronics , composite material , physics , engineering , electrical engineering , quantum mechanics
A novel micromixer was proposed, fabricated and verified. The new concept of the micromixer is to cross‐link many capillaries in a three‐dimensional structure. The characteristic flow behaviors were simulated by using the “FLUENT” computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software. The results of the CFD showed unique mixing behavior in three‐dimensionally cross‐linked capillaries. The mixing performance of the micromixer is strongly influenced by controlling the three‐dimensional crossing conditions. The micromixer was fabricated by deep X‐ray lithography with multistep exposure. The cross‐linked capillary structures were successfully fabricated while controlling the cross‐link conditions. The performance of the micromixer was evaluated by using an enzyme reaction. By comparing the mixtures produced with a cross‐linked fluid filter and with a fluid filter without cross‐linked capillaries, we found that the reaction was accelerated by using the new micromixer. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 177(1): 26–31, 2011; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.21157