This protocols document describes the design considerations and software tools to design a microfluidic device, fabrication protocols for making master molds and the final polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) device, and testing of the completed microfluidic device.

There is a need for the development of large displacement (O (10 −6) m) and force (O (10 −6) N) electrostatic actuators with low actuation voltages (< ±8 V) for underwater bio-MEMS applications. In this paper, we present the design, fabrication, and characterization of a curved electrode electrostatic actuator in a clamped-clamped beam configuration meant to operate in an underwater environment. Our curved electrode actuator is unique in that it operates in a stable manner past the pullin instability. Models based on the Rayleigh-Ritz method accurately predict the onset of static instability and the displacement versus voltage function, as validated by quasistatic experiments. We demonstrate that the actuator is capable of achieving a large peaktopeak displacement of 19.5 µm and force of 43 µN for a low actuation voltage of less than ±8 V and is thus appropriate for underwater bioMEMS applications.

Here, we demonstrate an in situ electrostatic actuator that can operate underwater across a wide range of displacements and frequencies, achieving a displacement of approximately 10 lm at 500 Hz and 1 lm at 5 kHz; this performance surpasses that of existing underwater physical actuators. To attain these large displacements at such high speeds, we optimized critical design parameters using a computationally efficient description of the physics of low quality (Q) factor underwater electrostatic actuators. Our theoretical model accurately predicts actuator motion profiles as well as limits of bandwidth and displacement. V C 2015 AIP Publishing LLC. [http://dx

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An electrostatic curved beam microactuator embedded in a microfluidic device meant to be a probe to measure the mechanical properties of biological cells is modeled, fabricated, and evaluated. Our study in aqueous media showed that an actuation voltage of 8 V is sufficient to generate an intended force of up to 97 µN and achieve a static displacement of up to 9.7 µm -these values demonstrate that we should be able to deform a cell with the appropriate force and deformation strain.