Development of highly integrated magetically and electrostatically actuated micropumps : LDRD 64709 final report.

Abstract

The pump and actuator systems designed and built in the SUMMiT TM process, Sandia's surface micromachining polysilicon MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) fabrication technology, on the previous campus executive program LDRD (SAND2002-0704P) with FSU/FAMU (Florida State University/Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University) were characterized in this LDRD. These results demonstrated that the device would pump liquid against the flow resistance of a microfabricated channel, but the devices were determined to be underpowered for reliable pumping. As a result a new set of SUMMiT TM pumps with actuators that generate greater torque will be designed and submitted for fabrication. In this document we will report details of dry actuator/pump assembly testing, wet actuator/pump testing, channel resistance characterization, and new pump/actuator design recommendations.4