• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.402-407
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• 2011

The current paper describes a simpler ground-type, single-plate electrowetting configuration for droplet transport in digital microfluidics without performance degradation. The simplified fabrication process is achieved with two photolithography steps. The first step simultaneously patterns both a control electrode array and a reference electrode on a substrate. The second step patterns a dielectric layer at the top to expose the reference electrode for grounding the liquid droplet. In the experiment, a $5{\mu}m$ thick photo-imageable polyimide, with a 3.3 dielectric constant, is used as the dielectric layer. A 10 nm Teflon-AF is coated to obtain a hydrophobic surface with a high water advancing angle of $116^{\circ}$ and a small contact angle hysteresis of $5^{\circ}$. The droplet movement of 1 mM methylene blue on this simplified device is successfully demonstrated at control voltages above the required 45 V to overcome the contact angle hysteresis.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2013.05a
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• pp.571-572
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• 2013

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.247-253
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• 2021

Electrocoalescence is an active technique in petroleum industry, formation of raindrop in cloud, and digital microfluidics. In the present work, electrocoalescence of two droplets under the constant electric potential in air was studied. Through this experiment, we found that the electrocoalescence process could be divided three phases; deformation, formation of liquid bridge, and merging. And the condition for formation of liquid bridge between two droplets was obtained. For the connection of experimental result in constant potential condition with general case in constant charge condition, relationship of charge and potential difference was deduced by numerical computation. In high electric potential case, flat interfaces after recoiling were observed. It was interpreted through a numerical simulation of electric field.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.84-87
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• 2009

Electrowetting is a versatile tool to handle tiny droplets and forms a backbone of digital microfluidics. Numerical analysis is necessary to fully understand the dynamics of electrowetting, especially in designing electrowetting-based devices, such as liquid lenses and reflective displays. We developed a numerical method to analyze the general contact-line problems, incorporating dynamic contact angle models. The method is based on the conservative level set method to capture the interface of two fluids without loss of mass. We applied the method to the analysis of spreading process of a sessile droplet for step input voltages and oscillation of the droplet for alternating input voltages in electrowetting. The result was compared with experimental data. It is shown that contact line friction significantly affects the contact line motion and the oscillation amplitude. The pinning process of contact line was well represented by including the hysteresis effect in the contact angle models.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.92-94
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• 2005

We present a novel method for three-dimensional optical memory and microchannel embedded in fused silica glass. Three-dimensional dot patterning with a femtosecond laser pulse and observation with optical microscope are performed. Dot patterns are created by use of a 0.42 N.A. objective to focus 100 fs laser pulses inside the material. We demonstrate data storage with $2{\mu}m$ dot pitch and $7{\mu}m$layer spacing $(36 Gbit/cm^3)$. A three-dimensional microchannel acting as microfluidic and microoptical components is directly fabricated inside a silica glass. The optical micrographs of the microchannel are obtained by a digital camera of a microscope.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.63-71
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• 2024

Slipchip offers advantages such as high-throughout, low cost, and simple operation, and therefore, it is one of the technologies with the greatest potential for high-throughput, single-cell, and single-molecule analyses. Slipchip devices have achieved remarkable advances over the past decades, with its simplified molecular diagnostics gaining particular attention, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and in various infectious diseases scenarios. Medical testing based on nucleic acid amplification in the Slipchip has become a promising alternative simple and rapid diagnostic tool in field situations. Herein, we present a comprehensive review of Slipchip device advances in molecular diagnostics, highlighting its use in digital recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Slipchip technology allows users to conduct reliable droplet transfers with high-throughput potential for single-cell and molecule analyses. This review explores the device's versatility in miniaturized and rapid molecular diagnostics. A complete Slipchip device can be operated without special equipment or skilled handling, and provides high-throughput results in minimum settings. This review focuses on recent developments and Slipchip device challenges that need to be addressed for further advancements in microfluidics technology.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.239-247
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• 2001

The Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorter (FACS) is a well-established instrument used for identifying, enumerating, classifying and sorting cells by their physical and optical characteristics. For a miniaturized FACS device, a disposable plastic microchip has been developed which has a hydrodynamic focusing chamber using soft lithography. As the characteristics of the spatially confined sample stream have an effect on sample throughput, detection efficiency, and the accuracy of cell sorting, systematic fluid dynamic studies are required. Flow visualization is conducted with a laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), and three-dimensional flow structure of the focused sample stream is reconstructed from 2D slices acquired at $1\mutextrm{m}$ intervals in depth. It was observed that the flow structure in the focusing chamber is skewed by unsymmetrical velocity profile arising from trapezoidal cross section of the microchannel. For a quantitative analysis of a microscopic flow structure, Confocal Micro-PIV system has been developed to evaluate the accelerated flow field in the focusing chamber. This study proposes a method which defines the depth of the measurement volume using a detection pinhole. The trajectories of red blood cells (RBCs) and their interactions with surrounding flow field in the squeezed sample stream are evaluated to find optimal shape of the focusing chamber and fluid manipulation scheme for stable cell transporting, efficient detection, and sorting

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.551-555
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• 2010

Electrowetting is a versatile tool to handle tiny droplets and forms a backbone of digital microfluidics. Numerical analysis is necessary to fully understand the dynamics of electrowetting, especially in designing electrowetting-based devices, such as liquid lenses and reflective displays. We developed a numerical method to analyze the general contact-line problems, incorporating dynamic contact angle models. The method is based on the conservative level set method to capture the interface of two fluids without loss of mass. We applied the method to the analysis of spreading process of a sessile droplet for step input voltages and oscillation of the droplet for alternating input voltages in electrowetting. The result was compared with experimental data. It is shown that contact line friction significantly affects the contact line motion and the oscillation amplitude. The pinning process of contact line was well represented by including the hysteresis effect in the contact angle models. In level set method, in the mean time, material properties are made to change smoothly across an interface of two materials with different properties by introducing an interpolation or smoothing scheme. So far, the weighted arithmetic mean (WAM) method has been exclusively adopted in level set method, without complete assessment for its validity. We viscosity, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, and permittivity, can be an alternative. I.e., the WHM gives more accurate results than the WAM method in certain circumstances. The interpolation scheme should be selected considering various characteristics including type of property, ratio of property of two fluids, geometry of interface, and so on.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.57 no.5
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• pp.706-713
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• 2019

In this study, basic research was conducted to provide guidelines for selecting printers and materials suitable for each application case by analyzing 3D printing method and surface characteristics of materials suitable for microfluidic system. We have studied the surface characteristics according to the materials for the two typical printing methods: The most commonly used method of Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printing and the relatively high resolution method of Stereolithography (SLA) printing. The FDM prints exhibited hydrophilic properties before post - treatment, regardless of the material, but showed hydrophobic properties after post - treatment with acetone vapor. It was confirmed by the observation of surface roughness using SEM that the change of the contact angle was due to the removal of the surface structure by post-treatment. SLA prints exhibited hydrophilic properties compared to FDM prints, but they were experimentally confirmed to be capable of surface modification using hydrophobic coatings. It was confirmed that it is impossible to make a transparent specimen in the FDM method. However, sufficient transparency is secured in the case of the SLA method. It is also confirmed that the electroporation chip of the digital electroporation system based on the droplet contact charging phenomenon was fabricated by the SLA method and the direct application to the microfluidic system by demonstrating the electroporation successfully.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.105-111
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• 2024

The SLA (Stereolithography Apparatus) method is a type of 3D printing technique predicated on the transformation of liquid photocurable resin into a solid form through UV laser exposure, and its application is increasing in various fields. In this study, we conducted research to enhance the hydrophobicity and transparency of SLA 3D printing surfaces for microfluidic system production. The enhancement of surface hydrophobicity in SLA outputs was attainable through the application of hydrophobic coating methods, but the coating durability under different conditions varied depending on the type of hydrophobic coating. Additionally, to simultaneously achieve the required transparency and hydrophobic properties for the fabrication of microfluidic systems, we applied hydrophobic coatings to the proposed transparency enhancement method from prior research and compared the changes in contact angles. Teflon coating was proposed as a suitable hydrophobic coating method for the fabrication of microfluidic systems, given its excellent transparency and high coating durability in various environmental conditions, in comparison to titanium dioxide coating. Finally, we produced an Electrophoresis of Charged Droplet (ECD) chip, one of the digital microfluidics systems, using SLA 3D printing with the proposed Teflon coating method (Fluoropel 800). Droplet manipulation was successfully demonstrated with the fabricated chip, confirming the potential application of SLA 3D printing technology in the production of microfluidic systems.