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Enhancement of microfluidic efficiency with nanocrystalline diamond interlayer in the ZnO-based surface acoustic wave device

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Abstract

Ultra-smooth nanocrystalline diamond (UNCD) films with high-acoustic wave velocity were introduced into ZnO-based surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices to enhance their microfluidic efficiency by reducing the acoustic energy dissipation into the silicon substrate and improving the acoustic properties of the SAW devices. Microfluidic efficiency of the ZnO-based SAW devices with and without UNCD inter layers was investigated and compared. Results showed that the pumping velocities increase with the input power and those of the ZnO/UNCD/Si devices are much larger than those of the ZnO/Si devices at the same power. The jetting efficiency of the droplet was improved by introducing the UNCD interlayer into the ZnO/Si SAW device. Improvement in the microfluidic efficiency is mainly attributed to the diamond layer, which restrains the acoustic wave to propagate in the top layer rather than dissipating into the substrate.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge support from the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (ZYGX2009J046 and ZYGX2009X007), and the Sichuan Young Scientists Foundation (2010JQ0006), the Royal Society-Research Grant (RG090609), Carnegie Trust Funding, Royal Society of Edinburgh, Royal Academy of Engineering-Research Exchanges with China and India Awards. L. Garcia-Gancedo, A.J. Flewitt and W.I. Milne acknowledge the financial support of the EPSRC, through grants number EP/F063865/1 and EP/F06294X/1. L. García-Gancedo also acknowledges the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) through grant number 61150110485.

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Author notes

  1. S. Porro

    Present address: Center for Space Human Robotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Turin, Italy

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Physical Electronics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China

    H.-F. Pang & X. T. Zu

  2. Thin Film Centre, Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, UK

    H.-F. Pang, Y. Q. Fu & F. Placido

  3. Electrical Engineering Division, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, UK

    L. Garcia-Gancedo, A. J. Flewitt & W. I. Milne

  4. School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK

    S. Porro & J. I. B. Wilson

  5. Institute of Materials Research and Innovation (IMRI), University of Bolton, Bolton, UK

    J. K. Luo

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  1. H.-F. Pang
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  2. Y. Q. Fu
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Correspondence to Y. Q. Fu or X. T. Zu.

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Pang, HF., Fu, Y.Q., Garcia-Gancedo, L. et al. Enhancement of microfluidic efficiency with nanocrystalline diamond interlayer in the ZnO-based surface acoustic wave device. Microfluid Nanofluid 15, 377–386 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-013-1155-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-013-1155-3

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