Electrowetting based actuation of droplets with PDMS dielectric

Both properties of the used dielectrics in electrowetting actuators - i.e. thickness and layer material - play an important role in their functionality. In this paper, in order to optimize dielectric layer thickness, equivalent circuit method has been used. Then, PDMS polymer was used instead of common materials for insulation. Common insulation materials, like SiO2, are deposited by methods like PECVD which are time-consuming and costly. Unlike such methods, PDMS deposition is done by spin coating which is considered to be a simple method indeed. Afterwards, the actuator was fabricated according to the optimized thickness. Finally, it was proved that the actuator functionality was fairly appropriate, regarding the dominating theoretical equations and the ability to manipulate droplets on the surface.