Microfluidic Transport Through Microsized Holes Treated by Nonequilibrium Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma

In the field of microfluidics, it is possible to facilitate liquid transport through microsized holes with large slip lengths by lowering the friction at the interface between the flow and the inner surface of the holes. In this paper, we discuss the use of nonequilibrium atmospheric-pressure plasma to modify the surface wettability of microsized holes in glass substrates that are similar to those used as flow channels in glass microfiltration devices. In our experiments, liquid transport flows were driven by internal Laplace pressure differences based on the surface tensions of droplets placed on the front and back sides of the tested substrates.