Long-term performance analysis of thermo-pneumatic micropump actuators

Describes long-term performance tests and failure analysis of microdiaphragm pumps made of polymers. The pumps are equipped with a thermo-pneumatic actuator consisting of a thin-film gold wire on top of a polyimide diaphragm. Long-term performance depends very much on the material of the diaphragm and the electric operating parameters. Failure analysis shows that heating results in strong folds in the diaphragm which may cause breaks. Using an improved diaphragm, continuous runtimes of a micropump of more than 2700 hours have been obtained.