On-Chip CMOS-MEMS-Based Electroosmotic Flow Micropump Integrated With High-Voltage Generator

The rapid development of microfluidic technology has increased the demand for the integration of driving circuits in the microfluidic devices. We have proposed a novel on-chip electroosmotic (EOF) micropump integrated with a high-voltage (11V) generator. The 11V (49.8 V) generator is based on a Dickson charge pump, which is fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate by the standard CMOS process, and the isolation is achieved by MEMS post-processed deep trench isolation. The size of the 49.8 V generator is 425×353 μ m
²
. The 11V required for the successful operation of the micropump was generated by the integrated driving circuit with a low-voltage power supply. The maximum flow velocity and flow rate of the proposed EOF micropump were measured as 137 μ m/s and 167 nL/min, respectively when it was driven by the integrated 49.8 V generator. The efficiency of the micropump is demonstrated by comparing it with the previously reported micropumps. The proposed integration technique is reliable and effective, and potentially boosts the practical applications of lab-on-chip devices.