Surface modification of polytetrafluoroethylene thin films by non-coherent UV light and water treatment for electrowetting applications
The electrowetting on dielectric or EWOD phenomenon is used in a wide range of applications, such as Liquid Lenses, Lab-on-Chip devices, or EWOD displays, among others. Its chemical resistance, electrical stability, ease of application, and low cost make polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) the preferred...
| Autores: | , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2020 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) |
| Repositorio: | UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/335329 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/2117/335329 https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.porgcoat.2020.105593 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Polytef Microfluidic devices Polytetrafluoroethylene electrowetting EWOD Politetrafluoroetilè Materials -- Aplicacions industrials Dispositius microfluidics Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria dels materials |
| Sumario: | The electrowetting on dielectric or EWOD phenomenon is used in a wide range of applications, such as Liquid Lenses, Lab-on-Chip devices, or EWOD displays, among others. Its chemical resistance, electrical stability, ease of application, and low cost make polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) the preferred hydrophobic dielectric layer for such applications. However, the hydrophobic behaviour represents a challenge for spin coating other layers over its surface. As a consequence, several techniques are implemented to modify the surface of PTFE. These methods are complex, time-consuming, and produce morphology changes over the surface that are difficult and sometimes impossible to recover. In this work, we propose a new surface modification method that is based on a non-coherent UV light exposition method and a specific water treatment, that lead to a change from hydrophobic to hydrophilic, and a perfect recovery from hydrophilic to hydrophobic behaviour. |
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