Abstract
This paper describes a novel micromotor using surface tension of liquid droplets. As the dimension of mechanical elements decreases, surface tension becomes dominant compared to gravity force, and it often causes adhesion problems between two surfaces. On the other hand, recent studies show that surface tension can be utilized for transportation of liquid droplets and lubrication of hydrophobic surfaces. In this study, a micromotor that is driven and lubricated by surface tension of water droplets has been developed. The motor consists of stator electrodes, water droplets and a rotor. The water droplets are transported on the stator by using electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) and a rotor is supported and rotated by the droplets. A rotor of 5-mm diameter was successfully rotated at 320rpm.
