Abstract
In this paper, we propose innovative valveless pumping devices for microfluidic systems. The liquid in the microchannel was transported by generating a traveling wave on the channel wall, which was composed of a piezoelectric Pb(Zr,Ti)O_3 (PZT) thin film actuator array. The PZT thin films were deposited on the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates where microchannels, 200 and 500μm wide, were fabricated. The maximum displacements of the 200 and 500μm wide filled channels at 10 V_<PP> were about 61 and 219 nm, respectively. By generating a traveling wave on the channel wall, clear liquid flow could be induced with a mean flow velocity of about 118 and 172μm/s for the 200 and 500μm wide channels, respectively.
