Optimization of Electrode Shape for Driving Capability Improvement of Low Voltage EWOD Device

Microfluidic devices based on Electronic Wetting on Dielectrics (EWOD) have gained wide attention in areas such as lab-on-a-chip, and how to effectively improve the driving capability of EWOD devices has been a matter of concern. In order to improve the driving performance of the device, this paper is aimed at the design modeling, simulation verification and physical preparation of the electrode shape of the EWOD device. The theoretical model is modified mainly around the contact angle saturation of the droplet and the structural parameters on the base plate to make it closer to the actual test results. And the driving ability of the designed electrode shape is verified by simulation and device preparation. The results show that the electrode shape designed in this paper has improved the droplet driving ability by about 17% compared with the typical electrode shape at 25 V DC voltage. In conclusion, The electrode shape designed in this paper not only improves the driving capability for regular-sized droplets, but also has excellent driving capability for small-sized droplets.