Effects of gap height, applied frequency, and fluid conductivity on minimum actuation voltage of electrowetting-on-dielectric and liquid dielectrophoresis

The effects of gap height, applied frequency, and fluid conductivity on the minimum actuation voltage of liquid dielectrophoresis (LDEP) and electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) on two-plate devices are investigated. Gap heights ranging from 17 to 31 μm, electrical fluid conductivities of water of 10−3 and 10−4 S/m, and applied frequencies of 1, 10, and 100 kHz were used in the experiments. An electromechanical model with the modulus of the relative permittivity of water is derived to explain gap height, frequency, and conductivity effects on the minimum actuation voltage of EWOD and LDEP.