Fabrication of electroosmotic micropump using PCB and SU-8

This paper presents the design and fabrication process of an electroosmotic micropump for impulsion of fluids at the microscale. Electroosmotic pumping is based on the creation of electrically charged layers in thin channels, which drag the fluid when in the presence of a directional electric field. The main objectives of the design are the low cost and the rapid prototyping of the device, which are achieved using a combination of PCB technologies and patterning of SU-8 negative photoresist. PCB is used as the substrate and as the container of the electrical connections, while SU-8 allows the formation of fluidic channels over them. This combination presents many advantages over other fabrication techniques, which are discussed in the paper. The fabricated electroosmotic pumps are presented and discussed.