The micro ion drag pump using indium-tin-oxide (ITO) electrodes

This paper describes a micro ion drag pump, or an ejection type electro-hydrodynamic (EHD) micro pump, using Indium-Tin-Oxide (ITO) planar electrodes novelly. The ITO film for the electrodes makes anodic bonding easily and feasible in packaging the glass substrate (with ITO) hermetically with the silicon micro channels. Therefore, the scaling down or the miniaturization of ion drag pumps can be achieved herein. The ITO electrodes could drive the ethyl alcohol to have the maximum volumetric flow rate of 87 nl/min with applying a DC driving voltage of 40 Volts. More efforts and improvements on the pumping efficiency as well as the long-term stability of the ITO electrodes are acquired correspondingly.