A scalable, modular, multi-stage, peristaltic, electrostatic gas micro-pump

This paper presents a new high-density, scalable, peristaltic gas micropump, fabricated using a high-yield and modular technology. Previously our group introduced the first peristaltic electrostatic gas micropump, utilizing fluidic resonance and multi-stage configuration, which achieved the highest pressure and flow at the lowest power ever reported for a gas micropump. The micropump reported here utilizes the same operating principle, but with major modifications in device structure, architecture, fabrication technology, and pump assembly and packaging. The new pump is significantly more space efficient than the previous design and can be fabricated on one single sided silicon wafer and assembled modularly (in parts), providing much greater testing and characterization capabilities at different points in the process, as well as a significantly higher yield and better control over critical pump parameters.