Interdigitated 3-D Silicon Ring Microelectrodes for DEP-Based Particle Manipulation

This paper describes the design, the fabrication, and the characterization of an interdigitated 3-D silicon (Si) ring microelectrodes for dielectrophoretic (DEP) manipulation of particles. The 3-D microelectrodes are derived from a high-aspect-ratio comb structure etched in a doped single crystal Si on an insulating dielectric (silicon-on-insulator). Fingers of the comb are evolved into ring microelectrodes once perforated with a linear array of well-defined round lateral constrictions. This is achieved by the segmented finger layout and the Si dry release strategy borrowed from inertial microelectromechanical systems. The fingers and their interspaces are sealed with a cover layer forming a microfluidic flow chamber surrounded by 3-D microelectrodes and accessible via single inlet/outlet. The functionality of the device has been verified on 2- and 10-μm polystyrene microspheres in pressure-driven flow through the ring microelectrodes at 3.3 μL/min effectively focusing them into streams or trapping them around the fingers at moderate voltage levels (20-40 Vpp).