US 12,296,341 B2
Apparatus and method for forming droplets having predetermined volume by electrowetting
Jian Gong, Danville, CA (US); Shifeng Li, Fremont, CA (US); and Cheng Frank Zhong, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Assigned to MGI Tech Co., Ltd., Shenzhen (CN)
Appl. No. 17/263,765
Filed by MGI Tech Co., Ltd., Shenzhen (CN)
PCT Filed Aug. 1, 2019, PCT No. PCT/IB2019/056588
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 27, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/026200, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 6, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/713,724, filed on Aug. 2, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0178397 A1, Jun. 17, 2021
Int. Cl. B01L 3/00 (2006.01); G01N 27/414 (2006.01)
CPC B01L 3/502792 (2013.01) [G01N 27/414 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0663 (2013.01); B01L 2300/165 (2013.01); B01L 2400/0427 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for forming a plurality of microdroplets from a droplet, the apparatus comprising:
a first substrate having a first surface;
a dielectric layer on the first surface of the first substrate and having a plurality of electrodes in the dielectric layer, wherein a plurality of two-dimensional arrays of microdroplet forming hydrophilic surface regions each are located directly above each of plurality of electrode and spaced apart from each other by one or more hydrophobic surfaces;
the plurality of electrodes in the dielectric layer forming an electric field across the droplet in response to voltages provided by a control circuit to move the droplet across one of the plurality of two-dimensional arrays of microdroplet forming hydrophilic surface regions of the dielectric layer in a lateral direction while leaving portions of the droplet on the microdroplet forming hydrophilic surface regions to form the plurality of microdroplets on the microdroplet forming hydrophilic surface regions; and
wherein each of the plurality of microdroplets is disposed above an upper surface of the dielectric layer and protrudes into a channel.