Integrated ZnO Film Based Acoustic Wave Microfluidics and Biosensors

Abstract

Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) is one of the most important microsystems with promising applications in microanalysis, drug development and diagnosis, etc. We have been developing a LOC biodetection system using acoustic wave as a single actuation mechanism for both microfluidics and biosensing using low cost piezoelectric ZnO film. Surface acoustic waves (SAW) coupled into the liquid will induce acoustic streaming, or move the droplet on the surface. These have been utilized to make SAW-based micropumps and micromixers which are simple in structure, easy to fabricate, low cost, reliable and efficient. SAW devices and thin film bulk acoustic resonators (FBAR) have been fabricated on nanocrystalline ZnO thin films deposited using sputtering on Si substrates. A streaming velocity up to ~5cm/s within a microdroplet and a droplet moving speed of ~1cm/s have been achieved. SAW based droplet ejection and vaporization have also been realized. SAW devices and FBARs have been used to detect antibody/antigen and rabbit/goat immunoglobulin type G molecules, showing their high sensitivity. The results have demonstrated the feasibility of using a single actuation mechanism for the LOC.