ADHESION-INHIBITED SURFACES - COATED AND UNCOATED INTERDIGITATED ELECTRODE ARRAYS IN THE MICROMETER AND SUBMICROMETER RANGE

Individually addressable, interdigitated electrode arrays energized ei ther by ac or by traveling-waves can create electric field shields. So me arrays were coated with thin dielectric layers to improve stability . In conductive aqueous solutions (up to 7 S/m) and at frequencies bet ween 1 kHz and 200 MHz, microscopic particles and living cells showing negative dielectrophoresis are repelled from the electrode plane. Cal culations were carried out to estimate the forces acting on particles and the heat production (losses) for various electrode geometries and properties of the insulating layer. We show, both experimentally and t heoretically, that surfaces can be protected from cells adhesion and d eposition of most artificial particles with effective diameters above 100 nm for many days. Additionally, the presented structures can be us ed as efficient microparticle filters.