LIGA fabrication and test of a DC type magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) micropump

This paper reports a research effort to design, microfabricate and test a D C type magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) micropump using LIGA method (Menz et al., 1991). The micropump is driven using the Lorentz force and can be used to d eliver electrically conductive fluids. In operation, a DC voltage is suppli ed across the electrodes to generate the distributed body force on the flui d in the pumping chamber, and therefore a constant pressure difference alon g the pumping chamber. The external magnetic field was supplied using perma nent magnets. The major advantage of a MI-ID-based micropump is that it doe s not contain any moving parts. It may have potential applications in medic ine delivery, biological and biomedical studies. The test of the DC prototy pe micropump shows that bubble generation mechanism affect the performance significantly and an AC driving mechanism may be used to improve the perfor mance.