Preparation of diffuser type micropump using screen-printed PZT-PCW thick films

This paper describes the preparation and experimental results of the piezoelectric actuating diaphragm and the diffuser type micropump using screen printing thick-film technologies and Si micro-machining. The micropump has a pumping chamber with an oscillating diaphragm which compresses the pumping chamber. Inlet and outlet planar diffusers direct the liquid flow. The micropump is a stack of two layers bonded together: one silicon piece with Si diaphragm actuator using PZT-PCW thick films, other piece having pumping chamber, planar diffuser and fluidic access holes. Si diaphragm of about 15-25 μm thickness are prepared on Si(100) wafers by TMAH wet etching. The PZT-PCW thick films are prepared by hybrid method of screen printing modified with PZT sol-gel application. The results from this study show that it is good to perform combination of screen printed PZT thick-film onto micromachined Si structure.