Development of a Miniaturised Capillary Electrophoresis Microfluidic Device and of a MEMS Switch Seminar

In the first part of this talk I shall discuss the research undertaken during the course of my Ph.D. The focus of this research was to develop methods of improving separation of ionic species in a miniaturised microfluidic device. To achieve this, a number of separation enhancement methods were devised. These relied on the ability to dynamically manipulate a secondary flow (termed the electro-osmotic flow) within a microfluidic channel, using an external electric-field. With control of this secondary flow the effective channel length can be increased without compromising the actual channel length and consequently the device size. The separation resolution increases with an increase in the effective channel length.

In the second part of the talk I shall discuss my current research into the development of a MEMS switch. I shall discuss the design, modelling and fabrication of a cantilever beam for a MEMS switch. The MEMS switch is required for a number of reasons; primarily to investigate the lifetime of a multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite electrical contact material. It is also useful to illustrate how the MWCNT-composite technology could be employed in to a realizable or commercial device.