Microfluidic chip and fabrication method

A microfluidic chip, comprising:

• an array substrate;
• a hydrophobic layer, disposed on a side of the array substrate, wherein the hydrophobic layer includes at least one through-hole, and a through-hole of the at least one through-hole penetrates through the hydrophobic layer along a direction perpendicular to a plane of the array substrate;
• and
• at least one hydrophilic structure, wherein a hydrophilic structure of the at least one hydrophilic structure is disposed in the through-hole, wherein:
• the hydrophilic structure is made of a material including one or more of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, polyvinylpyrrolidone and sodium hydroxide.

A microfluidic chip, comprising:

• an array substrate;
• a hydrophobic layer, disposed on a side of the array substrate, wherein the hydrophobic layer includes at least one through-hole, and a through-hole of the at least one through-hole penetrates through the hydrophobic layer along a direction perpendicular to a plane of the array substrate;
• and
• at least one hydrophilic structure, wherein a hydrophilic structure of the at least one hydrophilic structure is disposed in the through-hole,
• wherein the array substrate includes:
• a base substrate,
• a circuit layer, disposed on a side of the base substrate, wherein the circuit layer includes a plurality of first transistors,
• an electrode layer, disposed on a side of the circuit layer away from the base substrate, wherein the electrode layer includes a plurality of driving electrodes, and a driving electrode of the plurality of driving electrodes is electrically connected to a first transistor of the plurality of first transistors, and
• an insulating layer, disposed on a side of the electrode layer away from the base substrate, wherein the hydrophobic layer is disposed on a side of the insulating layer away from the base substrate.

A fabrication method of a microfluidic chip, comprising:

• forming an array substrate by:
• providing a base substrate,
• forming a circuit layer on a side of the base substrate, and
• forming an electrode layer on a side of the circuit layer away from the base substrate, wherein the electrode layer includes a plurality of driving electrodes;
• forming a hydrophilic layer on a side of the array substrate including the plurality of driving electrodes;
• forming a first photoresist pattern on a side of the hydrophilic layer away from the array substrate, wherein the first photoresist pattern corresponds to a region of a to-be-formed hydrophilic structure in the hydrophilic layer;
• etching the hydrophilic layer using the first photoresist pattern as a mask to form at least one hydrophilic structure;
• forming a hydrophobic layer on the side of the array substrate where the at least one hydrophilic structure is formed, wherein the hydrophobic layer includes at least one through-hole, along a direction perpendicular to a plane of the array substrate, a through-hole of the at least one through-hole penetrates through the hydrophobic layer, and a hydrophilic structure of the at least one hydrophilic structure and the first photoresist pattern are located in the through-hole,
• wherein, in a plane parallel to the base substrate, the at least one hydrophilic structure is disposed between adjacent two driving electrodes of the plurality of driving electrodes;
• and
• removing the first photoresist pattern.