Method and apparatus for improved pumping medium for electro-osmotic pumps
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsAlan Myers, Juan Santiago, Shuhuai Yao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pumping medium for an electro-osmotic pump made of porous silicon. The porous silicon may result in a lower required pumping voltage and a smaller form factor for an equivalent flow rate and pressure generation as compared to conventional glass frits. The porous silicon may also provide a better thermodynamic efficiency over conventional glass frits for use in electro-osmotic pumps. The increased efficiency of the porous silicon may provide an low-power, high flow rate, high pressure, small form factor, vibration-free pump for cooling microelectronic devices, such as integrated circuit chips.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a first chamber comprising an inlet;
- a second chamber comprising an outlet;
- a porous pumping medium situated between the first and second chamber, the pumping medium comprising porous silicon and having a tortuosity of approximately unity;
- and
- a pair of electrodes on opposite sides of the pumping medium operable to create an electric potential across the pumping medium.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a first chamber comprising an inlet;
- a second chamber comprising an outlet;
- a porous pumping medium generally disposed between the first and second chamber, the pumping medium having a tortuosity of approximately unity;
- a pair of electrodes operable to create an electric potential across at least a portion of the pumping medium;
- and
- wherein the pumping medium comprises a thickness in the range of approximately 1 micron to approximately 1000 microns;
- the pumping medium comprises a plurality of pores, each pore having a pore diameter in the range of approximately 0.1 micron to approximately 10 microns;
- the pumping medium comprising regions, separated and supported by a lattice structure;
- and the pumping medium comprises a liner material to facilitate an electrical double layer formation within the pores to prevent a current path through a portion of the pumping medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.