eprintid: 10198377 rev_number: 7 eprint_status: archive userid: 699 dir: disk0/10/19/83/77 datestamp: 2024-10-11 14:34:18 lastmod: 2024-10-11 14:34:18 status_changed: 2024-10-11 14:34:18 type: article metadata_visibility: show sword_depositor: 699 creators_name: Chen, T creators_name: Cui, L creators_name: He, W creators_name: Zhao, Z creators_name: Liu, H creators_name: Qian, L creators_name: Yu, B title: Fabrication of Conical Microstructure Array for Stable Droplet Generation Over Wide Flow Rate Range ispublished: inpress divisions: UCL divisions: B04 divisions: F46 keywords: Microstructures; micro-droplets; flow shear stress; selective etching note: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. abstract: Droplet generators with the ability to resist flow fluctuations are of importance for microfluidic chip analysis systems. However, obtaining stably desired-size droplets is still a bugbear since even slight fluctuations can cause polydisperse droplets. In this study, a high-performance droplet generator is achieved with a functional conical array housed in the junction of the channels. The conical microstructures are fabricated through the selective etching of the scratched silicon nitride/silicon (Si3N4/Si) substrate in potassium hydroxide (KOH) etchant, where the combination of lateral and normal material removal contributes to the structure formation. It is found that the key role of the conical microstructures is to regulate the flow rate of the continuous phase, which allows droplet generation to turn to the necking phase and enables droplets to shed more easily. It is also noted that the droplet generator with such a conical array can produce monodisperse droplets in wide-range flow, providing new insights for high-quality device design. date: 2024-09-27 date_type: published publisher: WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH official_url: https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202404819 full_text_type: other language: eng verified: verified_manual elements_id: 2323666 doi: 10.1002/smll.202404819 medium: Print-Electronic lyricists_name: Liu, Huiyun lyricists_id: HLIUX22 actors_name: Liu, Huiyun actors_id: HLIUX22 actors_role: owner funding_acknowledgements: [National Natural Science Foundation of China]; 52175549 full_text_status: restricted publication: Small article_number: 2404819 pages: 8 event_location: Germany issn: 1613-6810 citation: Chen, T; Cui, L; He, W; Zhao, Z; Liu, H; Qian, L; Yu, B; (2024) Fabrication of Conical Microstructure Array for Stable Droplet Generation Over Wide Flow Rate Range. Small , Article 2404819. 10.1002/smll.202404819 <https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202404819>. (In press). document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10198377/1/Fabrication%20of%20Conical%20Microstructure%20Array%20for%20Stable%20Droplet%20Generation%20over%20Wide%20Flow%20Rate%20Range%281%29.pdf