Numerical simulation of the stamping process through microchannels

Abstract This study proposes a stamper array chip with embedded microchannels that delivers fixed size and shape liquid samples to a bottom chip for quantitative biodiagnosis and bioassays. The transfer process and physics are analyzed by solving first-principle equations numerically. The simulation proves that the surface tension force inside a microchannel plays an important role in driving the liquid fluid from the reservoir to the tip of the microchannel and causes some degree of liquid–air interface oscillation due to the interaction of a pressure wave and the surface tension force. The oscillation of the meniscus-free surface helps the delivery of the liquid to the bottom chip by forming microchannels and attaching to the surface. Most of all, the simulation of the stamping process indicates that the control of spot size transferred to the bottom surface is feasible for precise diagnosis under different stamping speeds and/or various contact angles due to different surface tension coefficients between fluids and solid surfaces.