Droplet ejection by electrowetting actuation

Abstract

Fast contact-line motion of a droplet spreading on a solid substrate under the electrowetting effect generates strong capillary waves on the droplet's surface. The capillary waves may be strong enough to induce ejection of a satellite droplet from the primary one. In this study, we show that the size of the satellite droplet and the ejection time are not only dependent on the contact-line velocity, which directly relates to the applied voltage enabling the electrowetting effect, but are also affected by the ejection dynamics. We derive a theoretical model of the criteria for droplet ejection and experimentally verify the proposed criteria for wide ranges of viscosity, droplet size, and the applied voltage.