Patent ID: 8500964

Claim:
A method of fabricating a bubble-type micro-pump, comprising: providing a micro-channel having a top surface, a bottom surface and two side walls, the micro-channel comprising at least a bubble-generating section; providing a bubble-generating unit in the bubble-generating section of the micro-channel, for generating a bubble in a liquid between a front end and a rear end of the bubble-generating section; and applying a surface treatment to the top surface of the bubble-generating section to form a surface energy gradient on the top surface, so that a difference between a backfilling velocity at the front end and that at the rear end drivers the liquid to flow toward the front end or the rear end; wherein at least two regions with different surface energies are formed by sputtering form forming the surface energy gradient on the top surface; wherein a step of forming the surface energy gradient on the top surface comprises: sputtering a film on the top surface of the bubble-generating section, and the thickness of the film gradually increasing or decreasing from the front end to the rear end; and sputtering the film on the top surface in the bubble-generating section, and the density of the film gradually increasing or decreasing from the front end to the rear end.