open access

https://hdl.handle.net/2115/79197

Bending Deformation of Multiple Aligned Plates Toward Coalescence Induced by Capillarity

Surface tension

2019-08

IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems

28(4)

685-694

Deformation induced by capillarity needs to be characterized appropriately to avoid unexpected collapse or to control self-assembly of fine structures. Nevertheless, even simple phenomena such as the pinching together of two plates require delicate instruments for observation. Our group proposed a simple experimental setup in which parallel plates separated by small gaps and fixed at their bottom ends were lowered into a liquid. Bending deformation of the plates caused by capillary rises between their inner surfaces was observed at the liquid surface. The experiments revealed that plates do not coalesce simultaneously, but in a sequence starting from pairs with the current smallest gap and with little influence of capillary rises in neighboring plates. After each pair of plates had coalesced, they behave as a single plate causing subsequent coalescences to occur in a similar manner. An analytical model based on this prescription is established to predict the deflection of plate pairs up until coalescence finishes. The effectiveness of the model was confirmed by accurately predicting the sequence of coalescence in multiple plates. Furthermore, it is presented that conditions required to avoid either coalescence in a pair of plates or complete coalescence of all plates can be determined by a non-dimensional parameter.

学術雑誌論文

Accepted Manuscript

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1057-7157

1941-0158