Reversibility of Electrowetting on Hydrophobic Surfaces and Dielectrics Under Continuous Applied DC Voltage

Abstract

Various properties of electrowetting such as reversibility, reproducibility and mobility have been investigated experimentally. A conductive water drop on a thin hydrophobic film of amorphous fluropolymers coated on the counter electrode showed unexpectedly the poor reversibility under the discontinuous voltage, so called the contact angle hysteresis. The hysteresis could not been completely suppressed by inserting additionally a thick parylene-C film which has the high dielectric constant and no pinholes. However, both the reversibility and the reproducibility have been enhanced under the continuous voltage starting from the highest absolute electric potential.