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Abstract Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is a force applied to microparticles in nonuniform electric field. This study discusses the fabrication of the glassy carbon interdigitated microelectrode arrays using lithography process based on lithographic patterning and subsequent pyrolysis of negative SU-8 photoresist. Resulting high-resistance electrodes would have the regions of high electric field at the ends of microarray as demonstrated by simulation. The study demonstrates that combining the alternating current (AC) applied bias with the direct current (DC) offset allows the user to separate subpopulations of microparticulates and control the propulsion of microparticles to the high field areas such as the ends of the electrode array. The direction of the movement of the particles can be switched by changing the offset. The demonstrated novel integrated DEP separation and propulsion can be applied to various fields including in vitro diagnostics as well as to microassembly technologies. 

Electrokinetic microassembly is used to position microparts via dielectrophoresis and electro-osmosis. Present work studies experimental conditions for creating latex particle agglomerates such as “pearly chains”. The work discusses one of the approaches to lock particles in the position after the electric field is removed. Particle-to-particle interactions such as electro-rotation and formation of particle chains parallel and perpendicular to the field lines are explored.