Droplet microarrays (DMAs) leveraging wettability differences are instrumental in digital immunoassays, single-cell analysis, and high-throughput screening. This study introduces an enhanced Teflon lift-off process to fabricate hydrophilic–hydrophobic patterns on a digital microfluidic (DMF) chip, thereby integrating DMAs with DMF technology. By employing DMF for droplet manipulation and utilizing wettability differences, the automated generation of high-throughput DMAs was achieved. The volume of the microdroplets ranged from picoliters to nanoliters. For droplets with a diameter of 150 μm, the array density reached up to 1282 cm⁻². We systematically investigated the influence of various DMF parameters on the formation of DMAs and applied this technique to particle distribution, achieving a single-cell isolation rate of approximately 30%. We believe that this method will be a potent tool to enhance the capabilities of DMAs and DMF technology and extend their applicability across more fields.

中文翻译：

---

改进的 Teflon 剥离功能，用于在数字微流控芯片上生成液滴微阵列和单细胞分离


利用润湿性差异的液滴微阵列 （DMA） 有助于数字免疫测定、单细胞分析和高通量筛选。本研究介绍了一种增强的 Teflon 剥离工艺，在数字微流体 （DMF） 芯片上制造亲水疏水图案，从而将 DMA 与 DMF 技术集成。通过使用 DMF 进行液滴操作并利用润湿性差异，实现了高通量 DMA 的自动生成。微滴的体积范围从皮升到纳升不等。对于直径为 150 μm 的液滴，阵列密度高达 1282 ^cm-2。我们系统地研究了各种 DMF 参数对 DMA 形成的影响，并将该技术应用于颗粒分布，实现了约 30% 的单细胞分离率。我们相信，这种方法将成为增强 DMA 和 DMF 技术能力并将其适用性扩展到更多领域的有力工具。