Polymer micro piezo valve with a small dead volume

A polymer valve with a small dead volume in the range of 6 nl and a response time faster than 1 ms is presented. The valve structure is simple and therefore easy to fabricate by injection molding or hot embossing. A layer of silicone rubber applied by a stamping technique not only promotes the sealing of the valve but also defines the gluing area during assembly. The fabrication is based on the AMANDA-process, which allows low-cost batch production of polymer micro devices.