# US 10,500,586 B2 · Microfluidic device with anti-wetting, venting areas > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,500,586 B2 - Document ID: US10500586B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/431,030 - Filed: 2017-02-13 - Published: 2017-06-01 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-19 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Emmanuel Delamarche; Yuksel Temiz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10500586B2 ## CPC - B01L 3/502707: {characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components} - B01L 3/502723: {characterised by venting arrangements} - B81C 1/00: Manufacture or treatment of devices or systems in or on a substrate (B81C3/00 takes precedence) - B01L 2200/0615: Loss of fluid by dripping - B01L 2200/0684: Venting, avoiding backpressure, avoid gas bubbles - B01L 2200/12: Specific details about manufacturing devices - B01L 2200/141: Preventing contamination, tampering - B01L 2300/0645: Electrodes - B01L 2300/0851: Bottom walls - B01L 2300/0858: Side walls - B01L 2300/0867: Multiple inlets and one sample wells, e.g. mixing, dilution - B01L 2300/165: Specific details about hydrophobic, oleophobic surfaces - B01L 2400/0406: capillary forces - B01L 2400/0424: Dielectrophoretic forces - B01L 2400/086: using baffles or other fixed flow obstructions - B01L 2400/088: by specific surface properties - B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE - B81C: PROCESSES OR APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS (making microcapsules or microballoons B01J13/02; processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/01) ## Abstract A microfluidic device and method for fabrication includes a microfluidic channel that has a closed portion, which comprises: a liquid pathway formed by a wetting area; and an anti-wetting area extending along and contiguously with the liquid pathway. The anti-wetting area is configured so as to provide a vent to evacuate gas along the anti-wetting area. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of manufacturing a microfluidic device, comprising: forming a microfluidic channel in a substrate, the microfluidic channel having a closed portion; forming a liquid pathway using a wetting area in the closed portion, the wetting area of the liquid pathway having a bottom wall and a lateral wall as part of the microfluidic channel; and forming an anti-wetting area in the closed portion, the anti-wetting area extending along and contiguously with the liquid pathway, and the anti-wetting area extending along and contiguously with the lateral wall of the microfluidic channel and parallel to the liquid pathway, the anti-wetting area being configured to provide a vent to evacuate gas from the wetting area along the anti-wetting area to outside the microfluidic channel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: fabricating an anti-wetting area on one or each of: a substrate and a cover structure for the substrate to form the anti-wetting area. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: forming black Silicon for the anti-wetting area. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises silicon, the method further comprising: oxidizing the substrate to form a SiO2 layer on the substrate; etching an area of the SiO2 layer; and converting the etched areas to black silicon to obtain the anti-wetting area, wherein converting the etched areas uses a reactive ion etching procedure, the surrounding non-etched area of the SiO2 layer being a mask for the reactive ion etching procedure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the anti-wetting area is a first anti-wetting area, and the method further comprises: forming a second anti-wetting area of the closed portion of the microfluidic channel, the second anti-wetting area extending along and contiguously with the liquid pathway opposite the first anti-wetting area, and the second anti-wetting area being configured to provide a vent to evacuate gas from the wetting area along the second anti-wetting area. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein two liquid pathways are separated by a common anti-wetting area, the common anti wetting area extends along and contiguously with each of the two liquid pathways. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: forming the wetting area of the liquid pathway by a bottom wall and between lateral walls being arranged on each side of the liquid pathway, and extending the anti-wetting area between one of the lateral walls and the liquid pathway. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the lateral walls comprise silicon. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: forming the wetting area of the liquid pathway at least by a bottom wall and a lateral wall of the microfluidic channel, and extending the anti-wetting area along and contiguously with the lateral wall of the microfluidic channel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: forming one or more non-closed portions, such that the gas can be vented from the closed portion to the one or more non-closed portions, along the anti-wetting area. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: forming second multiple microfluidic channels connected to the microfluidic channel, each of the second microfluidic channels having a closed channel portion, each of the second multiple microfluidic channels comprising a liquid pathway formed by a wetting area and at least one anti-wetting area configured so as to provide a vent, and connecting the second multiple microfluidic channels at one end thereof into the microfluidic channel to form an intersection of closed channel portions. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the anti-wetting area comprises black silicon. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: mating the liquid pathway with an adjoining structure using the anti-wetting area. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising forming a structure having an area resting on the anti-wetting area, the latter configured so as to prevent liquid leak between the liquid pathway and the adjoining structure. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: Separating two liquid pathways by a common anti-wetting area, the common anti-wetting area extending along and contiguously with each of the two liquid pathways. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the closed portion of the microfluidic channel has a dead-end. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a microfluidic chip.