Microfluidic device with manifold

A method of forming a device, the device comprising:

• a semiconductor die comprising a microfluidic device, the microfluidic device comprising a microelectromechanical system or electronic components in addition to fluid handling components;
• a polymer substrate formed around the die, wherein the substrate surrounds, abuts and supports the die, the substrate being in direct physical contact with a bottom and sides of the die with only an upper surface of the die being exposed and not covered by the substrate, the exposed upper surface of the die being aligned with a surrounding surface of the polymer substrate;
• and
• a separate fluid manifold attached to the surface of the polymer substrate, the manifold extending above the surface of the polymer substrate on a same side of the substrate as the die, the manifold extending laterally over some portion of the exposed upper surface of the die, the manifold comprising a fluid inlet port and a fluid pathway from the fluid inlet port to a fluid intake of the die to deliver fluid to the die
• the method comprising:
• forming the microfluidic device in the semiconductor die, the microfluidic device comprising the microelectromechanical system or electronic components in addition to fluid handling;
• forming the polymer substrate around the die, wherein the substrate surrounds, abuts and supports the die with only an upper surface of the die being exposed, the exposed upper surface of the die being aligned with the surrounding surface of the polymer substrate;
• and
• attaching the separate fluid manifold to the substrate over the die, the manifold providing channels for conducting fluid to the microfluidic device of the die, the manifold extending over some portion of the exposed upper surface of the die, the manifold comprising the fluid inlet port and the fluid pathway from the fluid inlet port to the fluid intake of the die to deliver fluid to the die.

A device comprising:

• a die comprising a microfluidic device;
• a polymer substrate formed around the die, wherein the substrate surrounds, abuts and supports the die with only an upper surface of the die being exposed, the exposed upper surface of the die being aligned with a surrounding surface of the polymer substrate, the polymer substrate surrounding the die without any gap between the substrate and the die except for exposure of the upper surface of the die, wherein the upper surface of the die is coplanar with the surrounding surface of the polymer substrate;
• and
• a separate fluid manifold, formed of plastic, metal or ceramic and attached, at one point, to the surface of the polymer substrate and attached at another point directly above the upper surface of the die so that the manifold straddles a transition between the upper surface of the die and the surface of the polymer substrate, the manifold comprising fluid channels to deliver fluid from a fluid input port of the manifold to a fluid intake of the microfluidic device of the die
• wherein the die comprises fluid pathways on a micron-scale and the manifold comprises fluid pathways on a millimeter-scale.