# US 12,005,440 B2 · Microfluidic chip having grounding trace and manufacturing method thereof, and microfluidic device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,005,440 B2 - Document ID: US12005440B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/280,945 - Filed: 2020-09-22 - Published: 2022-09-29 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-11-13 - Assignees: Beijing BOE Sensor Technology Co., Ltd.; Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Beijing Boe Sensor Technology Co., Ltd.; Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Fengchun Pang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005440B2 ## CPC - B01L 3/502707: {characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components} - B01L 3/502715: {characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces} - B01L 3/502792: {for moving individual droplets on a plate, e.g. by locally altering surface tension} - G09G 3/34: by control of light from an independent source - B01L 2300/023: Sending and receiving of information, e.g. using Bluetooth® - B01L 2300/0645: Electrodes - B01L 2300/0887: Laminated structure - B01L 2300/161: Control and use of surface tension forces, e.g. hydrophobic, hydrophilic - B01L 2400/0427: Electrowetting - B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) ## Abstract Provided are a microfluidic chip and a manufacturing method thereof, and a microfluidic device. The microfluidic chip comprises a first substrate structure comprising a plurality of pin areas comprising a first and a second pin area, a detection area, and a grounding trace. The detection area comprises a plurality of first scan lines extending along a first direction, each of which being connected to the first pin area through a corresponding first scan trace; a plurality of first data lines extending along a second direction, each of which being connected to the second pin area through a corresponding first data trace; a plurality of detection units, each of which comprising a first switching transistor connected to a corresponding first scan line and data line, a driving electrode, and a first hydrophobic layer. The grounding trace is connected to at least one detection unit and one of the pin areas. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A microfluidic chip comprising a first substrate structure, the first substrate structure comprising: a plurality of pin areas, comprising a first pin area and a second pin area; a detection area, comprising: a plurality of first scan lines extending along a first direction, wherein each first scan line of the plurality of first scan lines is connected to the first pin area through a first scan trace corresponding to each first scan line, a plurality of first data lines extending along a second direction different from the first direction, wherein each first data line of plurality of first data lines is connected to the second pin area through a first data trace corresponding to each first data line, and a plurality of detection units, each of which comprising a first switching transistor, a driving electrode connected to the first switching transistor, and a first hydrophobic layer located above the driving electrode, wherein the first switching transistor is connected to a first scan line of the plurality of first scan lines corresponding to the first switching transistor and connected to a first data line of the plurality of first data lines corresponding to the first switching transistor; and a grounding trace surrounding the detection area, connected to at least one of the plurality of detection units, and connected to one of the plurality of pin areas. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate structure further comprises: an electrostatic discharge protection device arranged to surround the grounding trace. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The microfluidic chip according to claim 2, wherein the electrostatic discharge protection device comprises a plurality of thin film transistors, each thin film transistor of the plurality of thin film transistors is connected to a first scan trace corresponding to each thin film transistor or connected to a first data trace corresponding to each thin film transistor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, wherein: the first switching transistor comprises a first active layer; and each of the plurality of detection units comprises a light shielding layer connected to the grounding trace and located above the first active layer, and an orthographic projection of the light shielding layer on the first substrate at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the first active layer on the first substrate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The microfluidic chip according to claim 4, wherein: the first switching transistor comprises: a first gate located on the first substrate, a first insulating layer located on the first substrate and covering the first gate, the first active layer located on the first insulating layer, and a first source and a first drain which are connected to the first active layer; and each of the plurality of detection units further comprises: a second insulating layer covering the first switching transistor, a third insulating layer located on the second insulating layer, wherein the light shielding layer is located between the second insulating layer and the third insulating layer, the driving electrode located on the third insulating layer, wherein the driving electrode is connected to the first source through a via hole penetrating the third insulating layer and the second insulating layer, a dielectric layer located on the drive electrode, and the first hydrophobic layer located on the dielectric layer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The microfluidic chip according to claim 4, wherein the orthographic projection of the first active layer on the first substrate is within the orthographic projection of the light shielding layer on the first substrate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, wherein: the plurality of pin areas further comprises a third pin area and a fourth pin area; the detection area further comprises: a plurality of second scan lines extending along the first direction, wherein each second scan line of the plurality of second scan lines is connected to the third pin area through a second scan trace corresponding to each second scan line, and a plurality of second data lines extending along the second direction, wherein each second data line of the plurality of second data lines is connected to the fourth pin area through a second data trace corresponding to each second data line; and each of the plurality of detection units further comprises a second switching transistor and a photosensitive element connected to the second switching transistor, wherein the second switching transistor is connected to a second scan line of the plurality of second scan lines corresponding to the second switching transistor, and connected to a second data line of the plurality of second data lines corresponding to the second switching transistor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The microfluidic chip according to claim 7, wherein: the first switching transistor comprises a first active layer, and the second switching transistor comprises a second active layer; and each of the plurality of detection units comprises a first light shielding layer and a second light shielding layer which are spaced apart from each other and connected to the grounding trace, wherein: the first light shielding layer is located above the first active layer, and an orthographic projection of the first light shielding layer on the first substrate at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the first active layer on the first substrate, and the second light shielding layer is located above the second active layer, and an orthographic projection of the second light shielding layer on the first substrate at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the second active layer on the first substrate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The microfluidic chip according to claim 8, wherein: the first switching transistor comprises a first gate located on a first substrate, a first insulating layer located on the first substrate and covering the first gate, the first active layer located on the first insulating layer, and a first source and a first drain which are connected to the first active layer; the second switching transistor comprises a second gate located on the first substrate, a second insulating layer located on the first substrate and covering the second gate, a second active layer located on the second insulating layer, and a second source and a second drain which are connected to the second active layer; and each of the plurality of detection units further comprises: a third insulating layer covering the first switching transistor and the second switching transistor, a first electrode and a second electrode which are located on the third insulating layer and spaced apart from each other, wherein the first electrode is connected to the first source through a first via hole penetrating the third insulating layer, and the second electrode is connected to the second source through a second via hole penetrating the third insulating layer, the photosensitive element located on the second electrode, a third electrode located on the photosensitive element, a fourth insulating layer located on the third insulating layer and covering the first electrode, the second electrode and the third electrode, a fifth insulating layer located on the fourth insulating layer, the first light shielding layer and the second light shielding layer which are located on the fifth insulating layer, a sixth insulating layer located on the first light shielding layer and the second light shielding layer, the driving electrode located on the sixth insulating layer, wherein the driving electrode is connected to the first light shielding layer through a fifth via hole penetrating the sixth insulating layer, and a dielectric layer located on the sixth insulating layer and the driving electrode, wherein the first hydrophobic layer is located on the dielectric layer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The microfluidic chip according to claim 8, wherein: the orthographic projection of the first active layer on the first substrate is within the orthographic projection of the first light shielding layer on the first substrate; and the orthographic projection of the second active layer on the first substrate is within the orthographic projection of the second light shielding layer on the first substrate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate structure further comprises: a fluid reservoir area configured to store droplets and connected to one of the plurality of pin areas; and a plurality of guide electrodes arranged at intervals between the fluid reservoir area and the detection area, wherein each of the plurality of guide electrodes is connected to one of the plurality of pin areas. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, further comprising: a second substrate structure opposite to the first substrate structure, engaged to the first substrate structure through an engagement member, and comprising: a second substrate, and a common electrode arranged on one side of the second substrate close to the first substrate structure, wherein the first substrate structure further comprises a conductive member connected to the grounding trace and in contact with the common electrode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The microfluidic chip according to claim 12, wherein the second substrate structure further comprises: a second hydrophobic layer arranged on one side of the common electrode away from the second substrate, wherein the second hydrophobic layer is provided with a hole, and the conductive member passes through the hole to be in contact with the common electrode. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The microfluidic chip according to claim 12, wherein the second substrate structure is provided with at least one first hole penetrating the second substrate structure, and an orthographic projection of each of the at least one first hole on the first substrate is located within an orthographic projection of the detection area on the first substrate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The microfluidic chip according to claim 12, wherein: the first substrate structure comprises a fluid reservoir area configured to store droplets and connected to one of the plurality of pin areas; and the second substrate structure is provided with a second hole penetrating the second substrate structure, and an orthographic projection of the second hole on the first substrate at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the fluid reservoir area on the first substrate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The microfluidic chip according to claim 12, wherein the conductive member comprises conductive silver paste. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A microfluidic device, comprising the microfluidic chip according to claim 1. ### Claim 18 A manufacturing method of a microfluidic chip, comprising forming a first substrate structure, wherein forming the first substrate structure comprises: forming a plurality of pin areas which comprises a first pin area and a second pin area; forming a detection area comprising: a plurality of first scan lines extending along a first direction, wherein each first scan line of the plurality of first scan lines is connected to the first pin area through a first scan trace corresponding to each first scan line, a plurality of first data lines extending along a second direction different from the first direction, wherein each first data line of plurality of first data lines is connected to the second pin area through a first data trace corresponding to each first data line, and a plurality of detection units, each of which comprising a first switching transistor, a driving electrode connected to the first switching transistor, and a first hydrophobic layer located above the driving electrode, wherein the first switching transistor is connected to a first scan line of the plurality of first scan lines corresponding to the first switching transistor and connected to a first data line of the plurality of first data lines corresponding to the first switching transistor; and forming a grounding trace surrounding the detection area, connected to at least one of the plurality of detection units and connected to one of the plurality of pin areas. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The manufacturing method according to claim 18, further comprising: forming a second substrate structure, comprising: providing a second substrate, and forming a common electrode on one side of the second substrate; and engaging the second substrate structure to the first substrate structure through an engagement member, such that the second substrate structure is opposite to the first substrate structure. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The manufacturing method according to claim 19, wherein: forming the second substrate structure further comprises forming a second hydrophobic layer on one side of the common electrode away from the second substrate, wherein the second hydrophobic layer is provided with a hole; and forming the first substrate structure further comprises forming a conductive member connected to the grounding trace, wherein after the second substrate structure is engaged to the first substrate structure, the conductive member passes through the hole to be in contact with the common electrode.