Manufacture of integrated fluidic devices
AssigneeDALSA Semiconductor Inc.
InventorsLuc Ouellet, Heather Tyler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a method of fabricating a microstructure for microfluidics applications, a first layer of etchable material is formed on a suitable substrate. A mechanically stable support layer is formed over the etchable material. A mask is applied over the support to expose at least one opening in the mask. An anistropic etch is then performed through the opening to create a bore extending through the support layer to said layer of etchable material. After performing an isotropic etch through the bore to form a microchannel in the etchable material extending under the support layer, a further layer is deposited over the support layer until overhanging portions meet and thereby close the microchannel formed under the opening.
Claims46
A method of fabricating a microstructure for microfluidics applications, comprising the steps of:
- forming a first layer of etchable material on a suitable substrate;
- forming a mechanically stable support layer over said etchable material;
- applying a mask over said support layer to expose at least one opening in said mask;
- performing an anistropic etch through the or each said opening to create a bore extending through said support layer to said layer of etchable material;
- performing an isotropic etch through the or each said bore to form a microchannel in said etchable material extending under said support layer;
- and
- forming a further layer of depositable material over said support layer until portions of said depositable layer overhanging the or each said opening meet and thereby close the microchannel formed under the or each said opening.
A method of fabricating a microstructure for microfluidics applications, comprising:
- providing a substrate containing CMOS circuitry having an upper conductive layer;
- forming a protective layer on said upper conductive layer;
- forming a first sacrificial layer on said protective layer;
- forming a first layer of etchable material on said protective layer;
- depositing a second sacrificial layer on said first layer;
- depositing a mechanically stable support layer on said second sacrificial layer;
- applying a mask over said support layer to expose at least one opening in said mask;
- performing an anistropic etch through the or each said opening to create a bore extending through said support layer to said layer of etchable material;
- performing an isotropic etch through the or each said bore to form a microchannel in said etchable material extending under said support layer;
- and
- forming a further layer of depositable material over said support layer until portions of said depositable layer overhanging the or each said opening meet and thereby close the microchannel formed under the or each said opening;
- removing said depositable material in regions not over said opening;
- and depositing a conductive layer over said depositable material to form an upper electrode.
A method of fabricating a fluidic device, comprising the steps of:
- providing a layer of etchable material;
- forming a protective layer over said layer of etchable material;
- providing at least one opening in said protective layer;
- etching a cavity in said etchable layer through said at least one opening;
- and
- depositing a further layer such that portions thereof overhang said at least one opening, said overhanging portions meeting to close said opening and thereby form a closed microchannel within said etchable layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.