Method for manufacturing microfluidic chip with electroosmotic flow controlled by inducing electric field through self-assembled monolayer

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a microfluidic chip with electroosmotic flow (EOF) controlled by inducing a perpendicularly electric field through a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) is disclosed. The method is primarily to combine a top plate and a bottom plate; wherein the bottom plate has a gate electrode on an upper surface thereof and has the SAM formed on said gate electrode. The top plate has an elongate micro channel groove which is narrower than that of the gate electrode, recessed in a lower portion thereof and filled with a buffer solution. Accordingly, the flowing direction and the flowing velocity of said EOF are controlled by supplying high voltage to two ends of said micro channel groove to produce an electric field for driving EOF and supplying an inducing voltage to the gate electrode. The SAM of the present invention can be easily formed and thin enough to lower the inducing voltage required for controlling the zeta potential and have a smaller chip size. Furthermore, direction and velocity of the EOF can be controlled regardless of the acidic or neutral solution filled in the channel.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] This invention relates to a method for manufacturing a microfluidic chip with electroosmotic flow (EOF) controlled by inducing an electric field through a self-assembled monolayer, particularly to a method including a step of forming an insulating layer on a bottom plate of the microfluidic chip so as to induce a perpendicular electric field, wherein the insulating layer is a self-assembled monolayer (SAM). The microfluidic chip can be easily obtained with an extremely thin insulating layer, and the voltage for inducing is very low. Additionally, size of the chip is effectively reduced, and electroosmotic flow (EOF) thereof can be controlled as required in its flowing direction and velocity. [0003] EOF has advantages of being easily induced, having a flat flowing profile, and needing no extraordinarily large pump system. Therefore, EOF can be utilized in a lab-on-a-chip system or a microfluidic control system by mea...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0019] The object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a microfluidic chip with electroosmotic flow (EOF) controlled by inducing an electric field through a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) so that direction and velocity of the EOF can be controlled.

[0020] The method of the present invention is primarily to combine a top plate and a bottom plate; wherein the bottom plate has a gate electrode on an upper surface thereof and has the SAM formed on said gate electrode. The top plate has an elongate micro channel groove which is narrower than that of the gate electrode, recessed in a lower portion thereof and fill

Problems solved by technology

In general, EOF is easily influenced by pH values of the buffer liquid, ionic strength of the electrolyte solution and functional groups of the inner surface of the capillary tube, and therefore flowing velocity and direction of the solution in the capillary channel are difficult to be controlled.

However,

Images