Microfluidic chip and its manufacturing method, transfer head and its manufacturing method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a microfluidic chip and a manufacturing method thereof, a transfer head and a manufacturing method thereof. The microfluidic chip comprises a chip body, a pipeline distributed in the chip body; at least one glue inlet formed on at least one surface of the chip body, the glue inlet communicates with the pipeline, so as to inject a viscous glue into the pipeline; at least one glue outlet formed on at least one surface of the chip body, the glue outlet communicates with the pipeline, so as to allow a part of the glue injected into the pipeline to overflow through the glue outlet to the surface where the glue outlet is located to form naturally, and to form an adhesive head after curing. When using the microfluidic chip to make a transfer head, only two steps of glue injection and curing need to be performed. The manufacturing process is simple and convenient, with high efficiency, and the problem of difficult peeling of holes on the silicon substrate in the related art no longer exists. It can not only improve the yield rate of transfer head manufacturing, but also reduce the manufacturing cost of the transfer head from many aspects.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor devices, and in particular to a microfluidic chip and a manufacturing method thereof, a transfer head and a manufacturing method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Micro Light Emitting Diode (Micro-LED) display technology has the advantages of high brightness, high response speed, low power consumption, and long life, and has become a research hotspot in the pursuit of a new generation of display technology. In the process of manufacturing large and medium-sized Micro-LED displays, it is necessary to carry out mass transfer of Micro-LED chips and LED chip bonding processes. In the process of mass transfer of Micro-LED chips, the transfer head is the most frequently used consumable component. In the related art, the transfer head of the micro-LED chip is made by the template method. Since the template is made by silicon etching, the flatness of the side wall of the etched silicon hole is poor, resulting in the transfer head part formed by the template being separated from the hole on the silicon substrate during the mold opening stage. There is a risk of being difficult to peel off, resulting in a low yield of the transfer head, which indirectly increases the production cost of the transfer head.

[0003] Therefore, how to improve the yield of transfer head production and reduce its production cost is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned deficiencies in the related art, the purpose of the present application is to provide a microfluidic chip and a method for manufacturing the same, a transfer head and a method for manufacturing the same, aiming to solve the problem in the related art that the yield of the transfer head is low, resulting in high production costs.

[0005] A microfluidic chip, comprising:

[0006] Chip body;

[0007] Channels distributed within the chip body;

[0008] At least one glue inlet is formed on at least one surface of the chip body, and the glue inlet is communicated with the pipeline so as to inject viscous glue into the pipeline;

[0009] At least one glue outlet is formed on at least one surface of the chip body, and the glue outlet is communicated with the pipeline, so that a part of the glue liquid injected into the pipeline overflows through the glue outlet to the surface where the glue outlet is located to form naturally, and forms an adhesive head after curing.

[0010] The chip body can be used to form a transfer head. When using it to form a transfer head, it is only necessary to inject a viscous glue into the glue inlet on the chip body, so that the glue flows through the pipeline in the chip body and finally overflows from the glue outlet to the surface where the glue outlet is located to form a natural shape and solidify to form an adhesive head. It can be seen that when the chip body is used to form a transfer head, the manufacturing process is simple and efficient. At the same time, the glue flows through the pipeline and overflows from the glue outlet to form a natural shape. The formed adhesive head has a high degree of smoothness, and there is no longer the problem of being difficult to peel off the holes on the silicon substrate in the related art. It can not only improve the yield rate of the transfer head manufacturing, but also improve its manufacturing efficiency, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the transfer head from many aspects.

[0011] Based on the same inventive concept, the present application also proposes a transfer head, which includes the microfluidic chip as shown above, and also includes glue liquid injected into the pipeline through the glue inlet, part of the glue liquid solidifies in the pipeline, and part of it overflows from the glue outlet to the surface where the glue outlet is located and then naturally takes shape, and forms an adhesion head after solidification.

[0012] The transfer head formation process is simple and efficient, and the problem of difficulty in peeling off the holes on the silicon substrate in the related art no longer exists. The yield rate of transfer head production can be improved, the cost of transfer heads can be reduced, and the promotion and use of transfer heads is conducive to the promotion and use of transfer heads.

[0013] Based on the same inventive concept, the present application also provides a method for manufacturing a microfluidic chip, comprising:

[0014] forming a first substrate layer;

[0015] forming a first photoresist layer on the first substrate layer;

[0016] After the first photoresist is exposed and developed according to the distribution diagram of the glue inlet and the pipeline, a first photoresist layer is left in the corresponding area where the glue inlet and the pipeline are arranged;

[0017] Disposing a second photoresist layer on the first photoresist layer;

[0018] After the second photoresist is exposed and developed according to the glue outlet distribution map, a second photoresist layer is left in the area where the glue outlets are arranged;

[0019] Disposing a second base material layer on the first base material layer, wherein the thickness of the second base material layer is greater than the thickness of the first photoresist layer and is less than or equal to the sum of the thicknesses of the first photoresist layer and the second photoresist layer;

[0020] After the first photoresist layer and the second photoresist layer are washed away with the target solution, the space originally occupied by the first photoresist layer and the second photoresist layer constitutes a glue inlet pipeline and a glue outlet.

[0021] In the above-mentioned microfluidic chip manufacturing method, it is only necessary to lay a photoresist layer and perform photolithography treatment twice in sequence on the first substrate layer according to the distribution of the glue inlet, the pipeline and the glue outlet, and then form a second substrate layer that leaves out the glue outlet and the glue inlet and fully covers other areas, and then clean the internal photoresist layer. The manufacturing process is simple and convenient, with high manufacturing efficiency and low cost.

[0022] Based on the same inventive concept, the present application also provides a method for manufacturing a transfer head, comprising:

[0023] Through the micro-flow injection control device, the glue is controlled to be injected into the pipeline from the glue inlet on the chip body, and then overflows from the glue outlet to the surface where the glue outlet is located to form naturally;

[0024] The glue is cured.

[0025] In the above-mentioned method for manufacturing the transfer head, only two steps of injecting glue and curing the colloid need to be performed. The manufacturing process is very simple and convenient, with high manufacturing efficiency and low cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1-1 A schematic diagram of the chip body structure provided by the present invention;

[0027] Figure 1-2 for Figure 1-1 Schematic diagram of the flow direction of the middle glue liquid;

[0028] Figure 1-3 The chip body structure provided by the present invention is schematically shown Figure 2 ;

[0029] Figure 1-4 Schematic diagram 3 of the chip body structure provided by the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 The chip body structure provided by the present invention is schematically shown Figure 4 ;

[0031] Figure 3-1 For Figure 2 The corresponding top view;

[0032] Figure 3-2 For Figure 2 The corresponding bottom view 1;

[0033] Figure 3-3 For Figure 2 The corresponding upward Figure 2 ;

[0034] Figure 3-4 The chip body structure provided by the present invention is schematically shown Figure 5 ;

[0035] Figure 3-5 The chip body structure provided by the present invention is schematically shown Figure 6 ;

[0036] Figure 3-6 The chip body structure provided by the present invention is schematically shown Figure 7 ;

[0037] Figure 3-7 The chip body structure provided by the present invention is schematically shown Figure 8 ;

[0038] Figure 3-8 The chip body structure provided by the present invention is schematically shown Figure 9 ;

[0039] Figure 3-9 Schematic diagram 10 of the chip body structure provided by the present invention;

[0040] Figure 3-10 11 is a schematic diagram of the chip body structure provided by the present invention;

[0041] Figure 4 Schematic diagram 12 of the chip body structure provided by the present invention;

[0042] Figure 5 A schematic flow chart of a chip body manufacturing method provided by an optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a chip body structure provided for an optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 7 A schematic flow chart of a transfer head manufacturing method provided in another optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the transfer head structure provided for another optional embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Fig. 9 A schematic structural diagram of a transfer head manufacturing system provided in accordance with another optional embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Description of reference numerals:

[0048] 1, 95-chip body, 11-pipeline, 12, 951-glue inlet, 13-glue outlet, 2-glue, 21-adhesion head, 3-substrate, 91-container, 92-connecting pipe, 93-microfluidic driving device, 94-microfluidic probe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] In order to facilitate the understanding of the present application, the present application will be described more fully below with reference to the relevant drawings. The preferred embodiments of the present application are given in the drawings. However, the present application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the disclosure of the present application more thoroughly and comprehensively understood.

[0050] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used herein in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application.

[0051] In the related art, the transfer head of the micro-LED chip is manufactured by a template method. Since the template is made by silicon etching, the flatness of the side walls of the etched silicon holes is poor, resulting in the transfer head part formed by the template being separated from the holes on the silicon substrate during the mold opening stage. There is a risk of being difficult to peel off, resulting in a low yield of the transfer head, thereby indirectly increasing the production cost of the transfer head.

[0052] Based on this, the present application hopes to provide a solution that can solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the details of which will be described in the subsequent embodiments.

[0053] The present embodiment provides a microfluidic chip that can be used to make a transfer head. The transfer head made can be used to transfer various micro devices, such as but not limited to a micro LED chip. The micro LED chip can be but not limited to a micro-LED chip or a mini-LED chip. The micro-LED chip and the mini-LED chip in the present embodiment can include but not limited to at least one of a flip-chip LED chip, a face-up LED chip and a vertical LED chip. In one example, the micro LED chip includes an epitaxial layer and an electrode. The present embodiment does not limit the specific structure of the epitaxial layer of the micro LED chip. In one example, the epitaxial layer of the micro LED chip can include an N-type semiconductor, a P-type semiconductor and an active layer located between the N-type semiconductor and the P-type semiconductor. The active layer can include a quantum well layer and can also include other structures. In other examples, optionally, the epitaxial layer can also include at least one of a reflective layer and a passivation layer. The material and shape of the electrode in the present embodiment are also not limited. For example, in one example, the material of the electrode can include but not limited to at least one of Cr, Ni, Al, Ti, Au, Pt, W, Pb, Rh, Sn, Cu, and Ag.

[0054] The microfluidic chip provided in this embodiment includes a chip body, pipelines distributed in the chip body, at least one glue inlet formed on at least one surface of the chip body, the glue inlet communicates with the pipeline for injecting viscous glue into the pipeline, and at least one glue outlet formed on at least one surface of the chip body, the glue outlet communicates with the pipeline for a portion of the glue injected into the pipeline to overflow from the glue outlet to the surface where the glue outlet is located to form a natural shape, and form an adhesive head after curing. In this way, when using the microfluidic chip to make a transfer head, it is only necessary to inject viscous glue into the glue inlet on the chip body, so that the glue flows through the pipeline in the chip body and finally overflows from the glue outlet to the surface where the glue outlet is located to form a natural shape and solidify to form an adhesion head. The production process is simple and efficient. At the same time, the glue flows through the pipeline and overflows from the glue outlet to form a natural shape. Since the glue has a certain viscosity, the formed adhesion head has a high degree of smoothness, and the problem of difficult peeling off the holes on the silicon substrate in the related technology no longer exists. It can not only improve the yield rate of transfer head production, but also improve its production efficiency, thereby reducing the production cost of transfer heads from many aspects.

[0055] In this embodiment, there is no restriction on the material of the chip body, and any material that can achieve the above purpose can be used to form the above chip body. For example, in some application examples, the material of the chip body can be but is not limited to polydimethylsiloxane, polymethyl methacrylate, or thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer.

[0056] It should be understood that in this embodiment, the number of glue outlets, and the positions at which they are set, the number and positions at which glue inlets are set, and the distribution position and shape of the pipes in the chip body can be flexibly set according to the application scenario. For example, the number of glue inlets can be set to 1 or to multiple, and the setting position can be set on the surface where the glue inlet is located, or can be set on a different surface from the surface where the glue inlet is located. The number of glue outlets can also be set to 1, or can be set to multiple as required, and the glue outlet can be set on one of the surfaces of the chip body, or can be set on multiple surfaces of the chip body as required. For ease of understanding, this embodiment is described below in conjunction with several setting examples.

[0057] In this example, the chip body includes a front side, a back side opposite to the front side, and a side surface between the front side and the back side; the glue outlet is arranged on the front side of the chip body, and the glue inlet can be arranged on the front side of the chip body or on other surfaces of the chip body.

[0058] For example, in one application example, see Figure 1-1As shown, a glue outlet 13 is provided on the front of the chip body 1, and a glue inlet 12 is provided on one of the side surfaces of the chip body 1. The direction indicated by the arrow in the figure is the direction of injecting glue into the glue inlet. A pipe 11 in the chip body 1 connects the glue inlet 12 and the glue outlet 13. Figure 1-2 As shown, after the glue is injected from the glue inlet 12, a portion of the glue passes through Figure 1-2 After the flow direction indicated by the middle arrow overflows through the glue outlet 13 to the front side of the chip body 1, it is naturally formed, and a micro-spherical adhesive head is formed by the surface tension of the glue. The surface of the formed adhesive head is smooth and has adhesive force.

[0059] For another application example, see Figure 1-3 As shown in the figure, a glue outlet 13 is provided on the front of the chip body 1, and a glue inlet 12 is provided on the back of the chip body 1. The direction indicated by the arrow in the figure is the direction of injecting glue into the glue inlet. A pipe 11 in the chip body 1 connects the glue inlet 12 and the glue outlet 13. The pipe 11 can be a straight pipe or a curved pipe, as long as the glue inlet and the glue outlet can be connected.

[0060] The glue outlet 13 and the glue inlet 12 in the above two application examples are arranged on different surfaces of the chip body 1, and only one glue outlet 13 is arranged. The transfer head made by using the chip body 1 in the above two examples can be used for the transfer of a single micro device at a time. Of course, the glue outlet 13 and the glue inlet 12 can also be arranged on the same surface. For example, see Figure 1-4 As shown in the figure, a glue outlet 13 and a glue inlet 12 are provided on the front of the chip body 1. The direction indicated by the arrow in the figure is the direction of injecting glue into the glue inlet. The pipe 11 in the chip body 1 connects the glue inlet 12 and the glue outlet 13. After the glue is injected from the glue inlet 12, a part of the glue passes through Figure 1-3 After the flow direction indicated by the middle arrow overflows through the glue outlet 13 to the front side of the chip body 1, it is naturally formed, and a micro-spherical adhesive head is formed by the surface tension of the glue. The surface of the formed adhesive head is smooth and has adhesive force.

[0061] In other examples of this embodiment, multiple glue outlets 13 may be formed on the front side of the chip body 1, and the position distribution of the multiple glue outlets may correspond to the position distribution of the multiple devices to be adsorbed; thus, the transfer of multiple micro devices at a time can be achieved. Accordingly, the number and position of the glue inlet 12 may also be flexibly set according to the application scenario.

[0062] For example, see Figure 2As shown, in this application example, a plurality of glue outlets 13 are provided on the front of the chip body 1, and glue inlets 12 are provided on two opposite sides of the chip body 1. The direction indicated by the arrow in the figure is the direction of injecting glue into the glue inlet 12. The number of glue inlets 12 provided on each side may be one or more. Optionally, the positions of the glue inlets 12 provided on the two sides may correspond one to one (that is, the glue inlets 12 are symmetrically provided on the two sides), so as to facilitate the subsequent improvement of the efficiency and uniformity of glue injection. The pipe 11 in the chip body 1 connects the glue inlet 12 and the glue outlet 13. The pipe 11 may be a straight pipe or a curved pipe, as long as the glue inlet 12 and the glue outlet 13 can be connected.

[0063] Optionally, in some application scenarios, for example, in an application scenario where the micro devices to be transferred are distributed in an array on the substrate, when a plurality of glue outlets 13 are provided on the front side of the chip body 1, the plurality of glue outlets 13 may also be arranged in a matrix. Figure 3-1 As shown, the plurality of glue outlets provided on the front side of the chip body 1 are arranged in an array. Figure 3-2 As shown, in Figure 3-2 In the embodiment, a glue inlet 12 is provided on each of two opposite sides of the chip body 1, and the glue inlets 12 provided on the two sides are symmetrically arranged. After the glue is injected through the glue inlets on both sides, the flow direction of the glue is shown in FIG. Figure 3-2 As shown by the arrow in the figure, the glue flows into various places along the pipeline, and a small part of it passes through the glue outlet connected to the pipeline (for example Figure 3-1 The glue outlet 13) shown in the figure forms an adhesive head.

[0064] Optionally, in some application scenarios, for example, in an application scenario where the micro devices to be transferred are distributed in an array on the substrate, when a plurality of glue outlets 13 are provided on the front side of the chip body 1, the plurality of glue outlets 13 may also be arranged in a matrix. Figure 3-1 As shown, the plurality of glue outlets provided on the front side of the chip body 1 are arranged in an array. Figure 3-2 As shown, in Figure 3-2 In the embodiment, a glue inlet 12 is provided on each of two opposite sides of the chip body 1, and the glue inlets 12 provided on the two sides are symmetrically arranged. After the glue is injected through the glue inlets on both sides, the flow direction of the glue is shown in FIG. Figure 3-2 As shown by the arrow in the figure, the glue flows into various places along the pipeline, and a small part of it passes through the glue outlet connected to the pipeline (for example Figure 3-1 The glue outlet 13 shown in FIG. forms an adhesive head. In another application scenario, see Figure 3-3 As shown, it is Figure 3-2The main difference is that the glue inlets 12 are arranged on the four sides of the chip body 1, and optionally, the glue inlets 12 on two sides are symmetrically arranged, and of course, an asymmetrical arrangement can also be adopted. Figure 3-3 The arrangement shown can further increase the efficiency of glue injection. Therefore, it can be understood that the number and position of the glue inlet 12 in this embodiment can be flexibly set according to application requirements.

[0065] It should be understood that when a glue inlet is set on the side of the chip body 1, the position of at least one glue inlet can also be set at the intersection area of ​​adjacent sides, and a part of the glue inlet located in this area is located on one of the sides, and the other part is located on the other side. The state presented is that the glue inlet is set on the corner where the two sides intersect. When multiple glue inlets are set, they can optionally be symmetrically set on relative corners to improve the glue injection efficiency and the uniformity of the glue injected into the pipeline. Optionally, in some application examples, the position of at least one glue inlet can also be set at the intersection area of ​​the adjacent side and the front, or the position of at least one glue inlet can also be set at the intersection area of ​​the adjacent side and the back, which can be flexibly set according to the specific application scenario.

[0066] In some application scenarios, when the glue inlet is provided on the side of the chip body 1, at least one glue inlet may be provided on only one of the side surfaces. Figure 3-4 As shown, a plurality of glue outlets 13 are provided on the front of the chip body 1, and at least one glue inlet 12 is provided on one of the side surfaces of the chip body 1. The direction indicated by the arrow in the figure is the direction of injecting glue into the glue inlet 12. The number of the glue inlets 12 provided on the side surface can be one or more. The pipe 11 in the chip body 1 connects the glue inlet 12 and the glue outlet 13. The pipe 11 can be a straight pipe or a curved pipe, as long as the glue inlet 12 and the glue outlet 13 can be connected.

[0067] In other application scenarios, a glue inlet may be provided on the back of the chip body 1. For example, see Figure 3-5 As shown, a plurality of glue outlets 13 are provided on the front of the chip body 1, and at least one glue inlet 12 is provided on the back of the chip body 1 near the two side surfaces. The direction indicated by the arrow in the figure is the direction of injecting glue into the glue inlet 12. The number of glue inlets 12 provided on each side of the back can be one or more. The pipe 11 in the chip body 1 connects the glue inlet 12 and the glue outlet 13, and the shape of the pipe 11 is not limited. For another example, see Figure 3-6 As shown, it is Figure 3-5The main difference is that the glue inlet 12 is arranged in the middle area of ​​the back side of the chip body 1, and the number of the glue inlets 12 arranged in the middle area can be one or more, which can be flexibly set according to the needs.

[0068] In some other application scenarios of this embodiment, the glue inlet can be placed on both the back and side of the chip body 1. Figure 3-7 As shown, a plurality of glue outlets 13 are provided on the front of the chip body 1, at least one glue inlet 12 is provided on the back of the chip body 1 near a certain side, and at least one glue inlet 12 is also provided on one of the side surfaces of the chip body 1. The number of the glue inlets 12 on the back and the glue inlets 12 on the side surfaces can be set to be the same or different. The direction indicated by the arrow in the figure is the direction of injecting glue into the glue inlet 12. The pipe 11 in the chip body 1 connects the glue inlet 12 and the glue outlet 13, and the shape of the pipe 11 is not limited.

[0069] In some other application scenarios of this embodiment, the glue inlet can also be provided on the front side of the chip body 1. For example, see Figure 3-8 As shown, a plurality of glue outlets 13 are provided on the front of the chip body 1, and at least one glue inlet 12 is provided in two areas near the two side surfaces of the front of the chip body 1, wherein the number of glue inlets 12 provided in each area of ​​the front can be one or more. A pipe 11 in the chip body 1 connects the glue inlet 12 and the glue outlet 13, and the shape of the pipe 11 is not limited. For another example, see Figure 3-9 As shown, it is Figure 3-8 The main difference is that the glue inlet 12 is arranged in the middle area of ​​the front side of the chip body 1, and the number of the glue inlets 12 arranged in the middle area can be one or more, which can be flexibly set according to the needs.

[0070] In some other application scenarios of this embodiment, the glue inlet can be provided on both the front and side surfaces of the chip body 1. Figure 3-10 As shown, a plurality of glue outlets 13 are provided on the front of the chip body 1, at least one glue inlet 12 is provided in the area near a certain side of the front of the chip body 1, and at least one glue inlet 12 is also provided on one of the side surfaces of the chip body 1. The number of the glue inlets 12 on the front and the glue inlets 12 on the side surfaces can be set to be the same or different. The direction indicated by the arrow in the figure is the direction of injecting glue into the glue inlet 12. The pipe 11 in the chip body 1 connects the glue inlet 12 and the glue outlet 13, and the shape of the pipe 11 is also not limited.

[0071] It can be seen that in this embodiment, the positions and shapes of the glue inlet, glue outlet and pipeline on the chip body 1 can be flexibly set. In this embodiment, the shape of the chip body 1 can also be flexibly selected. For example, the cross section of the chip body 1 can be rectangular, circular, hexagonal, triangular, elliptical or other irregular shapes. For example, see Figure 4 As shown, the cross-section of the chip body 1 is circular, and a plurality of glue outlets 13 are arranged on the front thereof. The plurality of glue outlets 13 are arranged in an array, and the position of each glue outlet 13 corresponds to the position of the micro device to be transferred on the substrate, that is, the interval between adjacent glue outlets 13 corresponds to the interval between adjacent micro devices to be transferred on the substrate.

[0072] It should be understood that the diameter of the pipe and the caliber of the glue outlet in the above examples in this embodiment can also be flexibly set according to needs, and can be flexibly considered according to the size and weight of the micro device to be transferred during setting. For example, in some application examples, the diameter of the pipe is 50 microns to 100 microns, and the caliber of the glue outlet is 10 microns to 30 microns. For example, the diameter of the pipe can be 50 microns, and the caliber of the glue outlet can be 10 microns or 15 microns, or the diameter of the pipe can be 70 microns, and the caliber of the glue outlet can be 15 microns or 20 microns, or the diameter of the pipe can be 90 microns, and the caliber of the glue outlet can be 20 microns or 25 microns, or the diameter of the pipe can be 100 microns, and the caliber of the glue outlet can be 25 microns or 30 microns, etc.

[0073] It should be understood that the shape of the pipe and the shape of the glue outlet in the above examples of this embodiment can also be flexibly set. For example, in one example, the cross-sectional shape of the pipe can be rectangular, and the glue outlet can be a square hole, for example, see Figure 3-1 and Figure 4 The glue outlet 13 shown in the figure is a square hole. After the glue overflows from the square hole and is naturally formed, the upper end of the overflowed part is slightly round and the lower end is square.

[0074] When the microfluidic chip provided in this embodiment is used to make a transfer head, only two steps of injection and curing need to be performed. The production process is simple and convenient, with high efficiency. The problem of difficult peeling of holes on the silicon substrate in the related technology no longer exists. This can not only improve the yield rate of transfer head production, but also reduce the production cost of the transfer head in many aspects.

[0075] An optional embodiment:

[0076] It should be understood that the above-mentioned method of manufacturing the microfluidic chip can be flexibly selected. For ease of understanding, the following is an example of the manufacturing process of a microfluidic chip. Figure 5 As shown, including:

[0077] S501: forming a first base material layer.

[0078] In this embodiment, a first substrate layer can be formed on a substrate, and the substrate can be any one of a glass substrate, a sapphire substrate, or a quartz substrate, but not limited to. The first substrate layer in this embodiment can be any one of polydimethylsiloxane, polymethyl methacrylate, or a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, but not limited to. And the thickness of the first substrate layer can be flexibly set. For example, in an application example, the material of the first substrate layer can be selected from Dow Corning-184 series polydimethylsiloxane PDMS material, and a glass substrate is basically selected; the first substrate layer is formed on the glass substrate by spin coating Dow Corning 184 and then solidified.

[0079] S502: forming a first photoresist layer on the first substrate layer.

[0080] In this embodiment, the colloid used in the first photoresist layer contains a photosensitive substance, which gives it a photoresist property, that is, after being irradiated by ultraviolet light, the irradiated part will be washed away by the developer (i.e., positive photoresist) or after being irradiated by ultraviolet light, the unirradiated part will be washed away by the developer, while the irradiated part will be retained (i.e., negative photoresist).

[0081] S503: After the first photoresist is exposed and developed according to the distribution map of the glue inlet and the pipeline, a first photoresist layer is left in the corresponding area where the glue inlet and the pipeline are arranged.

[0082] The glue inlet and pipeline distribution diagram in this embodiment can be set on the mask plate. When the glue inlet is set on the side of the chip body, the first photoresist layer is flush with the side. In one example, assuming that the glue inlet is set on two opposite sides of the chip body, the first photoresist layer is flush with the corresponding two sides. In this embodiment, on the glue inlet and pipeline distribution diagram, the graphics of the corresponding pipelines can be straight pipelines, arc-shaped pipelines or broken line pipelines, etc. After the exposure and development treatment, on the first substrate layer, except for the first photoresist layer (corresponding to the pipeline and the glue inlet) in the corresponding areas where the glue inlet and the pipeline are arranged, the first photoresist layer in other areas is removed.

[0083] S504: Disposing a second photoresist layer on the first photoresist layer.

[0084] In one example, a second photoresist layer covering the first photoresist layer may be directly disposed on the first substrate layer, and the thickness of the second photoresist layer may also be flexibly set according to requirements.

[0085] S505: After the second photoresist is exposed and developed according to the distribution map of the glue outlets, a second photoresist layer remains in the area where the glue outlets are arranged.

[0086] The glue outlet distribution diagram in this embodiment can be set on the mask plate. After exposure and development processing, on the first substrate layer, except for the second photoresist layer remaining in the area where the glue outlet is arranged corresponding to the first photoresist layer, the second photoresist layer in other areas is removed; the second photoresist layer left in the first photoresist layer forms a plurality of photoresist columns corresponding to the glue outlet, and the corresponding glue outlet is formed after the photoresist columns are removed. The size specifications of the photoresist column can match the chip size setting. The cross-sectional shape of the photoresist column can be rectangular (for example, square). For example, the size of the microchip to be transferred is 15 microns * 25 microns, and the larger cross-sectional shape of the photoresist column is a square, and the side length of the square (that is, the diameter of the glue outlet) is 20 microns; the size of the microchip to be transferred is 40 microns * 60 microns, and the larger cross-sectional shape of the photoresist column is a square, and the side length of the square (that is, the diameter of the glue outlet) is 50 microns; in this way, the raised structure (that is, the adhesion head) naturally formed after the glue overflows from the glue outlet is close to a square at the bottom and round at the top.

[0087] In this embodiment, the types and materials of the first photoresist layer and the second photoresist layer may be the same or different, and can be flexibly set according to requirements.

[0088] S506: a second substrate layer is disposed on the first substrate layer, wherein a thickness of the second substrate layer is greater than a thickness of the first photoresist layer and is less than or equal to a sum of thicknesses of the first photoresist layer and the second photoresist layer.

[0089] In this embodiment, the materials of the first base material layer and the second base material layer can be the same or different, and can be flexibly set according to needs.

[0090] In this embodiment, the thickness of the second substrate layer is greater than the thickness of the first photoresist layer to ensure that the pipeline is finally formed in the chip body, and the thickness of the second substrate layer is less than or equal to the sum of the thicknesses of the first photoresist layer and the second photoresist layer to ensure that the upper end of the above-mentioned photoresist column exposes the second substrate layer and forms a corresponding glue outlet after being removed.

[0091] S507: After the first photoresist layer and the second photoresist layer are washed away with the target solution, the space originally occupied by the first photoresist layer and the second photoresist layer constitutes a glue inlet, a pipeline, and a glue outlet.

[0092] For example, in one example, the target solution can be selected from but not limited to organic solvents to clean and remove the first photoresist layer and the second photoresist layer, and the space originally occupied by the first photoresist layer and the second photoresist layer constitutes the glue inlet, the pipeline, and the glue outlet. For example, the microfluidic chip obtained by one example can be found in Figure 6As shown, the chip body 1 is located on the substrate 2, a plurality of glue outlets 13 are formed on the front of the chip body 1, glue inlets 12 are formed on two opposite sides of the chip body 1, and a pipe in the chip body 1 connects the glue inlet 12 and the glue outlet 13.

[0093] In the microfluidic chip manufacturing method provided in this embodiment, it is only necessary to lay a photoresist layer and perform photolithography treatment twice in sequence on the first substrate layer according to the distribution of the glue inlet, the pipeline and the glue outlet, and then form a second substrate layer that leaves out the glue outlet and the glue inlet and fully covers other areas, and then clean the internal photoresist layer. The manufacturing process is simple and convenient, with high manufacturing efficiency and low cost.

[0094] Another optional embodiment:

[0095] The present embodiment provides a transfer head made from the microfluidic chip as described above, which includes glue liquid injected into a pipeline through a glue inlet on the chip body, a portion of the glue liquid solidifies in the pipeline, and a portion of the glue liquid overflows from a glue outlet to a surface where the glue outlet is located and then naturally takes shape, and forms an adhesive head after solidification.

[0096] The material of the glue in this embodiment can be flexibly selected. For example, in one example, the glue includes at least one of silicone resin, acrylic resin, and acrylic modified silicone resin.

[0097] In this embodiment, the height of the glue liquid overflowing from the glue outlet to the surface where the glue outlet is located is 10 microns to 20 microns, and the height of the formed adhesive head is also about 10 microns to 20 microns. For example, the height of the formed adhesive head can be 10 microns, 12 microns, 15 microns, 18 microns, 20 microns, etc.

[0098] For ease of understanding, this embodiment also provides a method for making a transfer head, see Figure 7 As shown, including:

[0099] S701: The glue is controlled by a micro-flow injection control device to be injected into the pipeline from the glue inlet on the chip body, and then overflows from the glue outlet to the surface where the glue outlet is located to form naturally.

[0100] S702: Curing the glue. In one example, UV light may be used to irradiate the chip body to cure the glue. For example, a transfer head structure is obtained. Figure 8 As shown, it includes a chip body 1, a colloid 2 injected into the pipeline from the glue inlet 12 and solidified in the pipeline inside the chip body 1, and an adhesive head 21 formed naturally after overflowing from the glue outlet and solidified. The upper end of the adhesive head 21 is round and the lower end is square.

[0101] This embodiment also provides a system for making a transfer head, comprising: a microfluidic control device, a curing device, a connecting tube and a container, wherein:

[0102] The container is used to hold the glue liquid;

[0103] The microfluidic control device includes a microfluidic probe and a microfluidic driving device. One end of the microfluidic probe is connected to the liquid outlet of the container through a connecting tube, and the other end is connected to the glue inlet on the chip body; the microfluidic driving device is used to control the glue liquid to flow from the container into the microfluidic probe through the connecting tube, and then be injected into the pipeline through the glue inlet through the microfluidic probe. The glue liquid flowing into the pipeline overflows from the glue outlet to the surface where the glue outlet is located to form naturally; the microfluidic driving device can adopt but is not limited to a peristaltic pump.

[0104] The curing device is used to cure the glue, wherein the curing device can be but is not limited to a UV light device.

[0105] For example, see the production system Fig. 9 As shown, it includes a container 91, a connecting tube 92, a microfluidic driving device 93, a microfluidic probe 94, and a chip body 95 to be processed. Two glue inlets 951 are formed on one surface of the chip body 95 (the pipeline in the chip body 95 and the glue outlet on the chip body 95 are not shown). The two glue inlets 951 are connected to the liquid outlet of the container 91 through two microfluidic probes 94 and the connecting tube 92 respectively. The microfluidic driving device 93 controls the glue in the container 91 to be injected into the glue inlet through the connecting tube 92 and the microfluidic probe 94. The microfluidic driving device 93 can control the flow rate of the glue in the connecting tube 92, the microfluidic probe 94 and the pipeline, and control the amount of glue injected into the chip body 95.

[0106] It can be seen that the production system of the above-mentioned transfer head has a simple structure and is easy to operate and control. At the same time, when using the production system to form a transfer head on the above-mentioned microfluidic chip, only two steps need to be performed: injecting glue and curing the colloid. The production process is very simple and convenient, with high production efficiency and low cost.

[0107] It should be understood that the application of the present invention is not limited to the above examples. For ordinary technicians in this field, improvements or changes can be made based on the above description. All these improvements and changes should fall within the scope of protection of the claims attached to the present invention.

Claims

1. A microfluidic chip, characterized in that: include: Chip body; Channels distributed within the chip body; At least one glue inlet is formed on at least one surface of the chip body, the glue inlet is communicated with the pipeline, so as to inject viscous glue into the pipeline; At least one glue outlet is formed on at least one surface of the chip body, and the glue outlet is communicated with the pipeline, so that a part of the glue liquid injected into the pipeline can overflow from the glue outlet to the surface where the glue outlet is located to form naturally, and form an adhesive head after curing.

2. The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, characterized in that: The chip body includes a front side, a back side opposite to the front side, and a side surface between the front side and the back side; a plurality of glue outlets are formed on the front side, and the position distribution of the plurality of glue outlets corresponds to the position distribution of the plurality of devices to be adsorbed.

3. The microfluidic chip according to claim 2, characterized in that: The surface where the glue inlet is located is different from the surface where the glue outlet is located.

4. The microfluidic chip according to claim 3, characterized in that: The side surface between the front surface and the back surface includes two side surfaces that are opposite to each other, and the glue inlet is formed on the two side surfaces.

5. The microfluidic chip according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The glue outlet is a square hole.

6. The microfluidic chip according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The material of the chip body includes polydimethylsiloxane, polymethyl methacrylate, or thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer.

7. A transfer head, characterized in that: The transfer head includes the microfluidic chip as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, and also includes glue liquid injected into the pipeline through the glue inlet, a part of the glue liquid solidifies in the pipeline, and a part overflows from the glue outlet to the surface where the glue outlet is located and then naturally takes shape, and forms an adhesion head after solidification.

8. The transfer head according to claim 7, characterized in that: The adhesive comprises at least one of silicone resin, acrylic resin and acrylic modified silicone resin.

9. A method for preparing a microfluidic chip, for preparing the microfluidic chip as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: include: forming a first substrate layer; forming a first photoresist layer on the first substrate layer; After the first photoresist is exposed and developed according to the distribution diagram of the glue inlet and the pipeline, a first photoresist layer is left in the corresponding area where the glue inlet and the pipeline are arranged; Disposing a second photoresist layer on the first photoresist layer; After the second photoresist is exposed and developed according to the glue outlet distribution map, a second photoresist layer is left in the area where the glue outlets are arranged; Disposing a second substrate layer on the first substrate layer, wherein the thickness of the second substrate layer is greater than the thickness of the first photoresist layer and less than or equal to the sum of the thicknesses of the first photoresist layer and the second photoresist layer; After the first photoresist layer and the second photoresist layer are washed away with a target solution, the space originally occupied by the first photoresist layer and the second photoresist layer constitutes the glue inlet, the pipeline, and the glue outlet.

10. A method for manufacturing a transfer head according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: include: Through the micro-flow injection control device, the glue is controlled to be injected into the pipeline from the glue inlet on the chip body, and overflows from the glue outlet to the surface where the glue outlet is located to form naturally; The glue solution is solidified.

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