Microfluidic chip

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of microfluidics, and particularly relates to a microfluidic chip which comprises a first substrate, a second substrate and a third substrate, a heating layer is arranged on the first substrate, a conductive layer and a plurality of deformation units arranged at intervals are arranged on one side, away from the first substrate, of the second substrate, and the conductive layer is arranged on one side, away from the first substrate, of each deformation unit; the third substrate is arranged on the side, away from the first substrate, of the second substrate and is insulated from the conductive layer, a plurality of detection areas are arranged on the third substrate, and the detection areas are in one-to-one correspondence with the deformation units; the liquid drop to be analyzed can change the thermal conductivity between the first substrate and the second substrate, so that the deformation unit can deform towards the third substrate side under the heating action of the heating layer, and the conductive layer is in contact with a detection area on the third substrate side, so that an electric signal is transmitted to the detection area, and the position of the liquid drop to be analyzed is obtained. According to the micro-fluidic chip, the position of the liquid drop to be analyzed can be detected in real time, the reliability of the micro-fluidic chip is improved, and the production cost of the micro-fluidic chip is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of microfluidics technology, and specifically relates to a microfluidics chip. Background Art

[0002] Microfluidics technology integrates the fundamental operational elements of biological, chemical, and medical analysis, including sample preparation, reaction, separation, and detection, onto a micron-scale chip, automating the entire analytical process. Microfluidic chips offer advantages such as high throughput, rapid speed, low power consumption, and minimal material consumption.

[0003] The liquid to be analyzed is dripped into a microfluidic chip, which then drives the liquid to move within it. The microfluidic chip also needs to detect the position of the liquid to be analyzed in real time to allow for further manipulation or processing of the liquid. However, existing microfluidic chips capable of detecting the position of the liquid to be analyzed are typically complex in structure, resulting in low reliability and increased production costs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to solve the problem in the prior art that the structure for detecting the position of the droplet to be analyzed is relatively complex, resulting in low reliability of the microfluidic chip and increased production cost of the microfluidic chip.

[0005] The present application provides a microfluidic chip for accommodating droplets to be analyzed, the microfluidic chip comprising: a first substrate and a second substrate arranged relative to each other and spaced apart, the droplets to be analyzed being accommodated between the first substrate and the second substrate and being capable of moving between the first substrate and the second substrate, the first substrate being provided with a heating layer, the second substrate being provided with a conductive layer and a plurality of spaced-apart deformation units on a side facing away from the first substrate, the conductive layer being provided on a side of the deformation unit away from the first substrate; a third substrate being provided on a side of the second substrate away from the first substrate and insulated from the conductive layer, the third substrate being provided with a plurality of detection areas arranged in an array, the detection areas corresponding one-to-one to the deformation units; wherein the droplets to be analyzed can change the thermal conductivity between the first substrate and the second substrate so that the deformation units can be deformed toward the third substrate side under the heating action of the heating layer, and the conductive layer is brought into contact with the detection area on the third substrate side to transmit an electrical signal to the detection area, thereby obtaining the position of the droplets to be analyzed.

[0006] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the deformation unit and the side of the second substrate facing away from the first substrate form a deformation cavity, and the deformation cavity can expand toward the third substrate under the action of the heating layer to make the conductive layer contact the detection area.

[0007] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the deformation unit includes: an adhesive layer, which is provided on the side of the second substrate facing away from the first substrate, and the adhesive layer has a plurality of openings arranged in an array; a deformation layer, which is provided on the side of the adhesive layer away from the first substrate to form the deformation cavity with the opening and the second substrate, and the conductive layer is provided on the side of the deformation layer away from the adhesive layer, and the deformation layer can be deformed toward the third substrate or away from the third substrate when the deformation cavity expands or contracts.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the third substrate includes: a substrate; and a first conductive wire and a second conductive wire arranged on the substrate, the first conductive wire is arranged on a side of the second conductive wire away from the substrate, and the two are insulated from each other, the orthographic projection of the first conductive wire on the substrate and the orthographic projection of the second conductive wire on the substrate have an intersection area, and the intersection area is located in the detection area; when the deformation unit is deformed toward the third substrate side, the conductive layer is connected to the first conductive wire and the second conductive wire located in the detection area, so as to obtain the position of the droplet to be analyzed.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the third substrate also includes a raised layer provided on the substrate, and the raised layer is located in the detection area, the raised layer is provided on at least one side of the first conductive line, and the second conductive line covers the raised layer so that the height of the second conductive line at the raised layer is the same as that of the first conductive line.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the first conductive line and the second conductive line are respectively extended in a column direction and a row direction.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the third substrate includes a substrate and a light-emitting unit arranged on the substrate, and the light-emitting unit corresponds one-to-one to the detection area; the light-emitting unit includes a first electrode, a second electrode and a light-emitting layer arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode, and the first electrode is arranged on the side of the second electrode away from the substrate. When the conductive layer contacts the first electrode, the light-emitting layer emits light to obtain the position of the droplet to be analyzed.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the first substrate includes a first base and a driving electrode layer, the heating layer and the driving electrode layer are both arranged on the first base, and the heating layer is arranged on the side of the driving electrode layer away from the second substrate, and the heating layer and the driving electrode layer are insulated.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the first substrate includes a first base and a driving electrode, the heating layer includes a heating unit, the heating unit and the driving electrode are located in the same layer, and the heating unit and the driving electrode are spaced apart.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the heating unit corresponds one-to-one to the driving electrode, the deformation unit and the detection area; each heating unit includes a bent heating resistor and a first wire and a second wire located on opposite sides of the heating resistor, and the opposite ends of the heating resistor are respectively connected to the first wire and the second wire.

[0015] The microfluidic chip of the present application has at least the following beneficial effects: The microfluidic chip of the present application includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a third substrate. The droplets to be analyzed can move between the first substrate and the second substrate. A heating layer is provided on the first substrate. A conductive layer and a plurality of deformation units are provided on the side of the second substrate facing away from the first substrate. The conductive layer is provided on the side of the deformation unit away from the first substrate. The third substrate is provided with a detection area corresponding to each deformation unit, and the detection area and the conductive layer are insulated. The heating layer can generate heat under the action of electric current, so that the deformation unit on the second substrate side can be deformed toward the third substrate side, thereby driving the conductive layer to move toward the third substrate side. And because the thermal conductivity of the droplets to be analyzed is stronger than that of the droplets not to be analyzed, the degree of deformation of the deformation unit at the position of the droplets to be analyzed is greater than the degree of deformation at the position of the droplets not to be analyzed, so that the conductive layer at the position of the droplets to be analyzed can contact the detection area, transmit the electrical signal of the conductive layer to the detection area, and obtain the position of the droplets to be analyzed by detecting the electrical signal. That is, the present application utilizes the difference in thermal conductivity between the location of the droplet to be analyzed and the location of the no droplet to be analyzed to control the deformation degree of the deformation unit, thereby controlling whether the conductive layer is in contact with the detection area, and obtaining the location of the droplet to be analyzed by obtaining whether there is a current signal in the detection area, thereby realizing real-time detection of the position of the droplet to be analyzed, improving the reliability of the microfluidic chip, and reducing the production cost of the microfluidic chip.

[0016] Other features and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part by practice of the present application.

[0017] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The accompanying drawings here are incorporated into the specification and form a part of this specification, showing embodiments consistent with this application, and are used together with the specification to explain the principles of this application. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of this application, and those of ordinary skill in the art can obtain other accompanying drawings based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0019] Figure 1 It shows a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the microfluidic chip provided in Embodiment 1 of this application.

[0020] Figure 2 It shows a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of a side of the second substrate facing away from the first substrate in Embodiment 1 of this application, provided with a deformation unit and a conductive layer.

[0021] Figure 3 It shows a schematic deformation structure diagram of the deformation unit at the position of the droplet to be analyzed and the droplet without analysis provided in Embodiment 1 of this application.

[0022] Figure 4 It shows a schematic structure diagram of the first conductive wire and the second conductive wire provided on the substrate in Embodiment 1 of this application.

[0023] Figure 5 It shows Figure 4 a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of M-M' in

[0024] Figure 6 It shows a top view of the third substrate provided with support columns in Embodiment 1 of this application.

[0025] Figure 7 It shows Figure 6 a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of N-N' in

[0026] Figure 8 It shows a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the heating layer and the driving electrode layer provided in Embodiment 1 of this application.

[0027] Figure 9 It shows a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the heating layer provided on the side of the driving electrode layer close to the second substrate in Embodiment 1 of this application.

[0028] Figure 10 It shows a schematic structure diagram of the heating unit and the driving electrode under the top view of the first substrate in Embodiment 1 of this application.

[0029] Figure 11 It shows a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the detection area provided with a light-emitting unit in Embodiment 2 of this application.

[0030] Figure 12The figure shows a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the heating unit and the driving electrode provided in Embodiment 3 of the present application, which are located on the same layer.

[0031] Figure 13 The figure shows a schematic structural diagram of the heating unit and the driving electrode provided in Embodiment 3 of the present application under a top view.

[0032] Description of reference numerals: 100, microfluidic chip; 110, first substrate; 111, heating layer; 1110, heating unit; 1111, heating resistor; 1112, first wire; 1113, second wire; 112, first base; 113, driving electrode layer; 1130, driving electrode; 114, second insulating layer; 115, driving circuit layer; 116, first hydrophobic layer; 120, second substrate; 121, second base; 122, common electrode; 123, second hydrophobic layer; 130, third substrate; 131, detection area; 131a, first detection area; 131b, seventh detection area; 132, substrate; 133, first conductive wire; 134, second conductive wire; 135, first insulating layer; 136, intersection area; 137, pad layer; 138, light-emitting unit; 1380, first electrode; 1381, second electrode; 1382, light-emitting layer; 140, conductive layer; 150, deformation unit; 151, adhesive layer; 152, deformation layer; 160, deformation cavity; 170, insulating member; 171, silicon ball; 172, support column; 200, droplet to be analyzed. Detailed implementation manners

[0033] Now, example embodiments will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the example embodiments can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this application will be more complete and comprehensive, and will fully convey the concept of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0034] In the present application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present application, "a plurality" means two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0035] In this application, unless otherwise specified or limited, terms such as "assembly" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection, electrical connection; direct connection, or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two components, or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on specific circumstances.

[0036] In addition, described feature, structure or characteristic can be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner.In the following description, many specific details are provided so as to provide a full understanding of the embodiments of the present application. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the technical scheme of the present application can be put into practice without one or more of the specific details, or other methods, components, devices, steps etc. can be adopted. In other cases, known methods, devices, implementations or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid blurring the various aspects of the application.

[0037] Embodiment 1 The microfluidic chip 100 is used in fields such as drug screening, microbial identification, and medical equipment. It has the advantages of high throughput, fast speed, low power consumption, and low material consumption. The microfluidic chip 100 of the present application has a storage space for accommodating a droplet 200 to be analyzed, and the microfluidic chip 100 is used to drive the droplet 200 to be analyzed to move within the storage space.

[0038] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of a microfluidic chip is shown. Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram is shown in which a deformation unit and a conductive layer are provided on the side of the second substrate facing away from the first substrate. Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the deformation structure of the deformation unit at the locations where there are droplets to be analyzed and where there are no droplets to be analyzed is shown.

[0039] In the examples of this application, see Figure 1 As shown, the microfluidic chip 100 includes a first substrate 110, a second substrate 120 and a third substrate 130. The first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 are arranged opposite to each other and spaced apart. The third substrate 130 is arranged on a side of the second substrate 120 away from the first substrate 110, and the third substrate 130 is spaced apart from the second substrate 120. That is, the first substrate 110, the second substrate 120 and the third substrate 130 are arranged opposite to each other and spaced apart in sequence. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 enclose a containing space, the first substrate 110 is used to drive the droplet 200 to be analyzed to move in the containing space, and the third substrate 130 is used to detect the position of the droplet 200 to be analyzed.

[0040] In the examples of this application, see Figure 1 As shown, a heating layer 111 is provided on the first substrate 110, which can generate heat when an electric current is applied. A conductive layer 140 and a plurality of spaced-apart deformable units 150 are provided on the side of the second substrate 120 facing away from the first substrate 110. The conductive layer 140 is provided on the side of the deformable units 150 away from the first substrate 110. The deformable units 150 can be deformed toward the third substrate 130 under the action of the heating layer 111, thereby driving the conductive layer 140 to move toward the third substrate 130.

[0041] It is understandable that when the heating layer 111 does not generate heat, the deformation unit 150 can be restored to its initial state so as to be deformed again later, thereby continuously detecting the position of the droplet 200 to be analyzed.

[0042] In this embodiment of the present application, the third substrate 130 is insulated from the conductive layer 140 on the second substrate 120 to prevent accidental contact between the conductive layer 140 and the third substrate 130, thereby ensuring detection accuracy. The third substrate 130 is provided with a plurality of detection areas 131 arranged in an array, each corresponding to a deformation unit 150.

[0043] Understandably, see Figure 3 As shown, the droplet 200 to be analyzed can change the thermal conductivity between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120, so that the thermal conductivity of the droplet 200 to be analyzed is stronger than the thermal conductivity of the droplet 200 not to be analyzed, and the degree of deformation of the deformation unit 150 at the position of the droplet 200 to be analyzed is greater than the degree of deformation at the position of the droplet 200 not to be analyzed, so that the conductive layer 140 at the position of the droplet 200 to be analyzed can contact the detection area 131 and transmit an electrical signal to the conductive layer 140, and the position of the droplet 200 to be analyzed is obtained by detecting the electrical signal.

[0044] That is, the present application utilizes the difference in thermal conductivity between the location where the droplet 200 to be analyzed is located and the location where no droplet 200 to be analyzed is located to control the deformation degree of the deformation unit 150, thereby controlling whether the conductive layer 140 is in contact with the detection area 131, and obtaining the location of the droplet 200 to be analyzed by obtaining whether there is a current signal in the detection area 131, thereby realizing real-time detection of the location of the droplet 200 to be analyzed, improving the reliability of the microfluidic chip 100, and reducing the production cost of the microfluidic chip 100.

[0045] In the examples of this application, see Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, a deformation cavity 160 is formed between the deformation unit 150 and the side of the second substrate 120 facing away from the first substrate 110. The deformation cavity 160 can expand towards the third substrate 130 under the action of the heating layer 111, so that the conductive layer 140 contacts the detection area 131 to transmit an electrical signal. By forming the deformation cavity 160 with the deformation unit 150 and the second substrate 120, the characteristics of large air deformation and simple materials can be utilized to optimize the structure of the microfluidic chip 100.

[0046] In some embodiments, the deformation unit 150 can also be made of a thermally deformable material, a thermoresponsive ion gel, or a shape memory polymer. It can be understood that the deformation unit 150 can also adopt other structures as long as it can deform when heated and recover when cooled.

[0047] In the embodiments of the present application, referring to Figure 2 As shown, the deformation unit 150 includes an adhesive layer 151 and a deformation layer 152. The adhesive layer 151 can be made of an adhesive, which is formed on the side of the second substrate 120 facing away from the first substrate 110, and a plurality of openings arranged in an array are formed by photolithography. The deformation layer 152 is attached to the side of the adhesive layer 151 facing away from the first substrate 110 to form the deformation cavity 160 with the openings and the second substrate 120. By forming the deformation cavity 160 with the deformation layer 152, the openings of the adhesive layer 151, and the second substrate 120, and utilizing the characteristics of large air deformation, etc., the structure of the deformation unit 150 is simplified, thereby reducing the production cost of the microfluidic chip 100. Moreover, by covering the adhesive layer 151 with the deformation layer 152, oxygen or water vapor can also be blocked from entering the deformation cavity 160 to ensure the deformation of the deformation cavity 160.

[0048] It is worth mentioning that a conductive layer 140 is provided on the side of the deformation layer 152 away from the adhesive layer 151. The deformation layer 152 can deform towards the third substrate 130 side or away from the third substrate 130 side when the deformation cavity 160 expands or contracts, so as to drive the conductive layer 140 on one side of the deformation layer 152 to move towards the third substrate 130 side or away from the third substrate 130 side, so that the conductive layer 140 contacts or separates from the detection area 131.

[0049] In addition, the deformation layer 152 can be made of a thin film, such as a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) thin film, a PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) thin film, or a CPP (cast polypropylene) thin film, so that the deformation layer 152 has good flexibility and can effectively achieve expansion or recovery deformation.

[0050] In the embodiments of the present application, the conductive layer 140 may be made of indium tin oxide (ITO), indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), or other transparent oxides. Moreover, this conductive layer 140 can be designed as a whole surface without patterning, reducing the manufacturing process of the microfluidic chip 100, thereby reducing the cost of the microfluidic chip 100.

[0051] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram showing the first conductive wire and the second conductive wire disposed on the substrate is shown. Figure 5 Shown is Figure 4 The cross-sectional structural diagram of M-M' in

[0052] In the embodiments of the present application, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the third substrate 130 includes a substrate 132, a first conductive wire 133, and a second conductive wire 134. This substrate 132 may be a glass substrate or a substrate of other materials, such as a PI material, etc. The first conductive wire 133 and the second conductive wire 134 are both disposed on this substrate 132. The first conductive wire 133 and the second conductive wire 134 may be made of metal traces (such as copper Cu, aluminum Al, etc.) or transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) traces.

[0053] In the embodiments of the present application, referring to Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the first conductive wire 133 and the second conductive wire 134 are disposed on different layers. The first conductive wire 133 is disposed on the side of the second conductive wire 134 away from the substrate 132, that is, the first conductive wire 133 is closer to the second substrate 120 side. A first insulating layer 135 is provided between the first conductive wire 133 and the second conductive wire 134. The first insulating layer 135 can be prepared from materials such as silicon nitride (SiNx), silicon oxide (SiOx), etc., so that the first conductive wire 133 is insulated from both the second conductive wire 134 and the conductive layer 140. The orthographic projection of the first conductive wire 133 on the substrate 132 and the orthographic projection of the second conductive wire 134 on the substrate 132 have an intersecting area 136, and this intersecting area 136 is located within the detection area 131.

[0054] In the embodiments of the present application, a plurality of first conductive wires 133 arranged in sequence in the first direction and a plurality of second conductive wires 134 arranged in sequence in the second direction are provided on this third substrate 130. The first conductive wire 133 extends in the second direction, the second conductive wire 134 extends in the first direction, and the first direction intersects with the second direction. Thus, one first / second conductive wire can form a plurality of intersecting areas 136 with a plurality of second / first conductive wires.

[0055] When the deformation unit 150 deforms toward the third substrate 130 under the heating action of the heating layer 111, the conductive layer 140 can contact the first conductive wire 133 and the second conductive wire 134 in the detection area 131 to transmit an electrical signal to the first conductive wire 133 and the second conductive wire 134. By detecting the current conditions of the first conductive wire 133 and the second conductive wire 134 on the third substrate 130, and through the intersection point (i.e., the intersection area 136) of the first conductive wire 133 and the second conductive wire 134 with current, the position of the droplet 200 to be analyzed can be obtained.

[0056] Exemplarily, referring to Figure 4 As shown, five first conductive wires 133 and five second conductive wires 134 are provided on the third substrate 130. Taking the top-down view in the figure as the main view, from left to right are the first conductive wire 133A, the first conductive wire 133B, the first conductive wire 133C, the first conductive wire 133D, and the first conductive wire 133E, and from top to bottom are the second conductive wire 134A', the second conductive wire 134B', the second conductive wire 134C', the second conductive wire 134D', and the second conductive wire 134E'. The first conductive wire 133A and the second conductive wires 134A', 134B', 134C', 134D', and 134E' respectively have the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth detection areas. The first conductive wire 133B and the second conductive wires 134A', 134B', 134C', 134D', and 134E' respectively have the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth detection areas, and so on. The first conductive wire 133 and the second conductive wire 134 together form 25 detection areas 131.

[0057] For example, referring to Figure 4 As shown, when the conductive layer 140 contacts the first conductive wire 133A and the second conductive wire 134A' in the first detection area 131a, a current (electrical signal) is generated on the first conductive wire 133A and the second conductive wire 134A'. By detecting the current conditions on the first conductive wire 133A and the second conductive wire 134A', and through the intersection area 136 of the first conductive wire 133A and the second conductive wire 134A' with current, the position of the droplet 200 to be analyzed can be obtained (the intersection area 136 is the position where the droplet 200 to be analyzed is located).

[0058] Again, for example, referring to Figure 4As shown, the first conductive line 133B and the second conductive line 134B' have a seventh detection area 131b. When the conductive layer 140 and the first conductive line 133B and the second conductive line 134B' in the seventh detection area 131b are in contact, current is generated on the first conductive line 133B and the second conductive line 134B'. The current conditions of the first conductive line 133B and the second conductive line 134B' are detected. Through the intersection area 136 of the first conductive line 133B and the second conductive line 134B' with current, the position of the droplet 200 to be analyzed can be obtained (the intersection area 136 is the position of the droplet 200 to be analyzed).

[0059] In the examples of this application, see Figure 5 As shown, the third substrate 130 further includes a raised layer 137. The raised layer 137 can be provided on the substrate 132 and located within the detection area 131. The second conductive lines 134 can cover the raised layer 137, so that the height of the second conductive lines 134 at the raised layer 137 can be the same as the height of the first conductive lines 133. In this way, the conductive layer 140 can contact the first conductive lines 133 and the second conductive lines 134 simultaneously, allowing the conductive layer 140 to transmit current to the first conductive lines 133 and the second conductive lines 134 respectively. The location of the droplet 200 to be analyzed is obtained through the intersection 136 of the first conductive lines 133 and the second conductive lines 134 carrying current.

[0060] In the examples of this application, see Figure 5 As shown, the above-mentioned raised layers 137 are provided on both the left and right sides of the intersection area 136. In this way, by providing the raised layers 137 on opposite sides of the first conductive line 133, it is ensured that the conductive layer 140 at the edge of the deformation unit 150 can contact the second conductive line 134, so that the conductive layer 140 can contact the first conductive line 133 and the second conductive line 134 in the detection area 131, so that the first conductive line 133 and the second conductive line 134 can both generate current, thereby ensuring the detection effect.

[0061] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned raising layer 137 may be provided only on one side of the intersection region 136 , as long as it is ensured that the conductive layer 140 can contact the second conductive line 134 on the raising layer 137 .

[0062] The padding layer 137 may be formed before forming the second conductive line 134 , and the padding layer 137 may be made of materials such as silicon nitride (SiNx), silicon oxide (SiOx) or an organic layer PI.

[0063] It is understandable that the end of the elevated layer 137 away from the substrate may be provided with an arc chamfer so that the second conductive line 134 can form a continuous pattern on the elevated layer 137 to avoid the problem of breakage.

[0064] In the embodiment of the present application, the first conductive line 133 and the second conductive line 134 are extended in the column direction and the row direction, respectively, that is, the first direction is the row direction, and the second direction is the column direction. The first conductive line 133 and the second conductive line 134 are perpendicular to each other to form an array-arranged detection area 131. The array-arranged detection area 131 can improve detection accuracy and reduce detection complexity and cost.

[0065] In the examples of this application, see Figure 1 As shown, an insulating member 170 is provided between the third substrate 130 and the second substrate 120. The insulating member 170 can be provided on the substrate 132 and extended toward the conductive layer 140. It can be used to prevent the conductive layer 140 from being accidentally touched when the deformation layer 152 is deformed, thereby ensuring the detection accuracy of the position of the droplet 200 to be analyzed.

[0066] In the examples of this application, see Figure 1 As shown, the insulating member 170 can be a silicon ball 171, which can be located between the third substrate 130 and the conductive layer 140, and the height of the silicon ball 171 is higher than the padding layer 137 to avoid the problem of false touch of the conductive layer 140 when the deformation layer 152 is deformed, thereby ensuring the detection accuracy of the position of the droplet 200 to be analyzed.

[0067] Figure 6 A top view schematically shows a third substrate provided with support columns. Figure 7 Shows Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of N-N'.

[0068] In some embodiments of this application, see Figure 7 As shown, the insulating member 170 may also be a support column 172, one end of which may be provided on the substrate 132 and the other end extending toward the conductive layer 140. The height of the support column 172 should be higher than the height of the elevated layer 137 to avoid accidental contact with the conductive layer 140 and ensure detection accuracy. The support column 172 may be fabricated on the same layer as the elevated layer 137, i.e., the support column 172 may be fabricated simultaneously with the elevated layer 137.

[0069] Figure 8 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the heating layer and the driving electrode layer is shown.

[0070] In the examples of this application, see Figure 8As shown, the first substrate 110 includes a first base 112 and a driving electrode layer 113. The first base 112 can be a glass substrate or a substrate of other materials, such as a PI substrate. Both the driving electrode layer 113 and the heating layer 111 can be disposed on the first base 112. The driving electrode layer 113 and the heating layer 111 can be located on different layers. The heating layer 111 is disposed on the side of the driving electrode layer 113 away from the second substrate 120, that is, the heating layer 111 is disposed between the first base 112 and the driving electrode layer 113. A second insulating layer 114 can be provided between the driving electrode layer 113 and the heating layer 111. The second insulating layer 114 can be silicon nitride (SiNx) or silicon oxide (SiOx) to isolate the driving electrode layer 113 and the heating layer 111, preventing interference between the heating layer 111 and the driving electrode layer 113 and affecting the movement of the droplet to be analyzed 200 or the heating effect of the heating layer 111.

[0071] Among them, please continue to refer to Figure 8 As shown, the driving electrode layer 113 can include a plurality of driving electrodes 1130 arranged at intervals. The driving electrodes 1130 can be transparent electrodes, such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO).

[0072] Please continue to refer to Figure 8 As shown, the heating layer 111 can include a plurality of heating units 1110. The plurality of heating units 1110 are arranged at intervals. Each heating unit 1110 can correspond to a driving electrode 1130, a deformation unit 150, and a detection area 131 one by one. Thus, when the droplet to be analyzed 200 is located at the driving electrode 1130, the temperature generated by the heating unit 1110 can be transmitted to the deformation unit 150 through the droplet to be analyzed 200. The deformation unit 150 deforms toward the third substrate 130 side, so that the conductive layer 140 contacts the first conductive wire 133 and the second conductive wire 134 in the detection area 131 to generate an electrical signal. Through the intersection area 136 of the current on the first conductive wire 133 and the current on the second conductive wire 134, the position of the droplet to be analyzed 200 can be obtained.

[0073] In the embodiment of the present application, please continue to refer to Figure 8 As shown, this heating unit 1110 can include a heating resistor 1111 and first and second wires 1112 and 1113 located on opposite sides of the heating resistor 1111. The heating resistor 1111 can be prepared by physical vapor deposition of a tungsten W, nickel Ni, etc. film layer and formed by photolithography. The first and second wires 1112 and 1113 can be made of metal (such as copper Cu, aluminum Al, etc.). By applying an electrical signal to the first wire 1112 or the second wire 1113, the heating resistor 1111 generates heat to control the deformation of the deformation unit 150.

[0074] It is understood that by disposing the driving electrode layer 113 on the side of the heating layer 111 away from the second substrate 120, the distance between the heating resistor 1111 and the droplet 200 to be analyzed is increased, thereby reducing the impact of temperature on the droplet 200 to be analyzed. Furthermore, the temperature generated by the heating resistor 1111 needs to be controlled within the vaporization temperature of the droplet 200 to prevent evaporation of the droplet 200 to be analyzed.

[0075] Figure 9 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of a heating layer disposed on a side of the driving electrode layer close to the second substrate is shown. Figure 10 A schematic structural diagram of the heating unit and the driving electrode is shown when viewed from above the first substrate.

[0076] In some embodiments, see Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the heating layer 111 can also be arranged on the side of the driving electrode layer 113 close to the second substrate 120 to shorten the distance between the heating resistor 1111 and the deformation cavity 160, ensuring that the deformation cavity 160 can be sufficiently deformed, thereby ensuring that the conductive layer 140 can contact the first conductive line 133 and the second conductive line 134 to detect the location of the droplet 200 to be analyzed.

[0077] In the embodiment of the application, the heating unit 1110 may include a bent heating resistor 1111 and a first conductive wire 1112 and a second conductive wire 1113 located on opposite sides of the heating resistor 1111. The heating resistor 1111 may be made of a material such as tungsten or nickel and is disposed in a bent shape between the first conductive wire 1112 and the second conductive wire 1113 to ensure a sufficient heating area while minimizing space occupation, thereby allowing the drive electrode 1130 and the heating resistor 1111 to be arranged on the same layer.

[0078] In the examples of this application, see Figure 8 As shown, the first substrate 110 further includes a driving circuit layer 115 and a first hydrophobic layer 116. The driving circuit layer 115 is disposed on the side of the heating layer 111 away from the second substrate 120. That is, the driving circuit layer 115 can be formed on the first base 112 before the heating layer 111 and the driving electrode layer 113. The driving circuit layer 115 can include circuit structures such as thin film transistors and wiring to drive the aforementioned driving electrodes 1130 and the heating unit 1110. The first hydrophobic layer 116 is disposed on the side of the driving electrode 1130 closer to the second substrate 120.

[0079] In the examples of this application, see Figure 1As shown, the second substrate 120 includes a second base 121, a common electrode 122, and a second hydrophobic layer 123. The second base 121 can be a glass substrate or a substrate of other materials, such as a PI substrate. The common electrode 122 can be a transparent electrode, such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), and it can be a full-surface design to reduce the design cost. The second hydrophobic layer 123 can be disposed on the side of the common electrode 122 close to the first substrate 110.

[0080] It can be understood that a deformation unit 150 and a conductive layer 140 are disposed on the side of the second base 121 facing away from the common electrode 122, so that the deformation unit 150 can deform toward the side away from the second base 121 to contact the first conductive wire 133 and the second conductive wire 134 on the third substrate 130.

[0081] In addition, the common electrode 122 and the driving electrode 1130 are used to apply a driving voltage to the droplet to be analyzed 200. The driving voltage is used to change the surface tension of the droplet to be analyzed 200, so as to change the contact angle (wetting angle) of the droplet to be analyzed 200 on the first hydrophobic layer 116, thereby facilitating the driving voltage to drive the droplet to be analyzed 200 to move in the accommodation space.

[0082] Embodiment 2 The difference between Embodiment 2 and Embodiment 1 of this application is that the detection area 131 in Embodiment 2 uses a photoelectric detection device.

[0083] Figure 11 The cross-sectional structural schematic diagram shows the detection area provided with a light-emitting unit.

[0084] In the embodiment of this application, as shown in Figure 11 As shown, the third substrate 130 includes a substrate 132 and a light-emitting unit 138 disposed on the substrate 132. The light-emitting units 138 correspond to the detection areas 131 one by one. The light-emitting unit 138 can include a first electrode 1380, a second electrode 1381, and a light-emitting layer 1382 disposed between the first electrode 1380 and the second electrode 1381. The first electrode 1380 can be disposed on the side of the second electrode 1381 away from the substrate 132, and it can be a full-surface design. The light-emitting layer 1382 can use gallium nitride or perovskite light-emitting materials. When the conductive layer 140 contacts the first electrode 1380, the light-emitting layer 1382 can emit light under the action of the first electrode 1380 and the second electrode 1381. By the light-emitting layer 1382 emitting light, the position where the droplet to be analyzed 200 is located can be obtained in real time, improving the detection accuracy.

[0085] In some embodiments, the detection area 131 can also adopt a light-emitting structure similar to that of an organic light-emitting diode, as long as the position where the droplet to be analyzed 200 is located can be obtained.

[0086] Embodiment III The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment of this application lies in that the heating unit 1110 and the driving electrode 1130 in the second embodiment are located on the same layer to reduce the thickness of the microfluidic chip 100.

[0087] Figure 12 The cross-sectional structural schematic diagram shows that the heating unit and the driving electrode are located on the same layer. Figure 13 The structural schematic diagram of the heating unit and the driving electrode is shown in the top view.

[0088] Among them, the heating unit 1110 may include a bent heating resistor 1111 and a first wire 1112 and a second wire 1113 located on opposite sides of the heating resistor 1111. The heating resistor 1111 can be prepared from materials such as tungsten and nickel. It is bent and arranged between the first wire 1112 and the second wire 1113 to ensure the heat generation area while reducing the occupation of space, so as to ensure that the driving electrode 1130 and the heating resistor 1111 can be arranged on the same layer.

[0089] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to terms such as "some embodiments" and "exemplarily" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the schematic expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0090] Although the embodiments of this application have been shown and described above, it can be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this application. Those of ordinary skill in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of this application. Therefore, any changes or modifications made in accordance with the claims and the description of this application should fall within the scope covered by the patent of this application.

Claims

1. A microfluidic chip for accommodating droplets to be analyzed, characterized in that, The microfluidic chip includes: A first substrate and a second substrate that are opposite and spaced apart. The droplet to be analyzed is accommodated between the first substrate and the second substrate and can move between the first substrate and the second substrate. A heating layer is provided on the first substrate, and a conductive layer and a plurality of spaced-apart deformation units are provided on a side of the second substrate facing away from the first substrate. The conductive layer is provided on a side of the deformation unit away from the first substrate; A third substrate is provided on a side of the second substrate away from the first substrate and is insulated from the conductive layer. A plurality of detection areas arranged in an array are provided on the third substrate, and the detection areas correspond to the deformation units one by one; Wherein, the droplet to be analyzed can change the thermal conductivity between the first substrate and the second substrate, so that the deformation unit can deform toward the third substrate side under the heating action of the heating layer, and make the conductive layer contact the detection area on the third substrate side to transmit an electrical signal to the detection area, thereby obtaining the position where the droplet to be analyzed is located.

2. The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, wherein, A deformation cavity is formed between the deformation unit and a side of the second substrate facing away from the first substrate. The deformation cavity can expand toward the third substrate under the action of the heating layer, so that the conductive layer contacts the detection area.

3. The microfluidic chip according to claim 2, wherein The deformation unit includes: An adhesive layer is provided on a side of the second substrate facing away from the first substrate, and the adhesive layer has a plurality of openings arranged in an array; A deformation layer is provided on a side of the adhesive layer away from the first substrate to form the deformation cavity with the opening and the second substrate. The conductive layer is provided on a side of the deformation layer away from the adhesive layer. The deformation layer can deform toward or away from the third substrate side when the deformation cavity expands or contracts.

4. The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, The third substrate includes: A substrate; and A first conductive wire and a second conductive wire provided on the substrate. The first conductive wire is provided on a side of the second conductive wire away from the substrate, and the two are insulated from each other. A positive projection of the first conductive wire on the substrate and a positive projection of the second conductive wire on the substrate have an intersecting area, and the intersecting area is located in the detection area; when the deformation unit deforms toward the third substrate side, the conductive layer is connected to the first conductive wire and the second conductive wire located in the detection area to obtain the position where the droplet to be analyzed is located.

5. The microfluidic chip according to claim 4, wherein, The third substrate further includes a pad layer provided on the substrate, and the pad layer is located in the detection area. The pad layer is provided on at least one side of the first conductive wire, and the second conductive wire covers the pad layer so that the height of the second conductive wire at the pad layer is the same as the height of the first conductive wire.

6. The microfluidic chip according to claim 4, wherein The first conductive wire and the second conductive wire extend in the column direction and the row direction respectively.

7. The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, The third substrate includes a substrate and a light-emitting unit provided on the substrate, and the light-emitting unit corresponds to the detection area one by one; The light-emitting unit includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a light-emitting layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first electrode is disposed on a side of the second electrode away from the substrate. When the conductive layer contacts the first electrode, the light-emitting layer emits light to obtain the position of the droplet to be analyzed.

8. The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, wherein, The first substrate includes a first base and a driving electrode layer. Both the heating layer and the driving electrode layer are disposed on the first base, and the heating layer is disposed on a side of the driving electrode layer away from the second substrate. The heating layer and the driving electrode layer are insulated from each other.

9. The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first substrate includes a first base and a driving electrode. The heating layer includes a heating unit. The heating unit and the driving electrode are located on the same layer, and the heating unit and the driving electrode are arranged at intervals.

10. The microfluidic chip according to claim 9, characterized in that, The heating unit corresponds to the driving electrode, the deformation unit, and the detection area one by one; Each heating unit includes a bent heating resistor and a first wire and a second wire located on opposite sides of the heating resistor. Opposite ends of the heating resistor are respectively connected to the first wire and the second wire.

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