microfluidic chip

Abstract

The present application belongs to the field of microfluidics technology, and specifically relates to a microfluidic chip, which includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a third substrate. The first substrate is provided with a heating layer, and the second substrate is provided with a conductive layer and a plurality of spaced-apart deformation units on the side away from the first substrate, wherein the conductive layer is provided on the side of the deformation unit away from the first substrate; the third substrate is provided on the side of the second substrate away from the first substrate and is insulated from the conductive layer, and a plurality of detection areas are provided on the third substrate, and the detection areas correspond one to one with the deformation units; 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 in contact with the detection area on the third substrate side to transmit an electrical signal to the detection area to obtain the location of the droplets to be analyzed. The present application can detect the location of the droplets to be analyzed in real time, improve the reliability of the microfluidic chip, and reduce the production cost of the microfluidic chip.

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 being 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:

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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

[0019] The accompanying drawings are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application, and together with the specification, are used to explain the principles of the present application. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art can derive other drawings based on these drawings without inventive effort.

[0020] Figure 1 The figure shows a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the microfluidic chip provided in Example 1 of the present application.

[0021] Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of a second substrate provided in Example 1 of the present application, in which a deformation unit and a conductive layer are provided on a side facing away from the first substrate.

[0022] 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 provided in the first embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of a first conductive line and a second conductive line provided in Example 1 of the present application, arranged on a substrate, is shown.

[0024] Figure 5 Shown Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of M-M'.

[0025] Figure 6 A top view schematically shows a third substrate provided in Example 1 of the present application with support columns provided thereon.

[0026] Figure 7 Shown Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of N-N'.

[0027] Figure 8 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the heating layer and the driving electrode layer provided in the first embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0028] Figure 9 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the heating layer provided in the first embodiment of the present application is shown, in which the heating layer is arranged on the side of the driving electrode layer close to the second substrate.

[0029] Figure 10 A schematic structural diagram of the heating unit and the driving electrode when viewed from above the first substrate provided in the first embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0030] Figure 11 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of a detection area provided with a light-emitting unit according to the second embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0031] Figure 12A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the heating unit and the driving electrode provided in the third embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0032] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the structure of the heating unit and the driving electrode in a top view provided in the third embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0033] Description of reference numerals:

[0034] 100, microfluidic chip; 110, first substrate; 111, heating layer; 1110, heating unit; 1111, heating resistor; 1112, first wire; 1113, second wire; 112, first substrate; 113, driving electrode layer; 1130, driving electrode; 114, second insulating layer; 115, driving circuit layer; 116, first hydrophobic layer; 120, second substrate; 121, second substrate; 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, raising 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 part; 171, silicon ball; 172, support column; 200, droplet to be analyzed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, example embodiments can be implemented in many 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 thorough and complete and will fully convey the concepts of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0036] In this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically specified.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] Example 1

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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. 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] In the examples of this application, see Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, deformation unit 150 and the side of second substrate 120 facing away from first substrate 110 form a deformation cavity 160. Under the action of heating layer 111, deformation cavity 160 can expand toward third substrate 130, allowing conductive layer 140 to contact detection area 131 and transmit electrical signals. By forming deformation cavity 160 between deformation unit 150 and second substrate 120, the structure of microfluidic chip 100 can be optimized by leveraging the large deformation properties of air and its simple material.

[0049] In some embodiments, the deformation unit 150 may also be made of a thermally deformable material, a thermally responsive ion gel, or a shape memory polymer. It is understood that the deformation unit 150 may also be made of other structures as long as it can deform upon heating and recover upon cooling.

[0050] In the examples of this application, see 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 adhesive glue and 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 a deformation cavity 160 with the opening and the second substrate 120. The deformation cavity 160 is formed by the deformation layer 152, the opening of the adhesive layer 151 and the second substrate 120. The large deformation characteristics of air are utilized to simplify the structure of the deformation unit 150, 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 be blocked from entering the deformation cavity 160, thereby ensuring the deformation of the deformation cavity 160.

[0051] It is worth mentioning that a conductive layer 140 is provided on the side of the deformable layer 152 away from the adhesive layer 151. The deformable layer 152 can deform toward the third substrate 130 side or away from the third substrate 130 side when the deformation cavity 160 expands or contracts, thereby driving the conductive layer 140 on one side of the deformable layer 152 to move toward 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.

[0052] In addition, the deformable layer 152 may be made of a film, such as a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film, a PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) film, or a CPP (cast polypropylene) film, so that the deformable layer 152 has good flexibility and can effectively expand or recover the deformation.

[0053] In the embodiment of the present application, the conductive layer 140 can be made of indium tin oxide (ITO), indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), or other transparent oxides. Furthermore, the conductive layer 140 can be formed entirely without patterning, thus reducing the manufacturing process of the microfluidic chip 100 and thereby reducing the cost of the microfluidic chip 100.

[0054] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of a first conductive line and a second conductive line arranged on a substrate is shown. Figure 5 Shown Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of M-M'.

[0055] In the examples of this application, see Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the third substrate 130 includes a substrate 132, a first conductive line 133, and a second conductive line 134. The substrate 132 can be a glass substrate or a substrate made of other materials, such as PI. The first conductive line 133 and the second conductive line 134 are both provided on the substrate 132. The first conductive line 133 and the second conductive line 134 can be metal traces (e.g., copper, aluminum, etc.) or transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) traces.

[0056] In the examples of this application, see Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the first conductive line 133 and the second conductive line 134 are arranged in different layers. The first conductive line 133 is arranged on the side of the second conductive line 134 away from the substrate 132, that is, the first conductive line 133 is closer to the second substrate 120. A first insulating layer 135 is provided between the first conductive line 133 and the second conductive line 134. The first insulating layer 135 can be made of materials such as silicon nitride (SiNx) and silicon oxide (SiOx) to insulate the first conductive line 133 from the second conductive line 134 and the conductive layer 140. The orthographic projection of the first conductive line 133 on the substrate 132 and the orthographic projection of the second conductive line 134 on the substrate 132 have an intersection area 136, and this intersection area 136 is located within the detection area 131.

[0057] In the embodiment of the present application, the third substrate 130 is provided with a plurality of first conductive lines 133 arranged sequentially in a first direction and a plurality of second conductive lines 134 arranged sequentially in a second direction. The first conductive lines 133 extend in the second direction, and the second conductive lines 134 extend in the first direction, with the first and second directions intersecting. Thus, a first / second conductive line can form multiple intersection regions 136 with multiple second / first conductive lines.

[0058] Among them, when the deformation unit 150 is deformed toward the side of the third substrate 130 under the heating action of the heating layer 111, the conductive layer 140 can contact the first conductive line 133 and the second conductive line 134 in the detection area 131 to transmit electrical signals to the first conductive line 133 and the second conductive line 134. By detecting the current of the first conductive line 133 and the second conductive line 134 on the third substrate 130, the position of the droplet 200 to be analyzed can be obtained through the intersection of the first conductive line 133 and the second conductive line 134 with current (that is, the intersection area 136).

[0059] For example, see Figure 4 As shown, five first conductive lines 133 and five second conductive lines 134 are provided on the third substrate 130. Taking the top view in the figure as the main point of view, from left to right are the first conductive line 133A, the first conductive line 133B, the first conductive line 133C, the first conductive line 133D and the first conductive line 133E, and from top to bottom are the second conductive line 134A', the second conductive line 134B', the second conductive line 134C', the second conductive line 134D' and the second conductive line 134E'. The first conductive line 133A and the second conductive line 134A', the second conductive line 134B', the second conductive line 134C', the second conductive line 134D' and the second conductive line 134E' respectively have the first, second, third, fourth and fifth detection areas, the first conductive line 133B and the second conductive line 134A', the second conductive line 134B', the second conductive line 134C', the second conductive line 134D' and the second conductive line 134E' respectively have the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth detection areas, and so on. The first conductive line 133 and the second conductive line 134 form a total of 25 detection areas 131.

[0060] For example, see Figure 4 As shown, when the conductive layer 140 contacts the first conductive line 133A and the second conductive line 134A' in the first detection area 131a, a current (electrical signal) is generated on the first conductive line 133A and the second conductive line 134A'. The current conditions on the first conductive line 133A and the second conductive line 134A' are detected, and the position of the droplet 200 to be analyzed can be obtained through the intersection area 136 of the first conductive line 133A and the second conductive line 134A' with current (the intersection area 136 is the position of the droplet 200 to be analyzed).

[0061] For example, see 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).

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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.

[0064] 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 .

[0065] 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] Figure 6 A top view schematically shows a third substrate provided with support columns. Figure 7 Shown Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of N-N'.

[0071] 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.

[0072] Figure 8 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the heating layer and the driving electrode layer is shown.

[0073] In the examples of this application, see Figure 8As shown, the first substrate 110 includes a first substrate 112 and a driving electrode layer 113. The first substrate 112 can be a glass substrate or a substrate of other materials, such as PI material. The driving electrode layer 113 and the heating layer 111 can both be arranged on the first substrate 112. The driving electrode layer 113 and the heating layer 111 can be located on different layers. The heating layer 111 is arranged on the side of the driving electrode layer 113 away from the second substrate 120, that is, the heating layer 111 is arranged between the first substrate 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 made of silicon nitride (SiNx) or silicon oxide (SiOx) to isolate the driving electrode layer 113 from the heating layer 111, so as to avoid mutual interference between the heating layer 111 and the driving electrode layer 113, which may affect the movement of the droplets 200 to be analyzed or the heating effect of the heating layer 111.

[0074] Please continue to see Figure 8 As shown, the driving electrode layer 113 may include a plurality of driving electrodes 1130 arranged at intervals. The driving electrodes 1130 may be transparent electrodes, such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO).

[0075] Please continue to see Figure 8 As shown, the heating layer 111 may include a plurality of heating units 1110. The plurality of heating units 1110 are spaced apart from each other, and each heating unit 1110 may correspond one-to-one to the driving electrode 1130, the deformation unit 150, and the detection area 131. In this way, when the droplet 200 to be analyzed 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 200 to be analyzed, and the deformation unit 150 is deformed toward the side of the third substrate 130, so that the conductive layer 140 contacts the first conductive line 133 and the second conductive line 134 in the detection area 131 to generate an electrical signal. The position of the droplet 200 to be analyzed can be obtained through the intersection area 136 of the current on the first conductive line 133 and the current on the second conductive line 134.

[0076] In the examples of this application, please continue to refer to Figure 8 As shown, this heating unit 1110 may include a 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 may be formed by physical vapor deposition of a film layer of tungsten W, nickel Ni, etc., and formed by photolithography. The first wire 1112 and the second wire 1113 may be made of metal (e.g., 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.

[0077] 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.

[0078] Figure 9 It shows a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of a heating layer arranged on a side of the driving electrode layer close to the second substrate. Figure 10 A schematic structural diagram of the heating unit and the driving electrode is shown when viewed from above the first substrate.

[0079] 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.

[0080] 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.

[0081] 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.

[0082] 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 made of other materials, such as PI. The common electrode 122 can be a transparent electrode, such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), and can be designed to be a full-surface design to reduce design costs. The second hydrophobic layer 123 can be provided on the side of the common electrode 122 closest to the first substrate 110.

[0083] It is understood that the deformation unit 150 and the conductive layer 140 are provided on the side of the second substrate 121 away from the common electrode 122 so that the deformation unit 150 can deform toward the side away from the second substrate 121 to contact the first conductive line 133 and the second conductive line 134 on the third substrate 130.

[0084] In addition, the common electrode 122 and the driving electrode 1130 are used to apply a driving voltage to the droplet 200 to be analyzed. The driving voltage is used to change the surface tension of the droplet 200 to be analyzed, thereby changing the contact angle (wetting angle) of the droplet 200 to be analyzed on the first hydrophobic layer 116, thereby facilitating the driving voltage to drive the droplet 200 to be analyzed to move within the accommodating space.

[0085] Example 2

[0086] The difference between the second embodiment of the present application and the first embodiment is that the detection area 131 of the second embodiment adopts a photoelectric detection device.

[0087] Figure 11 It shows a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of a detection area provided with a light-emitting unit.

[0088] In the examples of this application, see Figure 11 As shown, the third substrate 130 includes a substrate 132 and a light-emitting unit 138 provided on the substrate 132, and the light-emitting unit 138 corresponds to the detection area 131 one by one. The light-emitting unit 138 may include a first electrode 1380, a second electrode 1381, and a light-emitting layer 1382 provided between the first electrode 1380 and the second electrode 1381. The first electrode 1380 may be provided on the side of the second electrode 1381 away from the substrate 132, and it may adopt a full-surface design. The light-emitting layer 1382 may be made of gallium nitride or perovskite light-emitting material. When the conductive layer 140 is in contact with 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. The light-emitting layer 1382 emits light to obtain the position of the droplet 200 to be analyzed in real time, thereby improving the detection accuracy.

[0089] In some embodiments, the detection area 131 may also adopt a light-emitting structure similar to an organic light-emitting diode, as long as the location of the droplet 200 to be analyzed can be obtained.

[0090] Example 3

[0091] The difference between the second embodiment of the present application and the first embodiment is that the heating unit 1110 and the driving electrode 1130 of the second embodiment are located on the same layer to reduce the thickness of the microfluidic chip 100 .

[0092] Figure 12 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram showing that the heating unit and the driving electrode are located on the same layer. Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the structure of the heating unit and the driving electrode is shown in a top view.

[0093] 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 occupied, thereby allowing the drive electrode 1130 and the heating resistor 1111 to be arranged on the same layer.

[0094] In the description of this specification, the reference terms "some embodiments", "exemplarily", etc. mean that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations 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 any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification and features of different embodiments or examples without contradiction.

[0095] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described above, it can be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and cannot be understood as limitations on the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present application. Therefore, any changes or modifications made in accordance with the claims and description of the present application should fall within the scope of the patent application.

Claims

1. A microfluidic chip for accommodating droplets to be analyzed, characterized in that: The microfluidic chip comprises: A first substrate and a second substrate are arranged opposite to each other and spaced apart, the droplet to be analyzed is accommodated between the first substrate and the second substrate and is capable of moving between the first substrate and the second substrate, the first substrate is provided with a heating layer, and the second substrate is 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 facing away from the first substrate; a third substrate, disposed 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; The droplet to be analyzed can change the thermal conductivity between the first substrate and the second substrate, so that the deformation unit can be deformed toward the third substrate side under the heating action of the heating layer, and the conductive layer is in 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 droplet to be analyzed; 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; the deformation unit includes an adhesive layer and a deformation layer, the adhesive layer 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; The deformable layer is provided on the side of the adhesive layer away from the first substrate to form the deformable cavity with the opening and the second substrate. The conductive layer is provided on the side of the deformable layer away from the adhesive layer. The deformable layer can be deformed toward the third substrate or away from the third substrate when the deformation cavity expands or contracts; 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 the 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 to obtain the position of the droplet to be analyzed.

2. The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, characterized in that 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.

3. The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, characterized in that The first conductive lines and the second conductive lines are respectively extended in a column direction and a row direction.

4. 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, wherein 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 arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first electrode is arranged 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 location of the droplet to be analyzed.

5. The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, characterized in that 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 a side of the driving electrode layer away from the second substrate. The heating layer and the driving electrode layer are insulated.

6. 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 in the same layer, and the heating unit and the driving electrode are spaced apart.

7. The microfluidic chip according to claim 6, characterized in that: The heating unit corresponds to the driving electrode, the deformation unit and the detection area in a one-to-one manner; Each heating unit includes a bent heating resistor and a first conductive wire and a second conductive wire located on opposite sides of the heating resistor. The opposite ends of the heating resistor are connected to the first conductive wire and the second conductive wire respectively.

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