Low-Temperature Glass Bonding for Microfluidic Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high bonding temperature required for glass substrates in micro/nano-channel devices damages the patterned biological substances and electrodes, making it difficult to achieve accurate and reliable functional device manufacturing with glass substrates.
Innovation Solution
A method involving glass substrates with a fluorine concentration of 0.6-3.5 at% and F-Si bonds, bonded at 25°C to 100°C with a silane coupling agent, to form micro/nano-scale flow paths with enhanced bonding strength and pressure resistance, allowing for accurate patterning of capture bodies and electrodes without thermal damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If glass substrates are bonded at high temperature (1000°C or higher), then strong bonding strength is achieved, but the patterned biological substances and electrodes are thermally damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the bonding temperature parameter from conventional high temperature (1000°C or higher) to low temperature (25°C to 100°C). This parameter change enables strong bonding of glass substrates without thermally damaging the patterned biological substances, electrodes, and other modification objects on the substrate surface
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces fluorine-containing substances as intermediaries to facilitate low-temperature bonding. The fluorine-containing substance forms a bonding interface between glass substrates at low temperatures, enabling strong adhesion without requiring high heat that would damage sensitive modification objects
2Reliability
If glass substrates are used for micro/nano-channel devices, then high strength, solvent resistance, and optical transparency are achieved, but high bonding temperature damages the functional materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the bonding temperature parameter to enable glass substrate processing at low temperatures (25°C to 100°C), preserving the integrity of biological substances, catalysts, and electrodes while maintaining the reliability benefits of glass materials including solvent resistance and optical transparency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs patterning of biological substances, electrodes, and catalysts on the glass substrate surface before bonding. By completing these sensitive operations beforehand and then bonding at low temperature, the functional materials are protected from thermal damage while achieving reliable glass substrate devices
3Ease of manufacture
If soft materials like elastomer are used for micro-channels, then easy bonding is achieved, but nanoscale channels are easily closed due to deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses glass substrates for both the channel structure and bonding layers, ensuring homogeneous material properties throughout. This homogeneity provides dimensional stability and prevents deformation that would close nanoscale channels, while still achieving ease of bonding through low-temperature processing with fluorine-containing substances
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure using glass substrates with fluorine-containing substances as the bonding interface. This composite approach combines the dimensional stability and chemical resistance of glass with the bonding ease previously associated with soft materials, eliminating the trade-off between ease of manufacture and manufacturing precision
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the creation of functional devices with high accuracy and reliability, preventing thermal damage to capture bodies and electrodes, and maintaining the desired functional properties while ensuring leak-proof and pressure-resistant micro/nano-scale flow paths.
Implementation Method 1
the bonding portion between the one surface of the first substrate and the one surface of the second substrate includes a F-Si bond in which fluorine is bonded to silica included in at least one substrate
Implementation Method 2
bonded at 25°C to 100°C with a silane coupling agent
Data Source
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AI summary
A functional device (and a functional device manufacturing method) includes a first substrate in which a groove is formed in one surface, a second substrate which is integrally disposed by bonding one surface of the second substrate to the one surface of the first substrate, and forms a flow path together with the groove of the first substrate, at least one modification object of a capture body which captures a target substance supplied into the flow path, an electrode which imparts an electrical or a chemical action to the target substance, and a catalyst, in which the modification object is disposed by being modified on a part of an inner surface of the flow path, a bonding portion between the one surface of the first substrate and the one surface of the second substrate is formed by bonding fluorine to silica.