Micromachined capillary electrophoresis device
US5824204A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 27, 1996 |
| Grant date | Oct 20, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 27, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB81C2203/031
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A micromachined structure for handling fluids with an applied high voltage, i.e. for electrophoresis, includes a glass or other highly insulative substrate on which are formed very small diameter capillary channels of e.g. silicon nitride. Due to the absence of a silicon substrate, this structure is highly electrically insulative. The silicon nitride channels are formed by a micro-machining and etch process, so that they are initially defined in an etched sacrificial silicon wafer by conformal coating of etched features in the silicon wafer with a silicon nitride layer, which is then patterned to define the desired channels. The silicon wafer is bonded to the glass substrate and the bulk of the silicon wafer is sacrificially etched away, leaving the desired silicon nitride channels with supporting silicon mesas. The remaining silicon nitride "shell" is bonded to the glass substrate and substantially duplicates the etched features in the original silicon wafer. The capillary channels are of a material such as low stress silicon nitride and there is no electrical shorting path to the highly insulative glass substrate.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.