An innovative patternable microelectrode bonding technology for high-performance and cost-effective sealing in microfluidic chips

IF 13.3 1区工程技术 Q1 ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL

Chemical Engineering Journal Pub Date : 2024-12-02 DOI:10.1016/j.cej.2024.158214

Baishun Zhao, Dimitrios Kontziampasis, Lei Huang, Wangqing Wu, Bingyan Jiang

{"title":"An innovative patternable microelectrode bonding technology for high-performance and cost-effective sealing in microfluidic chips","authors":"Baishun Zhao, Dimitrios Kontziampasis, Lei Huang, Wangqing Wu, Bingyan Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.cej.2024.158214","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Microfluidic chips pose as an interdisciplinary frontier as they integrate various fields, while typically serving as a novel technological platform for precise manipulation of minute liquid volumes and biological analysis. However, the chase for enhanced bonding quality in order to fabricate these chips correctly, has led to the use of increasingly complex technology, limiting the marketability of microfluidic products. In this work, a novel microelectrode bonding technology is proposed, which addresses the demands for reliable, low-cost, and high-throughput bonding. The proposed process utilizes the Joule heating effect of microelectrodes at low voltages, in order to rapidly generate sufficient heat and allow for the successful bonding of the chip. The material used for the microelectrodes is nickel, and the method chosen for their fabrication is small-batch electrodeposition. The microelectrodes and microchannels morphology are characterized by Extended Depth of Field Microscopy, while the quality of heating produced is assessed by a high-speed infrared camera. The finalized bonding strength is characterized by measuring the microchannel burst pressure, using an apparatus comprising of a syringe pump, a precision pressure gauge, and a connecting tubing. The results prove that this is a rapid polymer bonding method, which uses less than 3 Volts. Additionally, the results underscore the process’s effectiveness, yielding chips with burst strengths over 2.9 MPa, while microchannel deformations are kept under 10 %. Finally, the advantages of the technology are discussed and its limitations are eliminated by further conceptualization. The proposed method uses no chemicals or contaminants, nor complex equipment, rendering it simple, green, and sustainable. This paves the way for the development of new efficient and greener paradigms, aiming towards leading engineering and manufacturing to a sustainable future.","PeriodicalId":270,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Journal","volume":"84 2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Chemical Engineering Journal","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2024.158214","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Microfluidic chips pose as an interdisciplinary frontier as they integrate various fields, while typically serving as a novel technological platform for precise manipulation of minute liquid volumes and biological analysis. However, the chase for enhanced bonding quality in order to fabricate these chips correctly, has led to the use of increasingly complex technology, limiting the marketability of microfluidic products. In this work, a novel microelectrode bonding technology is proposed, which addresses the demands for reliable, low-cost, and high-throughput bonding. The proposed process utilizes the Joule heating effect of microelectrodes at low voltages, in order to rapidly generate sufficient heat and allow for the successful bonding of the chip. The material used for the microelectrodes is nickel, and the method chosen for their fabrication is small-batch electrodeposition. The microelectrodes and microchannels morphology are characterized by Extended Depth of Field Microscopy, while the quality of heating produced is assessed by a high-speed infrared camera. The finalized bonding strength is characterized by measuring the microchannel burst pressure, using an apparatus comprising of a syringe pump, a precision pressure gauge, and a connecting tubing. The results prove that this is a rapid polymer bonding method, which uses less than 3 Volts. Additionally, the results underscore the process’s effectiveness, yielding chips with burst strengths over 2.9 MPa, while microchannel deformations are kept under 10 %. Finally, the advantages of the technology are discussed and its limitations are eliminated by further conceptualization. The proposed method uses no chemicals or contaminants, nor complex equipment, rendering it simple, green, and sustainable. This paves the way for the development of new efficient and greener paradigms, aiming towards leading engineering and manufacturing to a sustainable future.

Abstract Image

查看原文本刊更多论文

一种创新的可模式化微电极键合技术，用于高性能和低成本的微流控芯片密封

微流控芯片是一个跨学科的前沿，因为它整合了各个领域，同时通常作为微小液体体积精确操作和生物分析的新技术平台。然而，为了正确地制造这些芯片，对增强粘合质量的追求导致使用越来越复杂的技术，限制了微流体产品的适销性。在这项工作中，提出了一种新的微电极键合技术，以满足可靠，低成本和高通量的键合需求。所提出的工艺利用微电极在低电压下的焦耳热效应，以便快速产生足够的热量，并允许芯片的成功键合。微电极的材料为镍，制备方法为小批量电沉积。利用扩展景深显微镜对微电极和微通道形貌进行了表征，并用高速红外摄像机对微电极和微通道产生的加热质量进行了评估。通过使用由注射泵、精密压力表和连接管组成的装置测量微通道破裂压力来表征最终的结合强度。结果证明，这是一种快速聚合物键合方法，使用电压小于3伏。此外，结果强调了该工艺的有效性，生产的芯片的爆裂强度超过2.9 MPa，而微通道变形保持在10 %以下。最后，讨论了该技术的优点，并通过进一步的概念化消除了其局限性。所提出的方法不使用化学物质或污染物，也不使用复杂的设备，使其简单，绿色和可持续。这为新的高效和绿色模式的发展铺平了道路，旨在引领工程和制造业走向可持续发展的未来。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Chemical Engineering Journal 工程技术-工程：化工

CiteScore

21.70

自引率

9.30%

发文量

6781

审稿时长

2.4 months

期刊介绍： The Chemical Engineering Journal is an international research journal that invites contributions of original and novel fundamental research. It aims to provide an international platform for presenting original fundamental research, interpretative reviews, and discussions on new developments in chemical engineering. The journal welcomes papers that describe novel theory and its practical application, as well as those that demonstrate the transfer of techniques from other disciplines. It also welcomes reports on carefully conducted experimental work that is soundly interpreted. The main focus of the journal is on original and rigorous research results that have broad significance. The Catalysis section within the Chemical Engineering Journal focuses specifically on Experimental and Theoretical studies in the fields of heterogeneous catalysis, molecular catalysis, and biocatalysis. These studies have industrial impact on various sectors such as chemicals, energy, materials, foods, healthcare, and environmental protection.