Laser microfabrication: A tool towards creating a biological laboratory on a glass chip.

摘要

In recent years, the trend toward miniaturization of lab equipment in both analytical chemistry and biology has lead to the development of the lab-on-a-chip. In a glass material system, these small devices rely almost exclusively on traditional microfabrication techniques requiring multistep photolithography and etch processes. A single-step laser alternative for etching glass is presented and its ability to rapidly prototype research designs for collaborating partners is demonstrated. For the first time, the proven smooth patterning of glasses via the F2 laser is coupled with inherent depth and topography control common to all laser processing techniques. Complex device patterning is achieved under custom computer software control in three areas where photolithography and etching have principally been used. The first is the structuring of micron and sub-micron surface features for the study of the cell-surface interaction. The second is the structuring of microfluidic channels as well as passive devices on the size of a single cell for their confinement and alignment. The third is the fabrication of active devices based on dielectrophoresis for the manipulation of cells and micron-sized particles. Processing parameters and cleaning techniques for precise and smooth removal of glass are identified.