Microfluidic and biosensor applications of fluoropolymer films.

摘要

Deposition of fluoropolymer films in microfluidic and biosensor applications enables the fabrication and miniaturization of several new integrated sensor devices that could provide a method for measuring oxygen consumption at the cellular level, providing an unique measurement device to be incorporated in cell based sensors. Fluoropolymer films have several properties that make them an excellent candidate for microfluidic and biosensor applications. These films are chemically inert, biocompatible, selectively gas permeable, have a low friction coefficient, are non-polarizable, and are capable of being processed using standard integrated circuit fabrication techniques. This allows for the seamless incorporation of these films into many different sensor applications, ranging from coating fluid interconnect channels to minimize protein absorption, to the realization of different miniaturized sensors which are capable of making point specific measurements.; Film deposition is accomplished using an industrial standard plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) chamber, customized with the capability of producing a pulsed plasma. The film deposition process has been characterised in situ using real time power measurement techniques, ultra violet optical emission spectroscopy (OES) measurements, and Langmuir probe measurements. These measurements along with post processing measurements of the films properties utilizing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements, fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), ellipsometric measurements, contact angle measurements, and electrical characterization methods have been utilized to optimize the films properties for various applications.; This thesis presents the characterization and optimization of the pulsed plasma deposited polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film process along with the development of a solid state dissolved oxygen sensor using the PTFE film as the oxygen permeable membrane. The plasma deposition process provides a unique method of constructing a microfabricated dissolved gas sensor that maintains all the chemical inertness and biocompatibility of the PTFE material to the external environment.