A comparative examination is presented of materials and approaches for the fabrication of microfluidic devices for small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). Representative inorganic glasses, metals, and polymer materials and devices are evaluated under typical SANS configurations. Performance criteria include neutron absorption, scattering background and activation, as well as spatial resolution, chemical compatibility and pressure resistance, and also cost, durability and manufacturability. Closed-face polymer photolithography between boron-free glass (or quartz) plates emerges as an attractive approach for rapidly prototyped microfluidic SANS devices, with transmissions up to ∼98% and background similar to a standard liquid cell (I ≃ 10−3 cm−1). For applications requiring higher durability and/or chemical, thermal and pressure resistance, sintered or etched boron-free glass and silicon devices offer superior performance, at the expense of various fabrication requirements, and are increasingly available commercially.
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机译:对用于小角度中子散射(SANS)的微流体装置的制造材料和方法进行了比较研究。在典型的SANS配置下评估了代表性的无机玻璃,金属以及聚合物材料和设备。性能标准包括中子吸收,散射本底和活化,以及空间分辨率,化学相容性和耐压性,以及成本,耐用性和可制造性。无硼玻璃(或石英)板之间的封闭面聚合物光刻技术是快速原型微流SANS器件的一种有吸引力的方法,其透射率高达98%,背景与标准液池相似(I≃10 - 3 sup> cm -1 sup>)。对于需要更高耐用性和/或耐化学,耐热和耐压的应用,烧结或蚀刻的无硼玻璃和硅器件以各种制造要求为代价提供了卓越的性能,并且在商业上越来越容易获得。
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