APPARATUS FOR FABRICATING AND OPTICALLY DETECTING BIOCHIP

• US 20100097594A1
• Filed: 08/21/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: CHO, Seong-ho
• Granted Patent: US 8,796,011 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/71
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0046 Sequential or parallel reactions, e.g. for the synthesis of polypeptides or polynucleotides; Apparatus and devices for combinatorial chemistry or for making molecular arrays synthesis methods per se C40B50/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00286 Reactor vessels with top and bottom openings
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00337 Valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00434 Liquid crystal masks
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00439 using micromirror arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00448 using microlens arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00527 Sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00596 Solid-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00612 the surface being inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00704 integrated with the reactor apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/06 of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/253 for batch operation, i.e. multisample apparatus analytical automats G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/645 Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0825 the reflecting element being a flexible sheet or membrane, e.g. for varying the focus flexible mirrors for cosmetic use A45D42/24
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0068 having means for controlling the degree of correction, e.g. using phase modulators, movable elements controlling the phase of light using moving or deformable elements G02B26/06
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7005 by multiple sources, e.g. light-emitting diodes [LED] or light source arrays addressable array sources specially adapted to produce patterns without a mask G03F7/70391
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70225 Optical aspects of catadioptric systems, i.e. comprising reflective and refractive elements
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70291 Addressable masks, e.g. spatial light modulators [SLMs], digital micro-mirror devices [DMDs] or liquid crystal display [LCD] patterning devices
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70808 Construction details, e.g. housing, load-lock, seals or windows for passing light in or out of apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7085 : Detection arrangement, e.g. detectors of apparatus alignment possibly mounted on wafers, exposure dose, photo-cleaning flux, stray light, thermal load

Abstract

An apparatus for fabricating a biochip is provided. The apparatus includes a reaction chamber which encapsulates the biochip to be sealed form an external environment. The apparatus further includes an exposure system which has a light source and a spatial light modulator. The spatial light modulator receives light from the light source and forms an optical image utilizing the light. The optical image is received by the biochip. The apparatus further includes a detection system which detects light proceeding form the biochip.

Claims

1. An apparatus for fabricating a biochip, the apparatus comprising:

a reaction chamber which encapsulates the biochip to be sealed from an external environment;

an exposure system which has a light source and a spatial light modulator, the spatial light modulator receives light from the light source and forms an optical image utilizing the received light, the optical image being received by the biochip; and

a detection system which detects light proceeding from the biochip.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spatial light modulator is a reflective spatial light modulator.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an optical path changing unit which provides the light emitted from the light source to the spatial light modulator, and provides light reflected from the spatial light modulator to the reaction chamber, and provides light proceeding from the reaction chamber to the detection system.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the optical path changing unit comprises:

a polarizing beam splitter which is disposed between the light source and the spatial light modulator;

a polarizer which is disposed between the light source and the polarizing beam splitter; and

a quarter-wavelength plate which is disposed between the polarizing beam splitter and the spatial light modulator.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the exposure system further comprises:

a light diffusion device which is disposed between the light source and the polarizer;

a lens device or a mirror device which is disposed between the quarter-wavelength plate and the spatial light modulator;

a distortion correction device which is disposed between the polarizing beam splitter and the reaction chamber; and

a projection optical system which is disposed between the distortion correction device and the reaction chamber.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the distortion correction device comprises a deformable mirror having a reflective surface which is deformable in response to at least one of mechanical and electrical manipulation for correcting distortion of the optical image.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the detection system is disposed such that the detection system faces one of light exit surfaces of the polarizing beam splitter in order to detect an optical image proceeding from the reaction chamber through the polarizing beam splitter.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the optical path changing unit further comprises an additional quarter-wavelength plate which is disposed between the polarizing beam splitter and the reaction chamber.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the detection system is disposed proximate to the reaction chamber along a direction in which light proceeds, in order to detect an optical image which is transmitted through the reaction chamber and the biochip.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising an additional distortion correction device which is disposed between the reaction chamber and the detection system.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spatial light modulator is a transmissive spatial light modulator.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the exposure system further comprises:

a light diffusion device and at least one of a lens device and a mirror device which are sequentially disposed between the light source and the spatial light modulator along a direction where light proceeds; and

a distortion correction device and a projection optical system which are sequentially disposed between the spatial light modulator and the reaction chamber along a direction where light proceeds.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the distortion correction device comprises a deformable mirror having a reflective surface which is deformable in response to at least one of mechanical and electrical manipulation for correcting distortion of the optical image.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising an optical path changing unit which provides light emitted from the light source to the reaction chamber, and provides light proceeding from the reaction chamber to the detection system.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the optical path changing unit comprises:

a polarizing beam splitter which is disposed between the light diffusion device and at least one of the lens device and the mirror device;

a polarizer which is disposed between the light diffusion device and the polarizing beam splitter; and

a quarter-wavelength plate which is disposed between the polarizing beam splitter and the at least one of the lens device and the mirror device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the detection system is disposed such that the detection system faces one of light exit surfaces of the polarizing beam splitter in order to detect an optical image proceeding from the reaction chamber through the polarizing beam splitter.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the detection system is disposed proximate to the reaction chamber along a direction in which light proceeds, in order to detect an optical image which is transmitted through the reaction chamber and the biochip.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising an additional distortion correction device which is disposed between the reaction chamber and the detection system.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source of the exposure system comprises:

a first light source which emits exposure light which is received by an optical multiplexer; and

a second light source which emits excitation light which is received by the optical multiplexer, and

wherein the optical multiplexer selectively transmits or blocks one of the exposure light emitted from the first light source and the excitation light emitted from the second light source.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising an optical fiber which is disposed between the first light source and the optical multiplexer and further between the second light source and the optical multiplexer.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the detection system comprises an excitation light absorption filter, at least one of an imaging lens and an imaging mirror, and a photodetector which are sequentially disposed along a direction in which light proceeds.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the excitation light absorption filter is separated from an optical path when the biochip is fabricated.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the photodetector is formed of an array comprising a plurality of micro pixels, and comprises one of a photomultiplier tube, a charge-coupled device, and a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor image sensor.