POLYMERIC SUBSTRATE HAVING AN ETCHED-GLASS-LIKE SURFACE AND A MICROFLUIDIC CHIP MADE OF SAID POLYMERIC SUBSTRATE

• US 20130121892A1
• Filed: 08/01/2011
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony DADC Austria AG (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony DADC Austria AG (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Fuhrmann, Gerda, Nelles, Gabriele, Knorr, Nikolaus, Paris, Alfred, Bauer, Georg, Rosseli, Silvia, Kaufmann, Maria
• Granted Patent: US 9,586,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/502
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/16 Surface properties and coatings
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/161 Control and use of surface tension forces, e.g. hydrophobic, hydrophilic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502707 characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components by shaping or joining plastic parts B29C59/00, B29C65/00; by laminating B32B37/00; manufacture of microstructural devices in general B81C
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/62 Plasma-deposition of organic layers plasma deposition in general C23C14/00, C23C16/00
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 1/00 Devices without movable or flexible elements, e.g. microcapillary devices
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00206 Processes for functionalising a surface, e.g. provide the surface with specific mechanical, chemical or biological properties
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0197 Processes for making multi-layered devices not provided for in groups B81C2201/0176 - B81C2201/0192
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 3/00 Assembling of devices or systems from individually processed components
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2383/04 Polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/0427 with only one layer of a composition containing a polymer binder with more layers C08J7/042
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/056 Forming hydrophilic coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/06 with compositions not containing macromolecular substances
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/123 Treatment by wave energy or particle radiation C08J7/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 83/04 Polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/045 Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/582 Recycling of unreacted starting or intermediate materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a polymeric substrate having a glass-like surface, in particular an etched-glass-like surface and to a chip made of at least one such polymeric substrate. The present invention also relates to a method of providing a polymeric substrate with an etched-glass-like surface. Moreover, the present invention relates to a kit for manufacturing a chip using such polymeric substrate. Moreover, the present invention relates to the use of a polymeric substrate having a glass-like surface, in particular an etched-glass-like surface for manufacturing a chip.

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A microfluidic chip comprising;

at least one first polymeric substrate having a first glass-like surface,

wherein the glass-like surface mimicking the surface of glass in one or several of chemical content, chemical composition, chemical structure, homogeneity, roughness, morphology, porosity, hydrophilicity, surface energy affinity, adsorption affinity, surface functionality, chemical surface reactivity, physical surface reactivity, zeta potential and surface charge.

32. The microfluidic chip according to claim 31, wherein the glass-like surface is a first etched-glass-like surface.

33. The microfluidic chip according to claim 32, wherein the glass-like surface is at least one of modified by plasma treatment, modified by reactive ion treatment for increased roughness and hydrophilicity, a thin film of silicon oxide, a polymer thin film having at least one of increased intrinsic roughness, increased intrinsic porosity and increased hydrophilicity.

34. The microfluidic chip according to claim 31, wherein the first polymeric substrate is selected from the group consisting of a polyolefin, a polyether, a polyester, a polyamide, a polyimide, a polyvinylchloride, and a polyacrylate.

35. The microfluidic chip according to claim 31, wherein the polymeric substrate is at least one selected from the group consisting of an acrylnitrile-butadien-styrene, a cyclo-olefin-polymer, a cycloolefin copolymer, a polymethylene-methacrylate, a polycarbonate, a polystyrole, a polypropylene, a polyvinylchloride, a polyamide, a polyethylene, a polyethylene-terephthalate, a polytetrafluoro-ethylene, a polyoxymethylene, a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoplastic polyurethane, a polyimide, a polyether-ether-ketone, a polylactic acid, and a polymethylpentene.

36. The microfluidic chip according to claim 31, wherein the polymeric substrate comprises an inorganic material.

37. The microfluidic chip according to claim 36, wherein the inorganic material is selected from the group consisting of a carbon black, a metal oxide and a semiconductor.

38. The microfluidic chip according to claim 37, wherein the polymeric substrate comprises a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of SiO₂, Al₂O₃, TiO₂, ZrO₂ and Fe₂O₃.

39. The microfluidic chip according to claim 37, wherein the polymeric substrate comprises a semiconductor selected from the group consisting of ZnS, CdS and CdSe.

40. The microfluidic chip according to claim 31, further comprising a second substrate in contact with the first glass-like surface.

41. The microfluidic chip according to claim 40, wherein the second substrate is a solid substrate or a flexible foil.

42. The microfluidic chip according to claim 40, wherein the chip comprises at least one conduit at an interface between the first and the second substrates.

43. The microfluidic chip according to claim 42, wherein the conduit has a dimension of <

500 μ

m.

44. The microfluidic chip according to claim 43, wherein the conduit has a dimension of <

200 μ

m.

45. The microfluidic chip according to claim 42, wherein the conduit is filled with a matrix suitable for at least one of the analysis, detection, separation and transport of analytes.

46. A microfluidic chip, comprising;

at least one first polymeric substrate having a coating comprising SiO_x, wherein the polymeric substrate has a glass-like surface,

a second substrate in contact with the first substrate, and

a channel between the first and second substrates, wherein the channel has a flow dimension of <

500 μ

m.

47. A process for making a microfluidic chip, comprising:

coating a surface of a first polymeric substrate with an SiO_x-precursor,

converting the SiO_x-precursor to SiO_x to form a first coated substrate,

modifying the surface of the first coated substrate to form a substrate having a glass-like surface,

contacting the first substrate having a glass-like surface with a second substrate to form a microfluidic chip having a channel between the first and second substrates, wherein the channel has a flow dimension of <

500 μ

m.