Membrane filter and a method of manufacturing the same as well as a membrane
First Claim
1. Membrane filter comprising a membrane provided with pores of a size between 5 nm and 50 μ
- m characterized in that said membrane comprises a substantially flat layer of substantially uniform thickness with a surface roughness which is considerably less than the pore size and in that the pores are etched in said substantially flat layer.
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Abstract
A membrane filter comprises a membrane provided with pores with a pore size between 5 nm and 50 μm. The membrane may easily and reliably be processed with use of silicon micromachining through depositing a relatively thin membrane layer on a support, by use of a suitable vapour deposition or spincoating technique, after which perforations are made in the thin membrane layer, for example by etching with aid of photo-lithography or an imprint technique. Such a membrane is very well applicable for the separation of biological cells. A membrane with a thickness smaller than the diameter of the perforations is in particular suited for the separation of vulnerable cells and may be used as a leucocyte filter or as a blood plasma separator of blood concentrates. A microfiltration membrane according to the invention may very well be applied as a support for the deposition of a separation layer for ultrafiltration, gas separation or catalysis.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. Membrane filter comprising a membrane provided with pores of a size between 5 nm and 50 μ
- m characterized in that said membrane comprises a substantially flat layer of substantially uniform thickness with a surface roughness which is considerably less than the pore size and in that the pores are etched in said substantially flat layer.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20)
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16. Method of manufacturing a membrane filter comprising a support which is covered by a membrane having pores of a size between 5 nm and 50 μ
- m characterized in that a membrane layer is deposited on said support, in that the pores are etched in the membrane layer is provided with pores by means of a patterned auxiliary layer and in that at least one recess is etched from the backside and over the entire thickness of the support in order to expose the backside of the membrane layer.
- View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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21. Method of manufacturing a membrane with ultra fine perforations characterized in that a first layer is deposited on a substrate which is provided with substantially parallel grooves which are deeper man wide, in that a sacrificial layer is conformally deposited over the surface, in that the sacrificial layer is provided with substantially parallel grooves which extend substantially traverse to the grooves in the first layer, in that a second layer is deposited over the entire surface covering the sacrificial layer and filling the grooves, in that the second layer is etched back until the lateral parts of the sacrificial layer are exposed, in that the exposed parts of the sacrificial layer are removed by etching and in that the substrate is etched through the realised openings in the sacrificial layer.
Specification