Optical systems and methods for rapid screening of libraries of different materials

• US 6,034,775 A
• Filed: 10/08/1997
• Issued: 03/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Freeslate Inc. (Unchained Labs Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Symyx Technologies Incorporated (Dassault Systemes SA)
• Inventors: McFarland, Eric W., Danielson, Earl, Archibald, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Font, Frank G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Punnoose, Roy M.
• Application Number:
  US08/947,085
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 356/364, 356/369, 356/370, 356/382, 356/368, 324/223, 324/212, 324/96
• US Class Current: 506/12
• 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 2219/00315 Microtiter plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00317 Microwell devices, i.e. having large numbers of wells
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00364 Pipettes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00378 Piezoelectric or ink jet dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0043 for direct application of reagents, e.g. through openings in a shutter
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00443 Thin film deposition
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00497 Features relating to the solid phase supports
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/005 Beads
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00511 Walls of reactor vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00515 in the shape of strings
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0052 in the shape of elongated tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00527 Sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00536 in the shape of disks
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00583 Features relative to the processes being carried out
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00585 Parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0059 Sequential processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00596 Solid-phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00605 the compounds being directly bound or immobilised to solid supports
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0061 The surface being organic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00612 : the surface being inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00621 : by physical means, e.g. trenches, raised areas
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00626 : Covalent
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00628 : Ionic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00637 : by coating it with another layer
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00641 : the porous medium being continuous, e.g. porous oxide substrates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 : Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00675 : In-situ synthesis on the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00689 : using computers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00702 : Processes involving means for analysing and characterising the products
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00704 : integrated with the reactor apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00722 : Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00738 : Organic catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00745 : Inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00747 : Catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0075 : Metal based compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00754 : Metal oxides
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C07F 15/0066 : without a metal-carbon linkage
• CPC Class Codes: C07F 15/045 : without a metal-carbon linkage
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 20/08 : Direct analysis of the library members per se by physical methods, e.g. spectroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 30/08 : by measuring catalytic activity
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/14 : Libraries containing macromolecular compounds and not covered by groups C40B40/06 - C40B40/12
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/18 : Libraries containing only inorganic compounds or inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 50/14 : Solid phase synthesis, i.e. wherein one or more library building blocks are bound to a solid support during library creation; Particular methods of cleavage from the solid support
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/12 : for screening libraries
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 : for creating libraries
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 13/00 : Measuring resonant frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 4/00 : Measuring polarisation of light
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 11/16 : by measuring damping effect upon oscillatory body
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2009/006 : vibrating tube, tuning fork
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/211 : Ellipsometry optical thickness measurement G01B11/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/253 : for batch operation, i.e. multisample apparatus analytical automats G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6402 : Atomic fluorescence; Laser induced fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6452 : Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/66 : electrically excited, e.g. electroluminescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2203/0094 : Visco-elasticity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/014 : Resonance or resonant frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0224 : Mixtures of three or more liquids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0255 : (Bio)chemical reactions, e.g. on biosensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0256 : Adsorption, desorption, surface mass change, e.g. on biosensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02818 : Density, viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02827 : Elastic parameters, strength or force
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02863 : Electric or magnetic parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0422 : Shear waves, transverse waves, horizontally polarised waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0423 : Surface waves, e.g. Rayleigh waves, Love waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0427 : Flexural waves, plate waves, e.g. Lamb waves, tuning fork, cantilever
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/106 : one or more transducer arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/4813 : concerning the measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/022 : Fluid sensors based on microsensors, e.g. quartz crystal-microbalance [QCM], surface acoustic wave [SAW] devices, tuning forks, cantilevers, flexural plate wave [FPW] devices microdevices per se B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/036 : by measuring frequency or resonance of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/2418 : using optoacoustic interaction with the material, e.g. laser radiation, photoacoustics photoacoustic cells G01N21/1702; measuring characteristics of vibrations by using radiation-sensitive means G01H9/00; acousto-optical conversion techniques for short-range imaging G01S15/8965; sound-producing devices using laser bundle G10K15/046
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/2425 : optoacoustic fluid cells therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/30 : Arrangements for calibrating or comparing, e.g. with standard objects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/348 : with frequency characteristics, e.g. single frequency signals, chirp signals measuring frequency of mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in general G01H1/06, G01H3/04; measuring frequency or analysing frequency spectra G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/42 : by frequency filtering or by tuning to resonant frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4418 : with a model, e.g. best-fit, regression analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4427 : with stored values, e.g. threshold values
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/10 : using catalysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 9/002 : using variation of the resonant frequency of an element vibrating in contact with the material submitted to analysis G01N9/34 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/0409 : Sample holders or containers containers for retaining a material to be analyzed, B01L3/50, for DNA, C12Q1/6834, for biological materials, G01N33/543
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/0468 : with means for heating or cooling the sample

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for screening diverse arrays of materials are provided. In particular, techniques for rapidly characterizing compounds in arrays of materials in order to discover and/or optimize new materials with specific desired properties are provided. The substrate can be screened for materials having useful properties, and/or the resulting materials can be ranked, or otherwise compared, for relative performance with respect to useful properties or other characterizations. In particular, systems and methods are provided for screening a library of magnetic materials for their bulk magnetization, saturation magnetization, and coercivity by imaging their individual optical Kerr rotation, screening a library of dielectric materials for their dielectric coefficients by imaging their individual electro-optical rotation and screening a library of luminescent materials by imaging their individual luminescent properties under a variety of excitation conditions. Optical or visible luminescence systems are also provided as well as their application to screening libraries of different materials.

Claims

1. A method of characterizing materials, comprising the steps of:

providing a substrate;

synthesizing an array of materials on said substrate;

illuminating at least a first material of said array with polarized light of a predefined wavelength, wherein said substrate is transparent to said predefined wavelength;

detecting a portion of said polarized light passing through said first material and said substrate; and

determining an orientational order of said first material based on said detected portion of light.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of introducing at least one reactant to said first material, wherein said reactant causes said first material to undergo a reaction, wherein said detecting step is performed at predefined intervals of time, and wherein said determining step determines said orientational order as a function of time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of repositioning said substrate such that each material of said array is sequentially illuminated, wherein the orientational order of each material of said array is sequentially determined.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each materials of said array of materials is simultaneously illuminated with polarized light, and wherein the orientational order of each material of said array is determined.

5. A system for characterizing orientational order of an array of materials, comprising:

a substrate containing said array of materials, wherein said substrate is transparent to light of a predefined wavelength;

a light source providing polarized light of said predefined wavelength, said light source located on a first side of said array of materials;

an optical system for directing said polarized light at at least a first material of said array of materials; and

a detector located on a second side of said array of materials, said detector outputting a signal corresponding to an intensity of said polarized light passing through said first material and said substrate, wherein said intensity provides information on the orientational order of said first material.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising at least one reactant in contact with at least said first material, wherein said reactant causes said first material to undergo a reaction, and wherein said outputted signal corresponds to said intensity of said polarized light as a function of time.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said light source simultaneously illuminates all of said materials of said array, and wherein said detector outputs a signal corresponding to said intensity of said polarized light passing through each of said materials of said array.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said detector is a CCD detector.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein said substrate is moved relative to said light source and said detector such that said detector outputs a signal corresponding to said intensity of said polarized light passing through each of said materials of said array.

10. A method of characterizing a dielectric coefficient of each material of an array of materials, comprising the steps of:

providing a conducting substrate;

synthesizing said array of materials on said conducting substrate;

depositing an optically active layer onto said array of materials, wherein said optically active layer is comprised of an ferro-electric material;

depositing a conducting layer onto said optically active layer;

illuminating said ferro-electric material with a beam of polarized light;

applying an increasing voltage between said conducting substrate and said conducting layer; and

detecting a polarization change for each of said materials of said array of materials as a function of applied voltage.

11. A system for characterizing a dielectric coefficient of each material of an array of materials, comprising:

a conducting substrate, wherein said array of materials is deposited on said conducting substrate;

an optically active layer deposited onto said array of materials, wherein said optically active layer is comprised of an ferro-electric material;

a conducting layer deposited onto said optically active layer;

a voltage source coupled to said conducting substrate and said conducting layer;

a light source, wherein said light source directs a beam of polarized light at said ferro-electric material;

a source controller, wherein said controller causes said source to apply a gradually increasing voltage to said substrate and said conducting layer; and

a polarization sensitive detector adjacent to said conducting layer, said detector determining a first occurrence of a shift in polarization for each material of said array of materials.

12. A method of characterizing a Kerr rotation for each material of a heterogeneous array of materials, comprising the steps of:

providing a substrate;

synthesizing said heterogeneous array of materials on said substrate;

depositing a uniform layer of a known Kerr rotation on to said array of materials, wherein said uniform layer reflects the magnetization of a material of said heterogeneous array immediately adjacent to said uniform layer;

illuminating said uniform layer with polarized light;

passing said polarized light reflected by said uniform layer through a polarizer set near the extinction value of said light;

applying a varying magnetic field to said heterogeneous array of materials;

monitoring an intensity of said reflected light as a function of said varying magnetic field , wherein said intensity is monitored for a plurality of locations corresponding to said materials of said heterogeneous array of materials, wherein said intensity is proportional to said Kerr rotation for each material of said heterogeneous array of materials.

13. A system for characterizing a Kerr rotation for each material of a heterogeneous array of materials, comprising:

a substrates wherein said array of materials is deposited on said substrate;

a uniform layer of a known Kerr rotation deposited onto said array of materials;

a light source, wherein said light source directs a beam of polarized light at said uniform layer;

a polarizer set near the extinction value of said light, wherein light reflected from said uniform layer passes through said polarizer;

a magnetic field generator for applying a magnetic field to said heterogeneous array of materials;

a field generator controller for varying said magnetic field;

a position sensitive detection system f or monitoring an intensity of reflected light for a plurality of locations corresponding to said materials of said heterogeneous array of materials, wherein said detection system outputs a signal corresponding to said intensity; and

a processor coupled to said detection system, wherein said processor determines said Kerr rotation for each material of said heterogeneous array of materials based on said intensity.