Methods of manufacturing microfabricated substrates

• US 6,182,733 B1
• Filed: 12/10/1998
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Caliper Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caliper Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: McReynolds, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ball, Michael W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tolin, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US09/208,893
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 156/285, 156/286, 156/382, 156/499, 156/578, 156/292, 156/497, 156/556, 156/581, 292/38, 297/43, 29D/IG.44, 294/64, 294/67, 279/3, 279/133, 269/21, 269/902
• US Class Current: 156/497
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/08 using ultrasonic vibrations non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/10 using hot gases (e.g. combustion gases) or flames coming in contact with at least one of the parts to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/48 using adhesives , i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4895 Solvent bonding, i.e. the surfaces of the parts to be joined being treated with solvents, swelling or softening agents, without adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7847 using vacuum to hold at least one of the parts to be joined vacuum work holders in general B25B11/005
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/45 Joining of substantially the whole surface of the articles methods or apparatus for laminating B32B37/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/54 Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/82661 by means of vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/06 PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/18 PTFE, i.e. polytetrafluorethene , e.g. ePTFE, i.e. expanded polytetrafluorethene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2033/12 Polymers of methacrylic acid esters, e.g. PMMA, i.e. polymethylmethacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2081/06 PSU, i.e. polysulfones; PES, i.e. polyethersulfones or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2083/00 Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/756 Microarticles, nanoarticles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2038/1891 Using a robot for handling the layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/1018 using only vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/1841 : during laying up
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1744 : Means bringing discrete articles into assembled relationship
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1798 : with liquid adhesive or adhesive activator applying means

Abstract

The present invention is directed to improved methods and apparatuses for manufacturing microfabricated devices, and particularly, microfluidic devices. In general the methods and apparatuses of the invention provide improved methods of bonding substrates together by applying a vacuum to the space between the substrates during the bonding process.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first and second substrate mounted on a mounting table, the first substrate located between the mounting table and the second substrate, the table comprising a platform for holding the first substrate in a first position, the first substrate having a plurality of holes disposed therethrough, the first and second substrate when mated together comprising a top portion, a bottom portion and an interior portion, the interior portion further comprising a microscale channel network, each of the channels being in fluid communication with at least one of the holes;

a port disposed in the platform and communicating with a vacuum source, and communicating with the plurality of holes disposed through said first substrate; and

a bonding system for bonding the first surface of the first substrate to a first surface of a second substrate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of intersecting grooves fabricated into the platform, each of the grooves being in communication with the vacuum port.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the grooves in the platform is in communication with at least one of the plurality of holes disposed through the first substrate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an alignment structure on said platform surface for aligning the second substrate relative to the first substrate.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a translation system for moving at least one of the first or second substrates relative to the other.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bonding system comprises a heating system for heating the first and second substrates until they are bonded together.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bonding system comprises an adhesive dispenser for applying an adhesive layer between the first surface of the first substrate and the first surface of the second substrate.