Miniaturized thermal cycler
First Claim
1. A process for manufacturing a thermal cycler, comprising the sequential steps of:
- providing a silicon wafer having upper and lower surfaces;
in said upper surface, etching two inner and two outer trenches to a first depth, said inner tenches having a first width and said outer trenches having second width;
forming a first dielectric layer on said upper surface, including said trenches;
depositing a layer of material suitable for use as a sensor and as a resistive heater;
patterning and etching the material layer to form temperature sensors and heater elements;
in said upper surface etching, to a second depth, two top preliminary trenches having a third width, each being located between an inner trench and an outer trench;
patterning and etching said upper surface whereby a chamber trench, having a fourth width and located between said inner trenches, is formed to a third depth and the top preliminary trenches have their depth increased to a fourth depth;
forming a second dielectric layer on said upper surface, including all trenches;
patterning and etching the lower surface of the wafer to form an under-trench that is wide enough to slightly overlap the top preliminary trenches, to a depth such that the top preliminary trenches extend through said lower surface and, within the chamber trench, the wafer has a thickness that is between about 30 and 100 microns;
providing a sheet of dielectric material and micro-machining said sheet to form holes in selected locations; and
bonding the sheet to the wafer thereby forming a hermetically sealed chamber that is thermally isolated from the wafer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention describes a thermal cycler which permits simultaneous treatment of multiple individual samples in independent thermal protocols, so as to implement large numbers of DNA experiments simultaneously in a short time. The chamber is thermally isolated from its surroundings, heat flow in and out of the unit being limited to one or two specific heat transfer areas. All heating elements are located within these transfer areas and at least one temperature sensor per heating element is positioned close by. Fluid bearing channels that facilitate sending fluid into, and removing fluid from, the chamber are provided. The chambers may be manufactured as integrated arrays to form units in which each cycler chamber has independent temperature and fluid flow control. Two embodiments of the invention are described together with a process for manufacturing them.
63 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A process for manufacturing a thermal cycler, comprising the sequential steps of:
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providing a silicon wafer having upper and lower surfaces;
in said upper surface, etching two inner and two outer trenches to a first depth, said inner tenches having a first width and said outer trenches having second width;
forming a first dielectric layer on said upper surface, including said trenches;
depositing a layer of material suitable for use as a sensor and as a resistive heater;
patterning and etching the material layer to form temperature sensors and heater elements;
in said upper surface etching, to a second depth, two top preliminary trenches having a third width, each being located between an inner trench and an outer trench;
patterning and etching said upper surface whereby a chamber trench, having a fourth width and located between said inner trenches, is formed to a third depth and the top preliminary trenches have their depth increased to a fourth depth;
forming a second dielectric layer on said upper surface, including all trenches;
patterning and etching the lower surface of the wafer to form an under-trench that is wide enough to slightly overlap the top preliminary trenches, to a depth such that the top preliminary trenches extend through said lower surface and, within the chamber trench, the wafer has a thickness that is between about 30 and 100 microns;
providing a sheet of dielectric material and micro-machining said sheet to form holes in selected locations; and
bonding the sheet to the wafer thereby forming a hermetically sealed chamber that is thermally isolated from the wafer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification