Array fabrication

• US 6,613,893 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2000
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies Europe BV (Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Webb, Peter G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horlick, Kenneth R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, YOUNG J
• Application Number:
  US09/629,500
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 435/6, 436/518, 436/527, 530/334, 536/23.1, 536/25.3
• US Class Current: 536/25.3
• 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 2219/00378 Piezoelectric or ink jet dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00475 Sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00527 Sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0054 Means for coding or tagging the apparatus or the reagents
• 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 2219/00626 Covalent
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00637 by coating it with another layer
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00659 Two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00689 using computers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00695 Synthesis control routines, e.g. using computer programs
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00722 Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00725 Peptides
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/06 Libraries containing nucleotides or polynucleotides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/10 Libraries containing peptides or polypeptides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 for creating libraries
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 70/00 : Tags or labels specially adapted for combinatorial chemistry or libraries, e.g. fluorescent tags or bar codes

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program, for fabricating multiple arrays arranged successively in a first direction on a substrate and each having multiple feature sets arranged successively in the first direction within the array. The method uses a head system having multiple successive sets of dispensers. In the method, the head system is advanced in the first direction over the substrate while dispensing drop sets for each array from dispenser sets so as to form the arrays. In one aspect, drop sets are dispensed in an order the reverse of that from which the dispenser sets pass over a given location on the substrate as the head system advances in the first direction. In this case, each dispenser set deposits a drop set at a distance ahead of a drop set deposited by a preceding dispenser set which is less than the distance to the successive drop dispenser set which deposits the next drop set.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating multiple arrays arranged successively in a first direction on a substrate and each having multiple feature sets arranged successively in the first direction within the array, using a head system having multiple successive sets of dispensers, the method comprising:

advancing the head system in the first direction over the substrate while dispensing drop sets for each array from dispenser sets onto the substrate as the head system advances in the first direction, with each dispenser set depositing a drop set at a distance ahead of a drop set deposited by a preceding dispenser set which is less than the distance to the successive drop dispenser set which deposits the next drop set, so as to form the arrays.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the distance between adjacent feature sets within the arrays is less than the distance between adjacent dispenser sets.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the feature sets extend in a direction transverse to the first direction, the method additionally comprising moving the head in the transverse direction and dispensing the drop sets in co-ordination with such transverse movement so as to deposit drops along such feature sets.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein at least three of the successively arranged arrays are fabricated each with at least three feature sets.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein at least five of the successively arranged arrays are fabricated each with at least five feature sets.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the drop sets contain biopolymers or biomonomers.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the drop sets contain polynucleotides, peptides, nucleotides, or amino acids.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

the dispenser sets are arranged successively in the first direction with each set having multiple dispensers arranged successively within the set in a direction transverse to the first direction; and

each feature set has multiple features arranged successively in the transverse direction.

4. A method of fabricating multiple arrays arranged successively in a first direction on a substrate and each having multiple feature sets arranged successively in the first direction within the array, using a head system having multiple successive sets of dispensers, the method comprising

(a) while the head system is in one position in the first direction, depositing drop sets from different dispenser sets for feature sets of different positions within multiple arrays;

(b) advancing the head system in the first direction to a next position;

(c) repeating steps (a) and (b) for successive feature sets within the arrays using for each of those feature sets during a cycle, a corresponding dispenser set which deposited at a same feature set position of a previous array in step (a) during a previous cycle, so as to form the arrays.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the feature sets extend in a direction transverse to the first direction, the method additionally comprising moving the head in the transverse direction during step (a) and dispensing the drop sets in co-ordination with such transverse movement so as to deposit drops along such feature sets.

11. A method of fabricating multiple arrays arranged successively in a first direction on a substrate and each having multiple rows of feature arranged successively in the first direction within the array, using a head system having multiple successive rows of dispensers, the method comprising:

advancing the head system in the first direction over the substrate while dispensing rows of drops for each array, from dispenser rows onto the substrate as the head system advances in the first direction, with each dispenser set depositing a drop set at a distance ahead of a drop set deposited by a preceding dispenser set which is less than the distance to the successive drop dispenser set which deposits the next drop set, so as to form the arrays.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the distance between adjacent rows of features within the arrays is less than the distance between adjacent dispenser rows.

13. A method according to claim 11 wherein the advancing and dispensing comprises:

(a) while the head system is in one position in the first direction, depositing rows of drops from different dispenser rows for rows of features of different positions within multiple arrays;

(b) advancing the head system in the first direction to a next position;

(c) repeating steps (a) and (b) for successive rows of features within the arrays using for each of those feature rows during a cycle, a corresponding dispenser row which deposited at a same row position of a previous array in step (a) during a previous cycle.

14. A method according to claim 12 wherein at least five of the successively arranged arrays are fabricated each with at least five feature sets.

15. A method according to claim 12 wherein the dispensed rows of drops contain polymers.

16. A method according to claim 12 wherein the same row of dispensers dispenses the rows of drops which rows are the of the same composition for each of multiple arrays.

17. A method according to claim 16 wherein at least some of the drops within a dispensed row are of a different composition from one another.

18. A method according to claim 16 wherein the drops of the dispensed rows contain polynucleotides, peptides, nucleotides, or amino acids.