Polymeric substrate having an etched-glass-like surface and a microfluidic chip made of said polymeric substrate

• US 9,586,810 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2011
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony DADC Austria AG (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony DADC Austria AG (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kaufmann, Maria, Fuhrmann, Gerda, Nelles, Gabriele, Rosselli, Silvia, Knorr, Nikolaus, Paris, Alfred, Bauer, Georg
• Primary Examiner(s): Wecker, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US13/811,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20130121892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,045 Days
• Field of Search: 422/502, 422/504, 422/507, 435/6.14, 435/91.2, 435/287.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/16 Surface properties and coatings
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/161 Control and use of surface tension forces, e.g. hydrophobic, hydrophilic
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502707 characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components by shaping or joining plastic parts B29C59/00, B29C65/00; by laminating B32B37/00; manufacture of microstructural devices in general B81C
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/62 Plasma-deposition of organic layers plasma deposition in general C23C14/00, C23C16/00
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 1/00 Devices without movable or flexible elements, e.g. microcapillary devices
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00206 Processes for functionalising a surface, e.g. provide the surface with specific mechanical, chemical or biological properties
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0197 Processes for making multi-layered devices not provided for in groups B81C2201/0176 - B81C2201/0192
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 3/00 Assembling of devices or systems from individually processed components
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2383/04 Polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/0427 with only one layer of a composition containing a polymer binder with more layers C08J7/042
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/056 Forming hydrophilic coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/06 with compositions not containing macromolecular substances
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 7/123 Treatment by wave energy or particle radiation C08J7/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 83/04 Polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/045 Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/582 Recycling of unreacted starting or intermediate materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a polymeric substrate having a glass-like surface, in particular an etched-glass-like surface and to a chip made of at least one such polymeric substrate. The present invention also relates to a method of providing a polymeric substrate with an etched-glass-like surface. Moreover, the present invention relates to a kit for manufacturing a chip using such polymeric substrate. Moreover, the present invention relates to the use of a polymeric substrate having a glass-like surface, in particular an etched-glass-like surface for manufacturing a chip.

Claims

1. A microfluidic chip comprising

a polymeric substrate that has been modified to have a first etched-glass-like surface having a roughness of >

3 nm and

a second substrate that is bonded to the first etched-glass like surface, wherein at least one of the first or second substrates has at least one channel, groove, recess or hole that forms a conduit at an interface between said substrates;

wherein said modified surface consists essentially of a single surface layer of a SiO_x film, wherein x is from 1 to <

2, or

wherein said modified surface consists essentially of a surface layer of a sulfonated teterafluoroethylene based fluoropolymer-copolymer (“

nafion”

) or poly[1-(trimethylsilyl)-1-[propyne] (“

PTMSP”

).

2. The microfluidic chip of claim 1, wherein said modified surface consists essentially of a single surface layer of a SiO_x film, wherein x is from 1 to <

2.

3. The microfluidic chip of claim 1 that comprises a surface modification consisting essentially of a single surface layer of a SiO_x film, wherein x is from 1 to <

2;

wherein said single surface layer was formed by a process comprising coating a surface of the polymeric substrate with an SiO_x precursor and converting said SiO_x precursor into SiO_x.

4. The microfluidic chip of claim 1, wherein said surface modification consists of a single surface layer of a SiO_x film, wherein x is from 1 to <

2.

5. The microfluidic chip of claim 1, wherein said modified surface consists essentially of a single surface layer of a SiO_x film, wherein x is from 1 to <

2 that has been further treated with a surface layer of a sulfonated teterafluoroethylene based fluoropolymer-copolymer (“

nafion”

) or poly[1-(trimethylsilyl)-1-[propyne] (“

PTMSP”

) and/or further treated by exposing the surface of the polymeric substrate to at least one of a plasma treatment, reactive ion etching, or UV-ozone treatment.

6. The microfluidic chip of claim 1, wherein said modified surface consists essentially of a surface layer of a sulfonated teterafluoroethylene based fluoropolymer-copolymer (“

nafion”

) or poly[1-(trimethylsilyl)-1-[propyne] (“

PTMSP”

).

7. The microfluidic chip of claim 1, further comprising treating the polymeric substrate with at least one of a plasma treatment, reactive ion etching, or UV-ozone treatment.

8. The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second polymeric substrates is selected from the group consisting of a polyolefin, a polyether, a polyester, a polyamide, a polyimide, a polyvinylchloride, a polyacrylate, and mixtures thereof.

9. The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second polymeric substrates is selected from the group consisting of an acrylnitrile-butadien-styrene, a cyclo-olefin-polymer, a cycloolefin copolymer, a polymethylene-methacrylate, a polycarbonate, a polystyrole, a polypropylene, a polyvinylchloride, a polyamide, a polyethylene, a polyethylene-terephthalate, a polytetrafluoro-ethylene, a polyoxymethylene, a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoplastic polyurethane, a polyimide, a polyether-ether-ketone, a polylactic acid, a polymethylpentene, and mixtures thereof.

10. The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second polymeric substrates comprises an inorganic material.

11. The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second polymeric substrates comprises an inorganic material selected from the group consisting of a carbon black, a metal oxide and a semiconductor.

12. The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second the polymeric substrates contains a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of SiO₂, Al₂O₃, TiO₂, ZrO₂, and Fe₂O₃ or semiconductor selected from the group consisting of ZnS, SdS and SdSe.

13. The microfluidic chip of claim 1, wherein the second substrate is a solid substrate.

14. The microfluidic chip of claim 1, wherein the second substrate is a flexible foil.

15. The microfluidic chip of claim 1, wherein the second substrate is a polymeric substrate, a plastic film or a glass substrate.

16. The microfluidic chip of claim 1, wherein the conduit at the interface between said substrates extends from one edge of the substrate to another edge of the substrate or from one hole to another hole of a substrate allowing flow-through of liquid through said conduit.

17. The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, wherein the conduit has a dimension of <

500 μ

m.

18. The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, wherein the conduit has a dimension of <

200 μ

m.

19. The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, wherein the conduit is filled with a matrix suitable for at least one of the analysis, detection, separation and transport of analytes.

20. The microfluidic chip of claim 1, wherein said polymeric substrate has not been treated with detergent, exposed to chemicals other than those forming a single surface layer of an SiO_x film, or activated by endowing it with functional chemical groups.

21. The microfluidic chip of claim 1, wherein said polymeric substrate has not been treated with a polyelectrolyte.

22. The microfluidic chip according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophilicity of the etched-glass-like surface is characterized by a water contact angle of less than 50°

.

23. The microfluidic chip of claim 1, wherein said at least one surface has at least one property selected from the group consisting of a surface charge defined by a zeta potential <

0 V for pH >

2, a porosity characterized by pores ranging from 0.5 nm to 50 nm, and an inner surface of >

100 m²g<sup>−

1</sup>.

24. The microfluidic chip of claim 1, wherein the modified etched-glass-like surface on the first substrate has a roughness of >

3 nm and mimics the surface of glass in at least one property selected from the group consisting of chemical content, chemical composition, chemical structure, homogeneity, morphology, porosity, hydrophilicity, surface energy affinity, adsorption affinity, surface functionality, chemical surface reactivity, physical surface reactivity, zeta potential and surface charge.

25. A method for making the microfluidic chip of claim 1, comprising:

a) coating a surface of a first polymeric substrate with an SiO_x-precursor, converting the SiO_x-precursor to SiO_x to form a first coated substrate having a single surface layer of SiO_x, wherein x ranges from 1 to <

2, thus modifying the surface of the first coated substrate to form a substrate having an etched-glass-like surface; and

/or

b) coating a surface of the first polymeric substrate with a polymer thin film having at least one property selected from the group consisting of increased intrinsic roughness, increased intrinsic porosity and increased hydrophilicity to form a first coated substrate, and/or

c) exposing the surface of the polymeric substrate to at least one of a plasma treatment, reactive ion etching, or UV-ozone treatment;

contacting the first coated substrate having an etched-glass-like surface with a second substrate to form a microfluidic chip having a channel between the first and second substrates, wherein the channel has a flow dimension of <

500 μ

m, and

wherein the etched-glass-like surface has a roughness of >

3 nm.

26. The method of claim 25, comprising a), wherein the SiO_x precursor is selected from the group consisting of:

i) alkoxy- or alkyl-chlorosilane, SiX₄, trisiloxane compound Si₃O₂X₆, X being, independently, at each occurrence OR or halogen, R being C₁-C₂₀ alkyl;

ii) polysilazane —

[Si(H)₂—

N(H)—

]_n, n being selected from 3 to 10,000;

iii) polyorganosilazane —

[Si(R)₂—

N(R)—

]_n, R being alkyl, n being selected from 3 to 100,000; and

iv) a sol-gel containing SiO_x particles having a diameter of from 1 to 10 μ

m suspended in a solvent-based matrix wherein the solvent is an alcohol.

27. The method of claim 25, comprising b), wherein the film is deposited by a physical deposition method selected from the group consisting of thermal deposition, electron beam deposition, sputtering, chemical vapour deposition, electroless plating, electrochemical deposition, spray coating, dip coating, gas-phase deposition, roll-to-roll deposition, screen printing, doctor blading, wet coating, dynamic coating, and a combination thereof.

28. The method of claim 25, comprising a), wherein the coating contains at least one of SiN₃, Al₂O₃, B₂O₃, TiO₂, Na₂O, CaO, K₂O, SO₃, MgO, and Fe₂O₃.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein said polyorganosilazane in iii) has the formula —

[Si(R)₂—

N(R)—

]_n, R being C₁-C₂₀ alkyl.

29. A microfluidic chip comprising a single surface layer of a SiO_x film, wherein x is from 1 to <

2, said microfluidic chip comprising;

a first polymeric substrate surface modified by at least one process selected from the group consisting of plasma treatment, reactive ion etching, and UV-Ozone treatment,

wherein the first etched-glass-like surface has a roughness of >

3 nm,

wherein the first polymeric substrate comprises a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene based fluoropolymer-copolymer with perfluorovinylether groups terminated with sulfonate groups incorporated into a tetrafluorethylene backbone or poly[1-(trimethylsilyl)-1-[propyne] (“

PTMSP”

) and forms a portion of a surface of at least one closed conduit;

wherein said microfluidic chip is produced by a method comprising;

modifying the surface of the first polymeric substrate by wet-coating it with SiO₂ sol-gel, and

treating the modified first polymeric substrate with Ar/O₂ plasma for a time and under conditions which increase its surface hydrophilicity to one characterized by a water contact angle <

50° and

to a surface roughness to >

3 nm.

30. A microfluidic chip comprising:

at least one modified first polymeric substrate having a first etched-glass-like surface, wherein the first etched-glass-like surface comprises at least one modification selected from the group consisting of;

1) a single surface layer of a SiO_x film, wherein x is from 1 to <

2,

2) a single surface layer of a SiO_x film, wherein x is from 1 to <

2 formed by a process comprising coating a surface of the polymeric substrate with an SiO_x precursor and converting said SiO_x precursor into SiO_x, and

3) a first polymeric substrate surface modified by at least one process selected from the group consisting of plasma treatment, reactive ion etching, and UV-Ozone treatment, and

wherein the first polymeric substrate comprises a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene based fluoropolymer-copolymer with perfluorovinylether groups terminated with sulfonate groups incorporated into a tetrafluorethylene backbone or poly[1-(trimethylsilyl)-1-[propyne] (“

PTMSP”

) and forms a portion of a surface of at least one closed conduit;

wherein said microfluidic chip is produced by a method comprising;

modifying the surface of the first polymeric substrate by wet-coating it with SiO₂ precursor,

converting the SiO₂ precursor to SiO₂, and

treating the modified first polymeric substrate with Ar/O₂ plasma for a time and under conditions which increase its surface hydrophilicity to one characterized by a water contact angle <

50° and

to a surface roughness to >

3 nm.