Abstract:
The invention relates to a method for forming an electrically conductive via in a substrate and such a substrate comprising an electrically conductive, said method comprising the steps, to be performed in suitable sequence, of: a) providing a first substrate as said substrate; b) forming a through hole in said first substrate; c) providing a second substrate; d) bringing a first surface of said second substrate into contact with said first surface of said first substrate, such that said through hole in said first substrate is covered by said first surface of said second substrate; e) filling said through hole in said first substrate with an electrically conductive material by means of electroplating for forming said electrically conductive via, and f) removing said second substrate, wherein said first surface of said first substrate and said first surface of said second substrate each have a surface roughness R a of less than 2nm, preferably less than 1 nm, more preferably less than 0.5 nm, and in that in step (d) said first surface of said first substrate and said first surface of said second substrate are brought in direct contact with each other, such that a direct bond is formed there between.
Abstract:
The invention relates to an assembly comprising at least one microfluidic device and a mounting piece, this microfluidic device comprising at least one material layer and at least one first fluidic port, which first fluidic port is situated at least partially in an end surface of the material layer and which mounting piece comprises at least one fluidic component, wherein the mounting piece is coupled to the microfluidic device by means of first coupling means provided for this purpose such that the fluidic component is connected to the first fluidic port. The invention also relates to such a mounting piece. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing such an assembly and a method for use thereof. What is essential is that external fluidic components, in particular reservoirs or wells, are not connected, as is usual, to ports in the 'upper surface' of a microchip, but to ports in an outer end or side surface thereof, and that more space thereby remains available on the 'upper surface' and 'lower surface' of the microchip, for instance for visual inspection or other operations, or that the 'upper surface' and 'lower surface' of the microchip can thereby be smaller and the device or the system can thus be given a more compact form. Furthermore, an additional process such as powder-blasting or drilling is then often no longer necessary.
Abstract:
Methods for manufacturing a microstructure, wherein use is made of powder blasting and/or etching and a single mask layer with openings and structures of varying dimensions, characterized in that the mask layer at least at one given point in time has been wholly worn away within at least one region by mask erosion while the microstructure is not yet wholly realized. Use can be made of a combination of 'vertical' erosion, i.e. parallel to the thickness direction, and 'horizontal' erosion, i.e. perpendicularly of the thickness direction, of the mask layer. The horizontal mask erosion occurs at the edges of the mask structure. By selecting the size of the mask openings and the mask structures in a correct manner the mask layer in a region with smaller mask structures will be fully worn away at a given point in time, while in another region with larger structures the mask layer still has sufficient thickness to serve as protection against the powder blasting or etching.
Abstract:
A system for fluidic coupling and uncoupling of fluidic conduits (2,2') and a microfluidic chip (3), wherein the fluidic conduits are connected mechanically to a first structural part (7) and the microfluidic chip is carried by a second structural part (8), which structural parts are moved according to the invention perpendicularly toward and away from each other by means of a mechanism (4) provided for this purpose. Outer ends of the fluidic conduits can thus be moved over a determined distance substantially perpendicularly to an outer surface of the microfluidic chip and connecting openings present in the outer surface of the microfluidic chip, this enabling accurate realization of fluidic couplings and uncouplings without the occurrence of undesirable moments of force and with a minimal risk of damage to the fluidic conduits or the connecting openings. With such a system requirements which can be set in respect of convenience of use, speed of operation, temperature resistance, sealing, chemical resistance, reproducibility and so forth, can be fulfilled.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a method for dividing a substrate into a number of individual chip parts, comprising the steps of: forming a number of chip parts in the substrate, comprising, for each chip part, of arranging recesses in the substrate for containing fluid; arranging one or more breaking grooves in the substrate along individual chip parts; applying mechanical force to the substrate to break the substrate along the breaking grooves. The invention also relates to a substrate as well as a chip part.
Abstract:
A method for forming an electrically conductive via in a substrate that includes the steps of: forming a through hole in a first substrate; bringing a first surface of a second substrate into contact with the first surface of the first substrate, such that the through hole in the first substrate is covered by the first surface of the second substrate; filling the through hole in the first substrate with an electrically conductive material by electroplating to form the electrically conductive via, and removing the second substrate, wherein the first surface of the first and the second substrate each have a surface roughness Ra of less than 2 nm, preferably less than 1 nm, more preferably less than 0.5 nm, and the first surface of the first and the second substrate are brought in direct contact with each other, such that a direct bond is formed there between.
Abstract:
Methods for manufacturing a microstructure, wherein use is made of powder blasting and/or etching and a single mask layer with openings and structures of varying dimensions, characterized in that the mask layer at least at one given point in time has been wholly worn away within at least one region by mask erosion while the microstructure is not yet wholly realized. Use can be made of a combination of 'vertical' erosion, i.e. parallel to the thickness direction, and 'horizontal' erosion, i.e. perpendicularly of the thickness direction, of the mask layer. The horizontal mask erosion occurs at the edges of the mask structure. By selecting the size of the mask openings and the mask structures in a correct manner the mask layer in a region with smaller mask structures will be fully worn away at a given point in time, while in another region with larger structures the mask layer still has sufficient thickness to serve as protection against the powder blasting or etching.