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A new masking technology for deep glass etching and its microfluidic application

A new masking technology for deep glass etching and its microfluidic application
A new masking technology for deep glass etching and its microfluidic application
A new masking technology for wet etching of glass, to a depth of more than 300µm, is reported. Various mask materials, which can be patterned by standard photolithography and metal etching processes, were investigated for glass etching in concentrated hydrofluoric acid (HF). A multilayer of metal, Cr/Au/Cr/Au, in combination with thick SPR220-7 photoresist, was found to be ideal for this purpose. Through holes etched from both sides of a 500µm thick Pyrex glass wafer were obtained.
Pinholes, created in the glass by failure of simple metal masking when subjected to HF etching, were successfully eliminated using the new masking technology. In addition, the lateral undercutting of glass caused by the under-etching of the Cr mask was minimized to 27% of the etching depth. With these advantages, this newly developed masking method was successfully applied to fabricate microfluidic components for a micro-peristaltic pump to be integrated in a micro polymerase chain reaction (PCR) device. These components include through holes for liquid accessing and electrical contacting and a 200µm thick pump diaphragm. This new masking technology also adds to the methods available to fabricate the microfluidic devices in glass substrates.
deep glass etching, masking technology, pcr device, micro peristaltic pump
0924-4247
476-482
Bu, Minqiang
956689d1-b915-4084-bff8-44a746f885ad
Melvin, Tracy
fd87f5eb-2bb9-48fa-b7be-7100ace9c50f
Ensell, Graham J.
e2bcc023-106c-4ad7-978c-a7e94b84a3ab
Wilkinson, James S.
73483cf3-d9f2-4688-9b09-1c84257884ca
Evans, Alan G.R.
493cd0b0-4509-4ad2-9d58-f3533fe47672
Bu, Minqiang
956689d1-b915-4084-bff8-44a746f885ad
Melvin, Tracy
fd87f5eb-2bb9-48fa-b7be-7100ace9c50f
Ensell, Graham J.
e2bcc023-106c-4ad7-978c-a7e94b84a3ab
Wilkinson, James S.
73483cf3-d9f2-4688-9b09-1c84257884ca
Evans, Alan G.R.
493cd0b0-4509-4ad2-9d58-f3533fe47672

Bu, Minqiang, Melvin, Tracy, Ensell, Graham J., Wilkinson, James S. and Evans, Alan G.R. (2004) A new masking technology for deep glass etching and its microfluidic application. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 115 (2-3), 476-482. (doi:10.1016/j.sna.2003.12.013).

Record type: Article

Abstract

A new masking technology for wet etching of glass, to a depth of more than 300µm, is reported. Various mask materials, which can be patterned by standard photolithography and metal etching processes, were investigated for glass etching in concentrated hydrofluoric acid (HF). A multilayer of metal, Cr/Au/Cr/Au, in combination with thick SPR220-7 photoresist, was found to be ideal for this purpose. Through holes etched from both sides of a 500µm thick Pyrex glass wafer were obtained.
Pinholes, created in the glass by failure of simple metal masking when subjected to HF etching, were successfully eliminated using the new masking technology. In addition, the lateral undercutting of glass caused by the under-etching of the Cr mask was minimized to 27% of the etching depth. With these advantages, this newly developed masking method was successfully applied to fabricate microfluidic components for a micro-peristaltic pump to be integrated in a micro polymerase chain reaction (PCR) device. These components include through holes for liquid accessing and electrical contacting and a 200µm thick pump diaphragm. This new masking technology also adds to the methods available to fabricate the microfluidic devices in glass substrates.

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More information

Published date: 2004
Keywords: deep glass etching, masking technology, pcr device, micro peristaltic pump

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 30220
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/30220
ISSN: 0924-4247
PURE UUID: 1feac8e3-ea34-432f-b0d2-f1fc14432ae1
ORCID for James S. Wilkinson: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4712-1697

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 11 May 2006
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:33

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Contributors

Author: Minqiang Bu
Author: Tracy Melvin
Author: Graham J. Ensell
Author: Alan G.R. Evans

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