Support substrates for microfluidic die

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10759168-B2
Application number	US-201916357077-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2019
Priority date	Dec 30, 2015
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure provides supports for microfluidic die that allow for nozzles of the microfluidic die to be on a different plane or face a different direction from electrical contacts on the same support. This includes a rigid support having electrical contacts on a different side of the rigid support with respect to a direction of ejection of the nozzles, and a semi-flexible support or semi-rigid support that allow the electrical contacts to be moved with respect to a direction of ejection of the nozzles. The semi-flexible and semi-rigid supports allow the die to be up to and beyond a 90 degree angle with respect to a plane of the electrical contacts. The different supports allow for a variety of positions of the microfluidic die with respect to a position of the electrical contacts.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A microfluidic component, comprising:
a unitary support having a continuous material throughout, a first surface and an opposite second surface, the continuous material including:
a first end;
a second end opposite the first end;
a first portion positioned adjacent to the first end;
a second portion positioned adjacent to the second end; and
a third portion coupled between the first portion and the second portion, the first portion and the second portion having a first and second thickness, respectively, the third portion having a third thickness that is less than the first thickness and less than the second thickness.

2. The microfluidic component of claim 1 , wherein the first portion is a first rigid portion, the second portion is a second rigid portion, and the third portion is a flexible portion that separates the first and second rigid portions from each other.

3. The microfluidic component of claim 1 , further comprising:
an opening extending through the first portion from the first surface to the opposite second surface; and
a first die on the first surface of the unitary support on the first portion and aligned with the opening.

4. The microfluidic component of claim 3 , further comprising contact pads on the first surface, the first die being a microfluidic die and is electrically coupled to the contact pads.

5. The microfluidic component of claim 1 , wherein the first thickness and the second thickness are substantially equal.

6. The microfluidic component of claim 1 , further comprising an opening extending through the first portion from the first surface to the opposite second surface and a liner that covers a sidewall of the opening.

7. The microfluidic component of claim 1 , further comprising contact pads on the first surface, the contact pads include a first group of the contact pads on the first portion and a second group of contact pads on the second portion.

8. The microfluidic component of claim 7 , further comprising electrical traces coupling the first group of the contact pads to the second group of the contact pads and extending from the first portion to the second portion on the third portion of the unitary support.

9. The microfluidic component of claim 1 , further comprising a first protective layer on the first surface and a second protective layer on the opposite second surface.

10. A microfluidic component, comprising:
a unitary support having a continuous integral layer throughout, the continuous layer including:
a first surface;
a second surface, a third surface, and a fourth surface opposite the first surface;
a first end and a second end, the continuous layer extending from the first end to the second end;
a first portion positioned at the first end, the first portion having a first thickness that extends from the first surface to the second surface;
a second portion positioned at the second end, the second portion having a second thickness that extends from the first surface to the third surface; and
a third portion having a third thickness that extends from the first surface to the fourth surface, the third thickness being less than the first thickness and less than the second thickness, the third portion coupling the second portion to the first portion.

11. The microfluidic component of claim 10 , further comprising:
a first protective layer on the first surface;
a second protective layer on the second surface;
a third protective layer on the third surface; and
an opening that extends through the first thickness of the first portion, the first protective layer, and the second protective layer.

12. The microfluidic component of claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of contact pads on the first surface on the first portion and adjacent to the opening.

13. The microfluidic component of claim 11 , further comprising a microfluidic die coupled to the first protective layer on the first surface on the first portion and aligned with the opening.

14. The microfluidic component of claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of contact pads on the first surface on the second portion, the plurality of contact pads including a first row of contact pads and a second row of contact pads.

15. The microfluidic component of claim 10 , further comprising conductive wires embedded in the unitary support that extend from the first portion to the second portion through the third portion.

16. A microfluidic component, comprising:
a continuous support having a first end opposite a second end and a first side opposite a second side, the first side having a first surface, the continuous support including:
an integral layer of a continuous material that extends from the first end to the second end of the continuous support, the integral layer having:
a first portion having a first thickness that extends from the first surface to a second surface on the second side of the continuous support;
a second portion having a second thickness that extends from the first surface to a third surface on the second side of the continuous support; and
a third portion having a third thickness that extends from the first surface to a fourth surface on the second side of the continuous support, the second thickness being less than the first thickness and less than the third thickness, the second portion coupling the first portion to the third portion.

17. The microfluidic component of claim 16 , further comprising an opening extending through the first thickness of the first portion of the continuous support.

18. The microfluidic component of claim 16 , further comprising a first die positioned on the first surface of the continuous support.

19. The microfluidic component of claim 18 , wherein the first die is electrically coupled to a plurality of contact pads on the microfluidic support by a plurality of conductive wires, and an encapsulant covering the plurality of conductive wires.

20. The microfluidic component of claim 16 , wherein the third portion is a flexible portion.

Assignees

• St Microelectronics Inc
• St Microelectronics Int Nv
• St Microelectronics Srl

Inventors

• Dodd Simon
• Hunt David S
• Scheffelin Joseph Edward
• Gruenbacher Dana
• Hollinger Stefan H
• Schober Uwe
• Janouch Peter

Classifications

• B41J2/14072 Primary

  Electrical connections, e.g. details on electrodes, connecting the chip to the outside... · CPC title

• B41J2002/14362

  Assembling elements of heads · CPC title

• B41J2/1753

  Details of contacts on the cartridge, e.g. protection of contacts · CPC title

• B41J2/17553

  Outer structure · CPC title

• B41J2002/14491

  Electrical connection · CPC title