Method and device for thermal insulation of micro-reactors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11052387-B2
Application number	US-201213625247-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2012
Priority date	Sep 23, 2011
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

A micro-fluidic device is described. The micro-fluidic device includes a semiconductor substrate; at least one micro-reactor in the semiconductor substrate; one or more micro-fluidic channels in the semiconductor substrate, connected to the at least one micro-reactor; a cover layer bonded to the semiconductor substrate for sealing the one or more micro-fluidic channels; and at least one through-substrate trench surrounding the at least one micro-reactor and the one or more micro-fluidic channels.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A micro-fluidic device comprising:
a semiconductor substrate;
a micro-reactor in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the micro-reactor comprises a cavity within a cavity wall;
one or more micro-fluidic channels in the semiconductor substrate, each formed within respective channel walls, each connected to the cavity at a respective location along the cavity wall, and each winded, from its respective location and over its respective channel length, more than 90 degrees around the micro-reactor and the cavity;
one or more through-substrate trenches that, together, (i) surround the micro-reactor except at each respective location of each of the one or more micro-fluidic channels, and (ii) are disposed outside the respective channel walls of the one or more micro-fluidic channels and are continuous along the respective channel length of each of the one or more through-substrate trenches, wherein the one or more through-substrate trenches surround the micro-reactor and the one or more micro-fluidic channels for at least 50% of a circumference of the one or more through-substrate trenches; and
a cover layer bonded to the semiconductor substrate for sealing the one or more micro-fluidic channels and forming a top cover of the one or more through-substrate trenches.

2. The micro-fluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more through-substrate trenches is an air gap.

3. The micro-fluidic device according to claim 2 , wherein each air gap is filled with thermally insulating material.

4. The micro-fluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein the cover layer is anodically bonded to the semiconductor substrate.

5. The micro-fluidic device according to claim 1 , further comprising a temperature control system for controlling temperature of the micro-reactor.

6. The micro-fluidic device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more through-substrate trenches substantially surround each of the one or more micro-fluidic channels.

7. A micro-fluidic system, the micro-fluidic system comprising:
an array comprising micro-fluidic devices, wherein at least one of the micro-fluidic devices comprises:
a semiconductor substrate;
a micro-reactor in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the micro-reactor comprises a cavity within a cavity wall;
one or more micro-fluidic channels in the semiconductor substrate, each formed within respective channel walls, each connected to the cavity at a respective location along the cavity wall, and each winded, from its respective location and over its respective channel length, more than 90 degrees around the micro-reactor and the cavity;
one or more through-substrate trenches that, together, (i) surround the micro-reactor except at each respective location of each of the one or more micro-fluidic channels, and (ii) are disposed outside the respective channel walls of the one or more micro-fluidic channels and are continuous along the respective channel length of each of the one or more through-substrate trenches, wherein the one or more through-substrate trenches surround the micro-reactor and the one or more micro-fluidic channels for at least 50% of a circumference of the one or more through-substrate trenches; and
a cover layer bonded to the semiconductor substrate for sealing the one or more micro-fluidic channels and forming a top cover of the one or more through-substrate trenches.

8. The micro-fluidic system according to claim 7 , further comprising at least one valve.

9. The micro-fluidic system according to claim 7 , further comprising at least one pump.

10. The micro-fluidic system according to claim 7 , further comprising at least one detector.

11. The micro-fluidic system according to claim 7 , wherein each of the one or more micro-fluidic channels is winded at least 180 degrees around the micro-reactor.

12. The micro-fluidic system according to claim 7 , wherein the one or more through-substrate trenches substantially surround each of the one or more micro-fluidic channels.

13. A method for manufacturing a micro-fluidic device, the method comprising:
providing a semiconductor substrate having a front side and a back side;
providing a micro-reactor in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the micro-reactor comprises a cavity within a cavity wall;
providing one or more micro-fluidic channels in the front side of the semiconductor substrate, each formed within respective channel walls, each connected to the cavity at a respective location along the cavity wall, and each winded from its respective location and over its respective channel length, more than 90 degrees around the micro-reactor and the cavity;
providing one or more through-substrate trenches that, together, (i) surround the micro-reactor except at each respective location of each of the one or more micro-fluidic channels, and (ii) are disposed outside the respective channel walls of the one or more micro-fluidic channels and are continuous along the respective channel length of each of the one or more through-substrate trenches, wherein the one or more through-substrate trenches surround the micro-reactor and the one or more micro-fluidic channels for at least 50% of a circumference of the one or more through-substrate trenches;
sealing the one or more micro-fluidic channels by bonding of a cover layer to the front side of the semiconductor substrate; and
optionally thereafter, from the semiconductor backside, providing at least a partial etch for forming at least one of the one or more through-substrate trenches.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein providing at least a partial etch from the semiconductor backside for forming the at least one of the one or more through-substrate trenches comprises completely forming the at least one or more through-substrate trenches from the backside of the substrate.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein providing at least a partial etch from the semiconductor backside for forming the at least one of the one or more through-substrate trenches comprises partly forming the at least one of the one or more through-substrate trench[es] from the front side of the substrate and partly forming the at least one of the one or more through-substrate trench[es] from the backside of the substrate.

16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein forming the at least one of the one or more through-substrate trenches comprises:
grinding the semiconductor substrate and performing back side lithography; and
patterning and etching the at least one of the one or through-substrate trenches.

Assignees

• Imec
• Univ Leuven Kath
• Panasonic Corp
• Imec Vzw
• Univ Leuven Kath

Inventors

• Jones Ben
• Fiorini Paolo
• Tanaka Hiroyuki

Classifications

• B81B7/0087

  On-device systems and sensors for controlling, regulating or monitoring · CPC title

• B01L3/502707 Primary

  characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components · CPC title

• B81B2201/051

  Micromixers, microreactors · CPC title

• B81B3/0081

  Thermal properties · CPC title

• B01L2300/1883

  using thermal insulation · CPC title