Micro-channel structure, sensor, micro-fluidic device, lab-on-chip device, and method of fabricating micro-channel structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11219899-B2
Application number	US-201816475035-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2018
Priority date	Aug 1, 2018
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

The present application provides a micro-channel structure. The micro-channel structure includes a base substrate; a rail layer on the base substrate and including a first rail and a second rail spaced apart from each other; and a wall layer on a side of the rail layer distal to the base substrate, and including a first wall and a second wall at least partially spaced apart from each other, thereby forming a micro-channel between the first wall and the second wall. The micro-channel has an extension direction along a plane substantially parallel to a main surface of the base substrate, the extension direction being substantially parallel to extension directions of the first rail and the second rail along the plane substantially parallel to the main surface of the base substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A micro-channel structure, comprising:
a base substrate;
a rail layer on the base substrate and comprising a first rail and a second rail spaced apart from each other; and
a wall layer on a side of the rail layer distal to the base substrate, and comprising a first wall and a second wall at least partially spaced apart from each other, thereby forming a micro-channel between the first wall and the second wall;
wherein the micro-channel has an extension direction along a plane substantially parallel to a main surface of the base substrate, the extension direction being substantially parallel to extension directions of the first rail and the second rail along the plane substantially parallel to the main surface of the base substrate;
wherein the wall layer further comprises a third wall connecting the first rail and the second rail; and
the third wall is in direct contact with the base substrate.

2. The micro-channel structure of claim 1 , wherein an orthographic projection of the first wall on the base substrate substantially covers an orthographic projection of the first rail on the base substrate; and
an orthographic projection of the second wall on the base substrate substantially covers an orthographic projection of the second rail on the base substrate.

3. The micro-channel structure of claim 1 , wherein the first wall protrudes away from a side of the first rail distal to the base substrate along a protrusion direction and the second wall protrudes away from a side of the second rail distal to the base substrate along the protrusion direction; and
the first wall and the second wall are completely spaced apart from each other along the protrusion direction in at least a portion of the wall layer thereby forming the micro-channel that is at least partially open on a side opposite to the base substrate.

4. The micro-channel structure of claim 1 , wherein the first wall protrudes away from a side of the first rail distal to the base substrate along a protrusion direction and the second wall protrudes away from a side of the second rail distal to the base substrate along the protrusion direction; and
the first wall and the second wall are connected to each other in a first region of the wall layer and are spaced apart from each other in a second region of the wall layer thereby forming the micro-channel that is substantially closed on a side opposite to the base substrate, the first region on a side of the second region distal to the base substrate along the protrusion direction.

5. The micro-channel structure of claim 1 , wherein the rail layer further comprises a base connecting the first rail and the second rail;
a cross-section along a plane substantially perpendicular to the extension directions of the first rail and the second rail has a U shape.

6. The micro-channel structure of claim 1 , wherein the first rail and the second rail comprise a conductive material.

7. The micro-channel structure of claim 1 , wherein the rail layer comprises a material different from a material of the wall layer.

8. A multi-layer micro-channel structure, comprising a first layer of the multi-layer micro-channel structure and a second layer of the multi-layer micro-channel structure;
wherein the first layer of the multi-layer micro-channel structure comprises:
a base substrate;
a rail layer on the base substrate and comprising a first rail and a second rail spaced apart from each other; and
a wall layer on a side of the rail layer distal to the base substrate, and comprising a first wall and a second wall at least partially spaced apart from each other, thereby forming a micro-channel between the first wall and the second wall;
wherein the micro-channel has an extension direction along a plane substantially parallel to a main surface of the base substrate, the extension direction being substantially parallel to extension directions of the first rail and the second rail along the plane substantially parallel to the main surface of the base substrate;
wherein the second layer of the multi-layer micro-channel structure comprises:
a second base substrate;
a second rail layer on the second base substrate and comprising a third rail and a fourth rail spaced apart from each other; and
a second wall layer on a side of the second rail layer distal to the second base substrate, and comprising a fourth wall and a fifth wall at least partially spaced apart from each other, thereby forming a second micro-channel between the fourth wall and the fifth wall;
wherein the second micro-channel has a second extension direction along a plane substantially parallel to a main surface of the second base substrate, the second extension direction being substantially parallel to extension directions of the third rail and the fourth rail along the plane substantially parallel to the main surface of the second base substrate.

9. A micro-fluidic system, comprising the micro-channel structure of claim 1 .

10. The micro-fluidic system of claim 9 , further comprising a sensing circuit;
wherein the rail layer constitutes one or more sensing electrodes.

11. The micro-fluidic system of claim 9 , wherein the rail layer constitutes a control electrode for controlling transport of a substance in the micro-channel.

12. The micro-fluidic system of claim 10 , wherein the first rail and the second rail constitute two separate electrodes of the micro-fluidic system, and configured to control transport of a substance through the micro-channel.

13. The micro-fluidic system of claim 10 , comprising an ionic transistor;
wherein the rail layer constitutes a gate electrode of the ionic transistor.

14. The micro-fluidic system of claim 13 , wherein the rail layer further comprises a base connecting the first rail and the second rail; and
a cross-section along a plane substantially perpendicular to the extension directions of the first rail and the second rail has a U shape.

15. A method of fabricating a micro-channel structure, comprising:
forming a rail layer on a base substrate; and
subsequent to forming the rail layer, forming a wall layer on a side of the rail layer distal to the base substrate;
wherein forming the rail layer comprises forming a first rail and a second rail spaced apart from each other;
forming the wall layer comprises forming a first wall and a second wall spaced apart from each other, thereby forming a micro-channel between the first wall and the second wall; and
the micro-channel is formed to have an extension direction along a plane substantially parallel to a main surface of the base substrate, the extension direction being substantially parallel to extension directions of the first rail and the second rail along the plane substantially parallel to the main surface of the base substrate;
wherein forming the wall layer further comprises forming a third wall connecting the first rail and the second rail; and the third wall is formed to be in direct contact with the base substrate.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein forming the wall layer comprises sputtering a wall layer material on a base substrate having the first rail and the second rail formed thereon.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising controlling a dimension and shape of the micro-channel by controlling a duration or a power of sputtering the wall layer material.

18. A method of fabricating a sensor chip, comprising:
forming a micro-channel structure according to the method of claim 15 ; and
forming an electrode structure of the sensor chip on a base substrate.

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ma Xiaochen
• Yuan Guangcai
• Ning ce
• Liu Song

Classifications

• B01L2300/0816

  Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions · CPC title

• B01L2300/0858

  Side walls · CPC title

• B01L2300/0896

  Nanoscaled · CPC title

• B01L3/502707 Primary

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

• G01N27/414

  Ion-sensitive or chemical field-effect transistors, i.e. ISFETS or CHEMFETS · CPC title