Flow cells with patterned bonding regions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12416567-B2
Application number	US-202318455467-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2023
Priority date	Aug 26, 2022
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

An example flow cell includes a patterned substrate having an active region and a bonding region that at least partially surrounds the active region. The active region includes first depressions defined in a layer of the patterned substrate, surface chemistry positioned in the first depressions, and first interstitial regions surrounding the first depressions. The bonding region includes second depressions defined in the layer and second interstitial regions surrounding the second depressions. An adhesive is positioned over the second depressions and over the second interstitial regions. A cover is attached to the adhesive such that a flow channel is defined between a portion of the cover and the active region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flow cell, comprising:
a patterned substrate having an active region and a bonding region that at least partially surrounds the active region, wherein the active region includes:
first depressions defined in a layer of the patterned substrate;
surface chemistry positioned in the first depressions; and
first interstitial regions surrounding the first depressions;

and wherein the bonding region includes:
second depressions defined in the layer; and
second interstitial regions surrounding the second depressions;

an adhesive positioned in the second depressions and over the second interstitial regions; and
a cover attached to the adhesive such that a flow channel is defined between a portion of the cover and the active region.

2. The flow cell as defined in claim 1 , wherein a geometry of each of the first depressions and of each of the second depressions is the same, and wherein the geometry is selected from the group consisting of a cylinder, an oval cylinder, a sphere, a cube, a cuboid, a cone, a lanceoloid, a polygonal prism, and combinations thereof.

3. The flow cell as defined in claim 1 , wherein a geometry of each of the first depressions is different from a geometry of each of the second depressions.

4. The flow cell as defined in claim 3 , wherein:
the geometry of each of the first depressions is selected from the group consisting of a cylinder, an oval cylinder, a cube, a cuboid, a polygonal prism, and combinations thereof;
the geometry of each of the second depressions includes a narrow portion that opens to a wide portion; and
for the geometry of each of the second depressions, a dimension across an opening of the narrow portion is smaller than at least one dimension of the wide portion that is parallel to the dimension across the opening.

5. The flow cell as defined in claim 4 , wherein:
the narrow portion has a geometry selected from the group consisting of a cylinder, an oval cylinder, a cube, and a cuboid; and
the wide portion has a geometry selected from the group consisting of a cylinder, an oval cylinder, a cube, a cuboid, a lanceoloid, a sphere, a polygonal prism, and a cone.

6. The flow cell as defined in claim 4 , wherein:
the patterned substrate includes at least one additional layer underlying the layer, and a base support underlying the at least one additional layer; and
for the geometry of each of the second depressions:
the narrow portion is defined in and through the layer;
the wide portion is defined in and through the at least one additional layer;
the base support defines a bottom of the wide portion; and
the layer defines an overhang above a portion of the wide portion.

7. The flow cell as defined in claim 3 , wherein:
the geometry of each of the first depressions is selected from the group consisting of a cylinder, an oval cylinder, a sphere, a cube, a cuboid, a cone, a lanceoloid, a polygonal prism, and combinations thereof;
the geometry of each of the second depressions is selected from the group consisting of a slanted cylinder, a slanted oval cylinder, a slanted cube, a slanted cuboid, and a slanted polygonal prism; and
the geometry of each of the second depressions has its central axis at a non-ninety degree angle relative to a plane at a bottom of the second depression.

8. The flow cell as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of features, each feature extending over a portion of a respective one of the second depressions and supported by the second interstitial regions surrounding the respective one of the second depressions, wherein the adhesive wraps around each feature.

9. The flow cell as defined in claim 8 , wherein each feature extends partially into a depth of the respective one of the second depressions.

10. The flow cell as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
the patterned substrate includes a plurality of additional layers underlying the layer, and a base support underlying the plurality of additional layers;
an etch rate of the layer and of each of the plurality of additional layers increases moving toward the base support;
the base support is non-etchable; and
the geometry of each of the second depressions increases moving toward the base support.

11. The flow cell as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
the patterned substrate includes a plurality of additional layers underlying the layer, and a base support underlying the plurality of additional layers;
the layer has a first etch rate;
an etch rate of each of the plurality of additional layers alternates between a second etch rate and the first etch rate moving toward the base support;
the base support is non-etchable; and
the geometry of each of the second depressions varies between a first dimension and a second dimension moving toward the base support.

12. A method, comprising:
forming a patterned substrate by:
defining an active region within a layer by:
defining first depressions at first predetermined locations within a first predetermined region of the layer that is surrounded by a second predetermined region of the layer; and
introducing surface chemistry to each of the first depressions;

defining a patterned bonding region within the layer by defining second depressions at second predetermined locations within the second predetermined region of the layer;

introducing an adhesive to the patterned bonding region, including in each of the second depressions; and
positioning a cover in contact with the adhesive, thereby securing the cover to the patterned bonding region and creating a flow channel between a portion of the cover and the active region.

13. The method as defined in claim 12 , wherein:
the patterned substrate is a multi-layer substrate, including the layer positioned over at least one additional layer over a base support;
each of the first depressions is defined through the layer and the at least one additional layer, wherein portions of the layer define first interstitial regions that separate the first depressions from one another; and
each of the second depressions is defined through the layer and the at least one additional layer, wherein portions of the layer define second interstitial regions that separate the second depressions from one another.

14. The method as defined in claim 13 , wherein:
the layer and the at least one additional layer have different etch rates;
the base support is non-etchable;
defining the first depressions involves sequentially etching through the layer and then through the at least one additional layer at the first predetermined locations; and
defining the second depressions involves sequentially etching through the layer and then through the at least one additional layer at the second predetermined locations.

15. The method as defined in claim 14 , wherein:
a geometry of each of the first depressions extends through the layer and the at least one additional layer and is selected from the group consisting of a cylinder, an oval cylinder, a sphere, a cube, a cuboid, a cone, a lanceoloid, a polygonal prism, and combinations thereof;
a geometry of each of the second depressions includes a narrow portion that extends through the layer and that opens to a wide portion that extends through the at least one additional layer; and
for the geometry of each of the second depressions, a dimension across an opening of the narrow portion is smaller than at least one dimension of the wide portion that is parallel to the dimension across the opening.

16. The method as defined in claim 15 , wherein:
the narrow portion has a geometry selected from the grou

Assignees

• Illumina Inc

Inventors

• Irvin Casey Scott
• Ziebarth Jonathan
• Rapp Michael
• Chan Danny Yuan
• Kim Innsu Daniel
• Aiyar Avishek

Classifications

• B01J2219/0061

  The surface being organic · CPC title

• B01J2219/00612

  the surface being inorganic · CPC title

• B01J2219/00626

  Covalent · CPC title

• B01J2219/00637

  by coating it with another layer · CPC title

• B01J2219/00608

  DNA chips · CPC title