Spin coated stationary phase microfabricated gas chromatographic columns

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020355652-A1
Application number	US-202016870027-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 8, 2020
Priority date	May 10, 2019
Publication date	Nov 12, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Presented herein is a new concept of uniformly spin coating a flat surface with a stationary phase and creating a gas chromatography column by pressing a grooved lid, with micro-stamped ridges, down onto the coated substrate. The lids are molded out of commercially available rigid materials including epoxies so that when pressed onto a flat surface it will create an air tight seal. The epoxy material is rendered inert by a thin layer of gold.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A method for making a micro stamped gas chromatography (GC) column, comprising:
making a master mold comprising grooves; casting a reusable mold from the master mold; casting a GC lid comprising a rigid material from the reusable mold, wherein the GC lid comprises grooves to form a GC path; spin coating a stationary phase material on a planar substrate; and pressing the GC lid onto the stationary phase coated planar substrate to from an airtight seal, wherein a microfabricated GC column is formed without an adhesive or bonding process required.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the GC lid comprising a rigid material is fabricated in an epoxy material.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the master mold comprises etched silicon.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reusable mold comprises a polyurethane.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the planar substrate is optically transparent.

6 . The method of claim 1 , additionally comprising passivating the rigid material with an inert material before pressing the GC lid onto the stationary phase coated substrate.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the passivation comprises forming a gold layer.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein multiple stationary phase materials are spin coated onto the same planar substrate.

9 . A method for making a micro stamped gas chromatography (GC) column, comprising:
making a mold comprising grooves, wherein the grooves are the negative image of the GC path; casting a GC lid comprising a rigid material from the reusable mold, wherein the GC lid comprises grooves to form the GC path; spin coating a stationary phase material on a planar substrate; pressing the GC lid on the stationary phase coated planar substrate to from an airtight seal, wherein a microfabricated GC column is formed without an adhesive or bonding process.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the rigid material comprises an epoxy.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the mold comprises etched silicon.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the planar substrate is optically transparent.

13 . The method of claim 9 , additionally comprising passivating the rigid material with an inert material before pressing the GC lid on the stationary phase material on the substrate.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the passivation comprises forming a gold layer.

15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein multiple stationary phase materials are spin coated on the planar substrate.

16 . A gas chromatography (GC) system comprising the GC column of claim 1 .

17 . The GC system of claim 16 , wherein multiple GC columns of claim 1 are attached together either in parallel or in series.

Assignees

• Us Gov Sec Navy

Inventors

• Furstenberg Robert
• Breshike Christopher
• Stievater Todd H
• Kozak Dmitry
• Mcgill R Andrew

Classifications

• G01N2030/567

  coating · CPC title

• G01N30/6095 Primary

  Micromachined or nanomachined, e.g. micro- or nanosize · CPC title

• B01J20/28052

  Several layers of identical or different sorbents stacked in a housing, e.g. in a column · CPC title

• B01J20/32 Primary

  Impregnating or coating {; Solid sorbent compositions obtained from processes involving impregnating or coating} · CPC title

• G01N2030/025

  Gas chromatography · CPC title