Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
  • B01L3/00—Containers or dishes for laboratory use, e.g. laboratory glassware; Droppers
  • B01L3/50—Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes
  • B01L3/502—Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures
  • B01L3/5027—Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip
  • B01L3/502715—Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
  • B01L3/00—Containers or dishes for laboratory use, e.g. laboratory glassware; Droppers
  • B01L3/50—Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes
  • B01L3/502—Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures
  • B01L3/5027—Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip
  • B01L3/502707—Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N27/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means
  • G01N27/26—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means by investigating electrochemical variables; by using electrolysis or electrophoresis
  • G01N27/416—Systems
  • G01N27/447—Systems using electrophoresis
  • G01N27/44704—Details; Accessories
  • G01N27/44717—Arrangements for investigating the separated zones, e.g. localising zones
  • G01N27/44721—Arrangements for investigating the separated zones, e.g. localising zones by optical means
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N27/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means
  • G01N27/26—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means by investigating electrochemical variables; by using electrolysis or electrophoresis
  • G01N27/416—Systems
  • G01N27/447—Systems using electrophoresis
  • G01N27/44756—Apparatus specially adapted therefor
  • G01N27/44791—Microapparatus
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/10—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type
  • G02B6/12—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
  • G02B6/13—Integrated optical circuits characterised by the manufacturing method
  • G02B6/138—Integrated optical circuits characterised by the manufacturing method by using polymerisation
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
  • B01L2300/00—Additional constructional details
  • B01L2300/06—Auxiliary integrated devices, integrated components
  • B01L2300/0627—Sensor or part of a sensor is integrated
  • B01L2300/0645—Electrodes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
  • B01L2300/00—Additional constructional details
  • B01L2300/06—Auxiliary integrated devices, integrated components
  • B01L2300/0627—Sensor or part of a sensor is integrated
  • B01L2300/0654—Lenses; Optical fibres
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
  • B01L2300/00—Additional constructional details
  • B01L2300/08—Geometry, shape and general structure
  • B01L2300/0809—Geometry, shape and general structure rectangular shaped
  • B01L2300/0825—Test strips
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
  • B01L2300/00—Additional constructional details
  • B01L2300/08—Geometry, shape and general structure
  • B01L2300/0887—Laminated structure
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
  • B01L2400/00—Moving or stopping fluids
  • B01L2400/04—Moving fluids with specific forces or mechanical means
  • B01L2400/0403—Moving fluids with specific forces or mechanical means specific forces
  • B01L2400/0415—Moving fluids with specific forces or mechanical means specific forces electrical forces, e.g. electrokinetic
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/10—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type
  • G02B6/12—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
  • G02B2006/12035—Materials
  • G02B2006/12069—Organic material
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/10—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type
  • G02B6/12—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
  • G02B2006/12035—Materials
  • G02B2006/12069—Organic material
  • G02B2006/12071—PMMA
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/10—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type
  • G02B6/12—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
  • G02B2006/12083—Constructional arrangements
  • G02B2006/12121—Laser
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/10—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type
  • G02B6/12—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
  • G02B2006/12083—Constructional arrangements
  • G02B2006/12123—Diode
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/10—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type
  • G02B6/12—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
  • G02B2006/12133—Functions
  • G02B2006/12138—Sensor

Definitions

• the invention relates to microstructured miniaturized analysis systems based on polymers with integrated optical polymer optical waveguides for optical detection techniques and methods for their production.
• Microfluidic analysis methods are known in particular in the field of capillary electrophoresis (CE).
• CE capillary electrophoresis
• chip technologies with planar microstructured analysis units
• Very commonly used detection methods in the CE are e.g. optical absorption or fluorescence detection.
• the absorption measurement in the UV range is clearly inferior to the sensitivity due to the limitation due to the short optical path length (inner diameter of the capillary) of the fluorescence measurement, in particular the laser-induced fluorescence measurement (LIF).
• LIF laser-induced fluorescence measurement
• Suitable arrangements for measuring fluorescence and absorption in quartz capillaries have been described in numerous cases. As a rule, they have in common that they bring optical power directly to the capillary via optical fibers.
• excitation light is guided to a capillary through an optically higher refractive material. From this, fluorescent light is guided to a detector via optical fibers, which are connected directly to the capillary.
• Hashimoto et al. Have also used optical fibers, which are attached directly in front of the capillary exits.
• M. Hashimoto, K. Tsukagoshi, R. Nakajima, K. Kondo, "Compact detection cell using optical fiber for sensitization and simplification of capillary electrophoresis chemiluminescense detection," J. of Chromatography A, 832, 1999, 191-202) realized a chemiluminescence detector, an alternative The procedure is to position the optical transmitter and receiver directly in front of or behind the capillary.
• Laser-induced fluorescence measurement is therefore generally used for chip CE detection technology.
• a chip CE detection technology For this, a
• Free-beam optics Laser light focused on the fluidic channel and the emission also measured using free-beam optics. However, this represents a major limitation of the detection methods for planar microstructured analysis units.
• optical power can be routed directly to the channels of the analysis units via optical fibers by integrating optical optical fibers directly into the analysis units during the manufacturing process.
• the coupling or decoupling of optical power in or out of the system can thus be ensured in a simple manner.
• Microfluidic structures can be in direct or indirect contact with the optical structure.
• the other manufacturing processes of microstructured systems based on polymers can be combined with the manufacture of the optical structures or do not impair them.
• the present invention therefore relates to planar, microstructured, miniaturized, polymer-based analysis units which contain integrated optical polymer optical waveguides.
• the substrate is microstructured and the cover has thin-film electrodes.
• the present invention also relates to a method for producing microstructured, miniaturized, polymer-based analysis units which contain integrated optical polymer optical waveguides, a) providing suitable polymer-based components; b) the optical polymer optical waveguides are integrated in at least one component; c) the components are combined to form an analysis unit.
• the present invention also relates to the use of the microstructured polymer-based analysis units which contain integrated optical polymer optical waveguides for the optical analysis of samples.
• Figure 1 shows a microstructured analysis unit with integrated optical fibers.
• Figure 2 shows the beam path of an absorption measurement with an analysis unit according to Figure 1.
• Figure 3 shows an alternative microstructured analysis unit with integrated optical fibers.
• FIGS 4 to 7 illustrate methods for producing the microstructured analysis units according to the invention with integrated optical fibers.
• the analysis unit consists of a substrate (2) and a cover (4).
• the substrate (2) has a channel structure (3).
• the optical waveguides are designated by 1. If electrodes are applied to a component, they are designated by 7. Holes for e.g. Fluid connections are marked with 5.
• Figures 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 the substrate is shown in Figure A, the lid in Figure B and the analysis unit composed of the two components, substrate and lid, in Figure C.
• Figures 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 each show a side view along the axis F indicated in Figure A or C.
• FIGS. 1 and 2 The combination according to the invention of integrated optical waveguides with a microstructured fluidic analysis unit is shown schematically in FIGS. 1 and 2.
• Planar microstructured analysis units in the sense of the invention generally consist of at least two components, for example a substrate and a lid. All components can have microstructuring, electrodes or other additional functionalities.
• the analysis system contains at least one channel system, which is created by the microstructuring of at least one component.
• the components can be further
• Microstructuring e.g. Recesses for the integration or connection of functionalities, such as valves, pumps, reaction vessels, detectors etc., contain reservoirs, reaction chambers, mixing chambers, detectors etc. incorporated into the components.
• the analysis systems according to the invention can be provided with all functionalities which are necessary for carrying out an analysis. It can also be an analysis system that only has the channel structure, the optical fiber integrated according to the invention and connections for further functionalities. In this case, the analysis systems must be provided with all the necessary functionalities before use.
• the microstructured analysis systems according to the invention are used to analyze microfluidic systems, i.e. liquid systems and / or plasma processes, e.g. in the case of miniaturized microwave or direct current plasma.
• the substrate 2 contains the microstructured depressions for the later channels ( Figure part A).
• the cover 4 illustrated part B
• the open structures in the substrate are sealed liquid-tight or gas-tight.
• the electrodes are attached to the lid.
• the microstructured channels are filled by Bores or recesses 5, which are usually made in the substrate.
• the components of the analysis units preferably consist of commercially available thermoplastics, such as PMMA
• thermosetting plastics such as epoxy resins. All components preferably exist, i.e. Substrates and lids, a system made of the same material.
• the optical waveguide 1 can either be implemented in the substrate ( Figures 1, 5, 6 and 7) or in the cover ( Figures 3 and 4).
• the waveguide geometry is variable over a wide range and can be adapted to the cross sections of the channel structure and the coupling conditions (light source, detector).
• the optical properties of the waveguide e.g. Attenuation and numerical aperture are determined by the materials of the substrate or cover and waveguide.
• the arrangement of the waveguide shown in Figure 1 is particularly well suited for fluorescence and absorption measurements
• the arrangement shown in Figure 3 is e.g. especially suitable for fluorescence measurements.
• Figure 2 shows the beam path for an absorption measurement with an analysis unit corresponding to Figure 1.
• optical power is coupled into the waveguide.
• a lens may have to be added for the coupling.
• LEDs or SLED's a lens to be used in a rule, because of their high divergence.
• the optical power emerging from the waveguide becomes after passage detected by the fluid in the channel 3 with the aid of the detector 11, typically a photomultiplier.
• the wavelength range that can be used is determined by the absorption characteristics of the waveguide and substrate materials.
• the waveguide need not be positioned on either side of the channel for fluorescence measurements.
• a mirror surface or lens surface can also be impressed into the waveguide using the impression technique, which enables a 90 ° light deflection or focusing. This allows the coupling and uncoupling of the optical power into and out of the fluidic channel to be optimized for various applications.
• the fluorescence in channel 3 can be excited by coupling in the optical power required for the excitation through the waveguide.
• coupling in at a 90 ° angle to the course of the embedded optical waveguide is more suitable, since then significantly fewer stray light effects of the excitation light have to be masked out by optical filters for the detection.
• Optical fiber-based components are well known.
• single-mode and multi-mode integrated optical components such as optical splitters, thermo-optical switches, wavelength multiplexers, these include, above all, so-called POFs (polymer optical fibers).
• POFs polymer optical fibers.
• the manufacture of integrated optical components can be subdivided into several fields of technology: photobleaching (MBJ Diemer, FMM Suyten, ES Trommel, A. McDonach, JM Copeland, LW Jenneskens, WHG Horsthuis, "Photoinduced Channel waveguide formation in nonlinear optical polymers," Electron. Lett. 26, 379-380, 1990. / van der Vorst et al. In “Polymers for lightwave and integrated optics", (Ed.
• the replication technologies include the combination of the impression technology (eg injection molding, hot stamping, reaction casting) for the production of inexpensive optical fiber structures with adhesive techniques.
• the waveguides are formulated by filling trenches in polymers with adhesives which can be polymerized both thermally (for example by means of reaction casting) and photochemically (UV radiation).
• the polymers formed in this process have a higher refractive index than the substrate or cover material and thus form the optical waveguides.
• the two-component injection molding for the production of optical waveguide components represents a further process and has so far only been suitable for the production of multimode waveguides. The process is described by Groh (EP 0451549 A2) and Fischer (D. Fischer, "Multi-mode integrated optical waveguide circuits made of polymers", progress reports, VDI
• the waveguides can be inserted both in the cover and in the substrate.
• the analysis units according to the invention with integrated optical polymer optical waveguides, correspondingly designed components are initially provided, of which at least one component is microstructured. Depending on the method used to introduce the waveguide, the components are optionally additionally prepared for the integration of the optical structures by microstructuring or other pretreatment. Then the integration of the optical polymer optical waveguide takes place. As a rule, the polymer optical waveguide is only integrated in one of the components. Finally, the components are joined using suitable methods, preferably an adhesive process.
• optical structure based on polymer into the components of the microstructured analysis unit based on polymer can be carried out using various techniques:
• the nickel sheet is manufactured in accordance with the preform production for embossing the fluidic / optical structure. It should be noted here that the shrinkage of the PMMA fluidics / optics structure is taken into account by the molding process. This procedure is known to the person skilled in the art. So that the nickel sheet used to protect the fluidic structure does not adhere to the optical adhesive, about 0.1% by weight of palmitic acid is added to the adhesive as a release agent.
• the adhesive is to be filled in either through filling and venting holes in the nickel sheet, but openings in the substrate have also proven to be suitable.
• the adhesive is typically cured either photochemically or thermally. Any excess adhesive on the filler openings (openings in the nickel sheet) must be removed by brief polishing after hardening. If the filling openings are in the substrate, post-processing is not necessary, but the waveguide losses are then increased slightly, since the waveguide walls have cutouts with the diameter of the openings.
• the waveguide is in direct contact with the fluid medium and is easier to connect to the optical source and detector from outside the chip.
• the disadvantage is that that to protect the
• the structured nickel sheet used for the fluidic structure must have an outer edge in order to prevent the adhesive from flowing out of the waveguide trench (section A in FIG. 5).
• the waveguide trench shown in Figure 6 ends approx. 20 to 50 ⁇ m in front of the fluidic channel and also approx. 20 to 50 ⁇ m in front of the outer edge of the chip. Filling such a waveguide trench is largely unproblematic.
• the disadvantage of this arrangement is that additional Waveguide-substrate interfaces negatively influence the optical properties due to additional Fresnel losses.
• a trench is embossed in the cover, which is filled with a higher refractive index polymer.
• the fluidic structures are molded into a substrate in a separate process step. Filling the trench embossed in the lid is much easier than filling the waveguide pits embossed in the substrate, since no fluidic structure has to be protected from the optical adhesive. This variant is therefore preferred.
• the mold insert for the impression technique is manufactured using lithographic and / or micromechanical manufacturing techniques and the etching of e.g. Silicon.
• the use of other microstructuring techniques is also possible.
• the essential requirement for the structures, in particular the optical structures, is that the surface has a low roughness.
• the waveguide material (NOA 61). This has a refractive index of 1.559 (589 nm, 20 ° C).
• This glue which has an attenuation of ⁇ 0.2 dB / cm in the visible wavelength range is cured photochemically with a UV source (mercury vapor lamp HQL 125 W, Osram).
• the substrate material or cover material used for this must be transparent at wavelengths> 350 nm.
• the optical losses of the waveguides produced are typically between 0.2 and 0.6 dB / cm at a wavelength of 633 nm.
• EP 0 738 306 describes a connection method in which a dissolved thermoplastic is spun onto the structured polymer substrate. This thermoplastic has a lower melting temperature than the parts to be glued. The lid and substrate are thermally bonded at 140 ° C. If waveguides are to be introduced into analysis units to be produced according to this method, the refractive index of this "bonding" thermoplastic must be smaller than that
• the temperature stability of the waveguide material must also be greater than that of the "bond" thermoplastic. This represents a considerable disadvantage of this technology with regard to the material properties to be coordinated.
• PDMS polydimethylsiloxane
• the components are preferably joined together by a
• the microstructured component is preferably first placed at those locations where none
• an adhesive is applied.
• the layer thickness is between 0.5 and 10 ⁇ m, preferably between 3 and 8 ⁇ m.
• the application takes place by means of a flat roller application known from printing technology.
• the adhesive used must not or only very slightly dissolve the surface of the components, so that any electrodes that may be present are not detached or interrupted by the adhesive during the bonding process.
• the product NOA 72, thiol acrylate from Norland, New Brunswick, NJ, USA is therefore preferably used as the adhesive.
• This adhesive is cured photochemically.
• other types of adhesives such as e.g. thermally curing adhesives are used that meet the above requirements.
• the second component is suitably positioned to the substrate, for example on an exposure machine, and the two components are brought into contact with suitable pressure.
• suitable pressure for example on an exposure machine.
• strong glass plates as a pressing surface so that the photochemical curing of the adhesive can be carried out directly by irradiation with an Hg lamp (emission wavelength 366 nm).
• the positioning of the lid on the substrate can typically be done visually under manual control, passively mechanically with the aid of a latching device, optically mechanically with the aid of optical alignment marks or electrically mechanically with the help of electrical marks (contacts).
• the component which is preferably provided with electrodes is wetted with the adhesive on the regions which do not lie over a channel when the two components are assembled or which need to be electrically contacted.
• a method known in printing technology is used for this.
• the component with the channel structures is then suitably positioned and pressed onto its counterpart. The curing takes place as described above.
• the metallized lid and the substrate after they have been adjusted to one another, can first be tacked by means of laser welding.
• the composite is then removed from the adjustment device and the adhesive used is cured in a separate exposure apparatus or an oven. This procedure means process acceleration and simplification, since curing no longer has to take place in the adjustment device.
• thermoplastic materials which are preferably used are largely transparent to laser light in the visible and near-infrared wavelength range, laser welding requires them Wavelength range an absorber layer for absorbing the optical power at the interface between the lid and the substrate. This absorber layer is applied simultaneously with the application of the power or detector electrodes. For example, when the electrodes are sputtered with noble metal, the electrode cover can additionally be attached to others
• the multi-component injection molding makes it possible to produce both the microfluidic structures and the optical waveguides for coupling to an optical unit outside the analysis unit in one process step.
• the waveguide structure implemented in the cover is much easier to manufacture in this technology. This is done in a first cycle first a planar cover is molded.
• the channel to be filled with the higher refractive index polymer ( Figure 3) is filled with the dimensions of the waveguide after pulling a core pull.
• the sprue is removed by sawing and, if necessary, briefly polishing.
• a non-continuous waveguide structure is sprayed onto a planar cover. This is complementary to a waveguide structure impressed into the substrate.
• Thin-film electrodes can be included, with the above-mentioned methods, the arrangement of waveguide to fluid structure shown in Figure 1 or 4 is realized.
• a higher refractive index polymer is pressed into a pit in a metallic mold insert (for example made of nickel) that corresponds to the waveguide structure.
• a metallic mold insert for example made of nickel
• an optically lower refractive polymer film is laminated to the waveguide polymer located in the pits. Pulling this combination out of the pit results in a cover with waveguides, shown in Figure 4, which can also be provided with thin-film electrodes.
• Another manufacturing technology is to fill the trenches with the waveguide structure with an optically highly refractive adhesive which is polymerized either thermally or photochemically. After curing is complete, a polymer film is also laminated onto this polymer in the trenches, which has a lower film
• the advantage of this technology is that it is easy to carry out, but the waveguide quality is significantly poorer than with the methods already mentioned.
• the depth of the waveguide can be determined via the irradiation time using, for example, a low-pressure mercury lamp (TMN 15, Heraeus Noblelight), but is typically only a few micrometers.
• the width of the waveguide is determined by the slot width in the masks.
• the numerical aperture of the waveguides produced is only small due to the small refractive index stroke of ⁇ 0.01.
• the waveguide attenuation is also very high at approximately 1.5 dB / cm at 633 nm.
• the precise insertion of the film into the trench is ensured by the trench structure itself and a side stop with an accuracy of ⁇ 8 ⁇ m.
• the optical insertion losses of waveguides produced in this way are approximately 0.5 dB / cm at a wavelength of 633 nm.
• optical detection techniques based on absorption, scattering, refraction and optical emission, such as luminescence or fluorescence, can be implemented on these analysis units.
• the usually cost-intensive optics is thus separated from the planar analysis unit, which is designed, for example, as a single-use item (plastic chip).
• the introduction and removal of optical power from defined areas of the fluidic structure can be implemented in a cost-effective manner.
• the typically planar microfluidic components are preferably used in the field of chemical and biochemical analysis.
• the integration of optical waveguides is also suitable for the detection of optical emission or absorption in miniaturized analytical components based on polymers, which are based, for example, on plasma processes.

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• Optical Integrated Circuits (AREA)
• Investigating, Analyzing Materials By Fluorescence Or Luminescence (AREA)
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