Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01C—RESISTORS
  • H01C13/00—Resistors not provided for elsewhere
  • H01C13/02—Structural combinations of resistors
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01C—RESISTORS
  • H01C1/00—Details
  • H01C1/16—Resistor networks not otherwise provided for
• • 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
  • B01L2400/06—Valves, specific forms thereof
  • B01L2400/0677—Valves, specific forms thereof phase change valves; Meltable, freezing, dissolvable plugs; Destructible barriers
• • 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
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T29/00—Metal working
  • Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
  • Y10T29/49002—Electrical device making
  • Y10T29/49082—Resistor making

Definitions

• the invention relates to the matrices of passive components, more particularly to the resistors connected together by lines and columns, as well as to their manufacture. These resistance matrices can be used in various fields, in particular to activate components by Joule.
• a resistance matrix comprises N command lines (indexed Ni, with i strictly positive integer), M control columns (indexed M j , with j strictly positive integer), and NM resistors (indexed Ri j , each resistor Rij being controlled by the line i and the column Mj).
• N command lines indexed Ni, with i strictly positive integer
• M control columns indexed M j , with j strictly positive integer
• NM resistors indexed Ri j , each resistor Rij being controlled by the line i and the column Mj.
• one of the challenges is to precisely locate the control power on a determined resistance in order to achieve the effect expected by the control, while limiting the power dissipated in the other elements of the matrix.
• the resistors due to induced or derived currents, both to increase the power in the resistance addressed and so that the control remains specific. Indeed, the maximum power is dissipated in the addressed resistance.
• Another technique would be to segment the matrix into sub-units such that the power loss is reduced, which makes it possible to reduce the number of diodes.
• This solution does not eliminate the problems of complexity inherent in the diodes, nor the residual parasitic heating in each matrix.
• Another alternative is to control each row and column with voltages which are adjusted and controlled by a control system. Via this intermediary, it is possible to precisely control the residual power in the unaddressed resistors and to modify the parameters. If this solution is effective, it is clear that it requires an expensive command control system which is complex to implement.
• the object of the invention is to propose a simple solution, which avoids the drawbacks inherent in existing solutions, for the realization of a matrix of resistors making it possible to locate power on one of the resistors of the matrix by limiting the power dissipated in the rest of the matrix. Thermally, this resistance activates an associated component. More particularly, one of the aspects of the invention relates to the choice of the thermal properties of at least one resistor, in order to increase its addressing efficiency, that is to say the power dissipated by this resistor with respect to to the total power dissipated, power making it possible to thermally activate an associated component.
• This resistance (or these resistors) is thus chosen with a negative temperature coefficient, that is to say that the value of the resistance decreases with its temperature.
• the temperature of the resistant element increases; according to the invention, the value of its resistance will then decrease, and therefore its power will increase at constant voltage during heating.
• the precision of the activation of associated components is thus increased.
• the invention thus relates to a matrix of resistors, one of the resistors of which has a negative temperature coefficient and is associated with a thermally activatable component.
• these resistors with negative temperature coefficient consist of a single material having this property, which simplifies the manufacturing process all the more.
• a preferred embodiment relates to a matrix in which all the resistors have a negative temperature coefficient, and in particular identical. Indeed, whatever the matrix, the power released in the unaddressed resistors is less than the power dissipated at the addressed point. The temperature of the addressed resistor therefore increases faster than the temperature of the rest of the circuit: even if all the resistors have a negative temperature coefficient, even identical, the value of the unaddressed resistors will decrease less quickly over time than that of the resistance addressed. A phenomenon of increase in power released by unaddressed resistors occurs, but less than the increase in power dissipated by the addressed resistor. In this case, there is therefore also a gain in yield compared to that achieved in a conventional matrix.
• the material used for some or all of the rows and columns has a positive temperature coefficient, which leads to an increase in the resistance of these elements and therefore to a reduction in lost power.
• resistors of the matrix according to the invention see all, can be coupled to components to activate them.
• the invention also relates to a device using this matrix, such as a biochip or a reaction card.
• a programmable pulse generator to adjust, for example by a programmable pulse generator, the time of application of the control voltage to a resistor.
• the invention also relates to the method for manufacturing a resistor matrix, a resistor of which, associated with a thermally activatable component, is formed from a material placed, for example by deposition, on a substrate, the material having a resistance with negative temperature coefficient.
• FIG.l diagram of a resistance matrix, with indication of an induced current.
• FIG.2 evolution over time of different parameters during use of a resistance matrix with positive temperature coefficient (FIG.2a) and a resistance matrix with negative temperature coefficient (FIG.2b) .
• FIG.3 synopsis of an example of manufacturing a preferred matrix according to the invention.
• FIG. 1 represents a conventional matrix of resistances which can be addressed separately comprising N rows, M columns and NM resistors. These resistors can be controlled either simultaneously, or successively, or even according to a combination of these two modes.
• R ij The power P can in particular be used to thermally activate a component associated with the resistance Ri j .
• the efficiency Q of the resistance R j addressed is equal to the power Pi referred to the total power released.
• the other elements of the matrix also react to the addressing voltage: an example of induced current is thus represented in dotted lines, which causes in this configuration a power release in particular by the resistances Ri + i 3 ⁇ R ⁇ + ⁇ i + ir i 3 + 1 / Ri +2 r as well as by the line and column segments separating them. These parameters are to be taken into account for the performance evaluation. Furthermore, any dissipation of power is accompanied by heating of the resistance concerned and an increase in its temperature. The temperature of the addressed resistor increases more and faster than that of the other elements. However, conventional materials for manufacturing resistors see their resistance increase when the temperature increases: see curve R 13 in FIG. 2a.
• the power dissipated (curve P i;] ) by the resistance R XJ will therefore decrease over time, and this faster than the power released by the other resistors, whose temperature and resistance (curve R na ) increase less quickly .
• the output of the resistance R ⁇ addressed therefore decreases as it is activated (curve Q 13 ), and the increase in temperature, which is the desired objective in the context of control matrices for heating by Joule effect of elements, slows down.
• a material whose resistance decreases with temperature is used to manufacture the resistance R 13 , that is to say a resistance with a negative temperature coefficient, or NTCR (“Negative Thermal Coefficient Resistance”).
• This material can be one of the components of the resistor or the resistor can be made entirely of such a material.
• Examples are Nitride of Tantalum, Nickel-Chrome alloys, or nitrides of refractory materials.
• the temperature coefficient (TCR) can be adjusted, either by the combination of materials, or by the parameters chosen during the manufacture of the resistor. Depending on requirements, the NTCR can thus vary from -100 to -3,000 p ⁇ m / ° C. In this case of an NTCR matrix illustrated by FIG. 2b, over time, the energy dissipation by the addressed resistance R X3 increases as well as its temperature, its resistance (curve R ⁇ : ⁇ ) decreases, and therefore its dissipated power (curve!? _ .
• This power is less than the initial control power, with partial losses in the other resistances as described above, but also losses related to the intrinsic resistance of the rows and columns. It may therefore be advantageous to use a material with a positive TCR, such as aluminum or copper, for these rows and columns: by thermal conduction from the heated resistor, the material used in the rows and columns is capable of heating. Thanks to the use of a material with positive TCR for these rows and columns, the resistance of the rows and columns will then increase, and the power lost in them will decrease, thereby increasing the power addressed, and thereby even the performance of the resistance addressed. The addressed power, and therefore the voltage across the addressed resistance, can also be modulated during use by adjusting the duration of application of this voltage.
• a material with a positive TCR such as aluminum or copper
• Example 1 Consider a network of 144 resistors addressed by 12 lines and 12 columns, with heating resistors to be addressed of 1000 ohms and an inter row and inter column resistance of 1 ohm, i.e. an intrinsic resistance of 1 ohm of each row and / or interconnection column. By simulation, it was found that for resistors with zero temperature coefficient, the power dissipated at the addressed point is 15% of the total power dissipated in the network, and that the maximum power released by the other resistors is 4.5 %. If the resistors have a TCR of
• the matrix according to the invention therefore makes it possible to obtain very high temperatures, of 500 ° C. and more, at very localized points, for matrices which make it possible to address numerous points (50 up to 1000 and more), and this quickly.
• An adjustment of the maximum power required is possible by controlling the TCR value of the resistors.
• FIG. 3 represents an example of a manufacturing process: a substrate (10) such as silicon is chosen. An aluminum layer (12) is deposited by sputtering (FIG.3a).
• Photolithography and chemical etching provide line patterns (14) (FIG.3b).
• a layer of NTCR resistive material (16) is deposited by sputtering (FIG.3c); the resistive patterns (18) are obtained by photolithography and etching (FIG.3d).
• a dielectric layer (20) is then deposited to isolate rows (14) and columns (FIG.3e), with photolithography of the contact recovery patterns (22) on the columns (FIG.3f).
• an aluminum layer (12) is deposited by sputtering (FIG.3g), the column patterns (24) being produced by photolithography and etching (FIG.3h).
• the thermally activatable compounds are combined according to known techniques.
• the aluminum layer (12) has a thickness of 500 to 50,000 A, preferably 5,000; the thickness of NTCR (16) is typically between 500 to 5000 A, preferably 1000.
• the NTCR can be adjusted preferably between -100 and -3000 ppm / ° C according to the deposition conditions and the desired use parameters .
• dielectric insulator (20) a polymer or a mineral such as Si0 2 or Si 3 N can be used.
• the substrate (10) is insulating and comprises for example silicon, a polymer, a glass, a ceramic, etc., or a combination of these materials.
• Application The matrices according to the invention find their application in many fields, such as for example biology, imaging or flat screens, where the control systems must be miniaturized.
• the matrices according to the invention can be used to manufacture biochips or “Lab On Chip”, also called reaction cards.
• a reaction card is known for example from document WO 02/18823.
• a device for use biological any structure suitable for use in biological applications such as for example reaction cards or biochips.
• a microfluidic network is integrated on the support card of the device: the liquid to be analyzed must circulate for example between the different reagents.
• micro-valves are actuated. Micro-valves have been developed for applications in microsystems, biochips and reaction cards.
• microvalves actuated by pyrotechnic effect An example is given in document FR-A-2 828 244, which relates to microvalves actuated by pyrotechnic effect.
• the start-up of the micro-valves requires localized heating below the micro-system, for example by heating a resistor under each micro-valve which will then be actuated by the Joule effect.
• the network of micro-valves must be substantial, with a high density of these components to be activated: for example 50 to 1000 micro-valves on a surface typically of the order of the size of a credit card. must be addressed separately.
• the use of resistance matrices therefore seems appropriate.
• the matrices according to the invention add as an advantage the optimization of the yield of each addressing, and therefore a better efficiency and specificity of the analyzes carried out.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
• Electronic Switches (AREA)
• Non-Adjustable Resistors (AREA)
• Manufacturing Of Electric Cables (AREA)
• Glass Compositions (AREA)
• Thermistors And Varistors (AREA)
• Electron Tubes For Measurement (AREA)
• Electrochromic Elements, Electrophoresis, Or Variable Reflection Or Absorption Elements (AREA)
• Networks Using Active Elements (AREA)

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• 2003
  • 2003-10-03 FR FR0350651A patent/FR2860641B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2004
  • 2004-10-01 AT AT04805719T patent/ATE352845T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2004-10-01 WO PCT/FR2004/050476 patent/WO2005034148A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 2004-10-01 DE DE602004004554T patent/DE602004004554T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-10-01 US US10/574,257 patent/US7642893B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
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