JP2003175330A - Substrate plate for microchip, method for bonding the same and microchip - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate plate for a microchip useful for manufacturing the microchip having a flow channel and capable of remolving air bubbles between the substrate plates to a degree incapable of almost recognizing the presence thereof, a method for bonding the same and the microchip. <P>SOLUTION: Sub-channels (2) for discharging air are provided to the substrate plate for the microchip laminated on one substrate plate, which has flow channels (1) arranged thereto, on the laminating interface side along with the flow channels (1). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a microchip substrate, a method for joining the same, and a microchip. More specifically, the invention of this application
The present invention relates to a microchip substrate capable of almost completely removing bubbles between substrates in a microchip fabrication having a flow channel, a bonding method thereof, and a microchip.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Up to now, in the research of integration, integration of chemical operations necessary for all chemical processes, such as mixing, reacting, separating and purifying, and detecting, on one microchip. Is focused on.

Examples of the material used for the substrate of the microchip include glass, silicon, organic polymers, glass-organic polymer composites and the like, and glass is particularly preferable.

For example, as a glass chip composed of a glass substrate, there is one formed by joining a glass substrate provided with a channel flow path and a flat glass substrate, and a glass substrate having a higher yield than conventional glass substrates can be obtained. And a method of joining glass substrates is required.

The inventors of the present invention have heretofore used a method of cleaning a glass substrate based on a semiconductor cleaning method to fabricate a glass chip, and perform photolithography on one of the two glass substrates to be bonded. And a glass substrate having a channel flow path and a flat glass substrate after forming a channel flow path for flowing a liquid having a width of 10 to 100 μm scale by wet etching and performing surface treatment with an alkali such as an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide. We have joined by stacking and heating.

As described above, by adding the step of surface treatment with alkali, it is possible to realize a bonding with a higher yield than before, but bubbles remain between the glass substrates during bonding. Therefore, regarding the removal of the air bubbles, further technical improvement has been required.

Similar to the example of the glass substrate described above, microchips having a poor yield are produced even when substrates made of other materials have bubbles left between the substrates. The reason why air bubbles remain between the substrates is that the substrates are not sufficiently cleaned before bonding and the substrates are not sufficiently smooth, and that a small amount of the presence of two substrates when they are superposed on each other. It is conceivable that air is trapped between the substrates without being discharged to the outside during the bonding process. However, with the conventional substrates and the bonding method therefor, the air between the substrates cannot be discharged from other than the outer periphery of the substrates and the channel passages through which the liquid flows, and it is impossible to almost completely remove the bubbles.

[0008] The problem when the bubbles remain is that the deterioration of the bonding of the substrates, the sensitivity of non-contact reaction due to light or the like, or the sensitivity and accuracy of other reaction detection cannot be secured or improved. The remaining air bubbles have a great influence on the performance of the microchip.

Therefore, the invention of this application has been made in view of the above circumstances, and solves the problems of the prior art and removes bubbles between substrates to the extent that the presence thereof is hardly recognized. It is an object of the present invention to provide a microchip substrate, a bonding method therefor, and a microchip capable of performing the above.

[0010]

The invention of this application is to solve the above-mentioned problems. First of all, a microchip in which a channel channel is arranged and laminated on at least one substrate. A substrate for microchips, characterized in that a sub-channel for air discharge is provided on the stacking interface side.

Secondly, the invention of this application provides the substrate for a microchip, characterized in that, in the first invention, a sub-channel for air discharge is provided on the stacking interface side together with the channel flow path.

Thirdly, there is provided a microchip substrate according to the first or second invention, characterized in that the sub-channel is provided so as to be located around or on both sides of the channel channel. .

Fourth, in any one of the first to third inventions, the width of the sub-channel is 1 μm or more and 1000 μm or more.
Provided is a microchip substrate having a thickness of m or less.

Fifth, there is provided a microchip substrate according to any one of the first to fourth inventions, wherein the substrate is glass. Sixthly, there is provided a microchip in which the substrate of any one of the first to fifth inventions constitutes at least a part thereof.

Seventh, there is provided a method of bonding a substrate for microchip, which comprises heating the glass substrate of the fifth invention to another glass substrate by heating in a vacuum heating furnace.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A substrate for a microchip according to the invention of the present application is a substrate for a microchip in which a channel channel is disposed on at least one of the substrates, and air is exhausted to the lamination interface side. Since the sub-channel is provided, a very small amount of air existing between the substrates is discharged from the sub-channel, and it is possible to manufacture a microchip with a good yield in which the presence of bubbles between the substrates is hardly recognized.

At this time, a sub-channel for discharging air can be provided on the stacking interface side together with the channel flow path. Or as other microchip configuration,
For example, one in which a channel channel is provided on the stacking interface side of one substrate, and a sub-channel for air discharge is provided on the stacking interface side of the other substrate, or a part of the channel channel and sub-channel. Is disposed on the side of the laminated interface of one substrate, and the remaining channel channels and sub-channels are disposed on the side of the laminated interface of the other substrate.

Further, by providing the sub-channels so as to be located around or on both sides of the channel channel, it is possible to uniformly remove bubbles around the channel channel or on the left and right sides. The width of the sub-channel is 1 μm or more and 1000
μm or less.

As the material of the substrate, glass, silicon, organic polymer, glass / organic polymer composite, etc. can be used, and glass is particularly preferably used.

In the case of a glass substrate, a glass substrate provided with a channel is heated and bonded to another glass substrate provided with a channel or flat in a vacuum heating furnace so that no bubbles remain between the substrates. Bonding becomes possible, and the yield in microchip fabrication can be further improved.

Therefore, when air bubbles remain, problems such as deterioration of the bonding of the substrates and detection sensitivity of non-contact reaction due to light or the like, sensitivity of other reaction detection, accuracy, and improvement are hindered. It can be resolved.

Further, it is possible to manufacture a microchip having a good yield in which the above substrate constitutes at least a part thereof. That is, not only a microchip formed by stacking two substrates but also a microchip formed by stacking three or more substrates can be manufactured in the same manner.

Embodiments of the invention of this application will be described below in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Of course, the present invention is not limited to the following examples, and it goes without saying that various aspects are possible in details.

[0024]

<Example 1> As an example of the microchip substrate of the invention of this application and its bonding method, a glass substrate which has a channel only on one of the two substrates is described below. Shown in.

FIG. 1 shows a photomask pattern to be transferred onto one of two glass substrates to be bonded, which is provided with a channel. As shown in FIG. 1, in this photomask pattern, a subchannel (2) having a width of 500 μm for letting air escape is provided around a channel channel (1) for flowing a liquid as a channel provided in a glass substrate. It is provided. Also, the channel channel (1)
The sub-channels (2) are provided on both sides of the channel flow channel (1) at locations where the sub-channels (2) are not dense and the sub-channels (2) can be provided on both sides thereof.

FIG. 2 also shows a photomask pattern to be transferred onto a glass substrate, which is a photomask pattern different from that shown in FIG. 1 and has a width for letting air escape around or on both sides of a channel channel (1) for flowing a liquid. A sub-channel (2) of 500 μm is provided.

These photomask patterns were transferred onto one of the glass substrates and etched by the wet etching method. Then, this glass substrate and a flat glass substrate are superposed on each other, and then 650 ° C. in a vacuum heating furnace.
It was heated and joined.

By performing the bonding as described above, a minute amount of air existing between the glass substrates is discharged from the sub-channel, and it becomes possible to manufacture a microchip in which almost no air bubbles remain.

[0029]

As described above in detail, according to the invention of the present application, it is possible to remove bubbles between substrates to the extent that the existence of the bubbles is hardly recognized, resulting in deterioration of bonding of the substrates or non-contact due to light or the like. There is provided a microchip substrate, a bonding method therefor, and a microchip that do not cause problems such as detection sensitivity of reaction in or other reaction detection sensitivity, securing of accuracy, and prevention of improvement.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a photomask pattern transferred onto a glass substrate for microchips in an example of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a photomask pattern transferred onto a glass substrate for microchips according to an embodiment of the present invention,
The photomask pattern is different from that shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 channel flow path 2 sub channels

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Keiji Watanabe             3-2-22 Hisamoto, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture             Wandome 403 (72) Inventor Kenji Uchiyama             2-6-24 Tsunashima East, Kohoku Ward, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture             Sky Heights Tsunashima No. 105 F-term (reference) 4G026 BA02 BA04 BB33 BC01 BD14                       BF57 BG03 BG23 BH07                 4G075 AA02 AA39 BB05 BB07 BD13                       BD15 DA02 DA18 EB50 EE21                       EE31 FB06

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A substrate for a microchip, in which a channel channel is disposed on at least one substrate and laminated, wherein a sub-channel for air discharge is provided on the laminated interface side. Substrate for microchip. 2. The substrate for microchip according to claim 1, wherein a sub-channel for discharging air is provided on the stacking interface side together with the channel flow path. 3. The microchip substrate according to claim 1, wherein the sub-channel is provided so as to be located around or on both sides of the channel channel. 4. The width of the sub-channel is 1 μm or more and 1000
The microchip substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which has a thickness of less than or equal to μm. 5. The substrate for microchip according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is glass. 6. A microchip, characterized in that the substrate according to claim 1 constitutes at least a part thereof. 7. A method for bonding a microchip substrate, which comprises heating the glass substrate according to claim 5 to another glass substrate in a vacuum heating furnace to bond the glass substrate.