F2-laser microfabrication for integrating optical circuits with microfluidic biochips

Stephen Ho; J. Stewart Aitchison; Shane Eaton; Peter Robert Herman; Jianzhao Li

doi:10.1117/12.571338

8 December 2004 F₂-laser microfabrication for integrating optical circuits with microfluidic biochips

Stephen Ho, J. Stewart Aitchison, Shane Eaton, Peter Robert Herman, Jianzhao Li

Proceedings Volume 5591, Lab-on-a-Chip: Platforms, Devices, and Applications; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.571338
Event: Optics East, 2004, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Abstract

Lasers microprocessing is attractive for the custom fabrication of novel lab-on-a-chip designs. However, processing of glass biochips is challenging for most lasers because of the weak light interactions inherent in such transparent substrates. The F2-laser generates a high 7.9-eV photon energy that drives strong absorption in glasses, while the short 157-nm wavelength offers high-resolution patterning on the 100-nm scale. With these benefits, F2-laser ablation is well suited to the fabrication of high aspect ratio microfluidic channels and other biochip functions. F2-laser radiation also produces a strong photosensitivity response in fused silica and other glasses that enable the fabrication of buried optical waveguides, Bragg grating filters and other refractive index structures inside the glass. In this paper, we combine laser micromachining and refractive index profiling to enable single-step integration of photonic functions with microfluidic functions on a single chip. Optical waveguides were written to intercept microfluidic channels for optical sensing of cells and other bio-materials. An integrated biophotonic sensor is demonstrated for polystyrene spheres. The sensor is optically characterized for insertion loss, propagation loss, and particle sensitivity. The demonstration and analysis of this simple device offers insight into the capabilities and potential applications for laser fabricated glass lab-on-a-chip devices. Moreover, the groundwork is laid for rapid laser prototyping of custom-designed microfluidic biochips interlaced with integrated-optical circuits to define a new generation of highly functional bio-sensor and lab-on-a-chip devices.

Citation Download Citation

Stephen Ho, J. Stewart Aitchison, Shane Eaton, Peter Robert Herman, and Jianzhao Li "F₂-laser microfabrication for integrating optical circuits with microfluidic biochips", Proc. SPIE 5591, Lab-on-a-Chip: Platforms, Devices, and Applications, (8 December 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.571338

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