Integrated Micro-Optical Fluorescence Detection System for Microfluidic Electrochromatography
The authors describe the design and microfabrication of an extremely compact optical system as a key element in an integrated capillary-channel electrochromatograph with laser induced fluorescence detection. The optical design uses substrate-mode propagation within the fused silica substrate. The optical system includes a vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) array, two high performance microlenses and a commercial photodetector. The microlenses are multilevel diffractive optics patterned by electron beam lithography and etched by reactive ion etching in fused silica. Two generations of optical subsystems are described. The first generation design is integrated directly onto the capillary channel-containing substrate with a 6 mm separation between the VCSEL and photodetector. The second generation design separates the optical system onto its own module and the source to detector length is further compressed to 3.5 mm. The systems are designed for indirect fluorescence detection using infrared dyes. The first generation design has been tested with a 750 nm VCSEL exciting a 10{sup -4} M solution of CY-7 dye. The observed signal-to-noise ratio of better than 100:1 demonstrates that the background signal from scattered pump light is low despite the compact size of the optical system and meets the system sensitivity requirements.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 14032
- Report Number(s):
- SAND99-2463C; TRN: AH200136%%285
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: SPIE 1999 Symposium on Micromachining and Microfabrication, Santa Clara, CA (US), 09/20/1999--09/22/1999; Other Information: PBD: 16 Sep 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
DESIGN
DETECTION
FLUORESCENCE
OPTICAL SYSTEMS
SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO
SILICA
SUBSTRATES
MINIATURIZATION
FABRICATION
CHROMATOGRAPHY
LASERS
MICRO-OPTICS
VCSEL
ELECTROCHROMATOGRAPHY
DIFFRACTIVE OPTICS
SUBSTRATE-MODE
MICROFLUIDICS
CHEMICAL SENSING