Vacuum fusion bonded glass plates having microstructures thereon

Patent · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2001

OSTI ID:874049

Swierkowski, Steve P ^[1]; Davidson, James C ^[1]; Balch, Joseph W ^[1]

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1. Livermore, CA

An improved apparatus and method for vacuum fusion bonding of large, patterned glass plates. One or both glass plates are patterned with etched features such as microstructure capillaries and a vacuum pumpout moat, with one plate having at least one hole therethrough for communication with a vacuum pumpout fixture. High accuracy alignment of the plates is accomplished by a temporary clamping fixture until the start of the fusion bonding heat cycle. A complete, void-free fusion bond of seamless, full-strength quality is obtained through the plates; because the glass is heated well into its softening point and because of a large, distributed force that is developed that presses the two plates together from the difference in pressure between the furnace ambient (high pressure) and the channeling and microstructures in the plates (low pressure) due to the vacuum drawn. The apparatus and method may be used to fabricate microcapillary arrays for chemical electrophoresis; for example, any apparatus using a network of microfluidic channels embedded between plates of glass or similar moderate melting point substrates with a gradual softening point curve, or for assembly of glass-based substrates onto larger substrates, such as in flat panel display systems.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• Assignee: The Regents of the University of California (Oakland, CA)
• Patent Number(s): US 6301931
• OSTI ID: 874049
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/65/156/204/349/356/428/
accomplished
accuracy
alignment
ambient
apparatus
arrays
assembly
bond
bonded
bonding
capillaries
channeling
channels
chemical
clamping
communication
complete
curve
cycle
developed
difference
display
distributed
drawn
due
electrophoresis
embedded
etched
example
fabricate
features
fixture
flat
force
full-strength
furnace
fusion
fusion bond
glass
glass plate
glass-based
gradual
heat
heated
hole
improved
larger
melting
method
microcapillary
microfluidic
microstructure
microstructures
moat
moderate
network
obtained
panel
panel display
patterned
plate
plates
presses
pressure
pumpout
quality
seamless
similar
softening
start
substrates
systems
temporary
therethrough
vacuum
vacuum fusion
void-free