Microfluidic glass chip

Glass chips are an important tool in microfluidic technology, employing glass as the fabrication material for the chips. Compared to conventional polymer chips, glass chips offer excellent optical transparency, chemical inertness, thermal stability and biocompatibility.

These properties make glass chips widely used in life science research, medical diagnosis and drug screening. The preparation process of glass chips is diverse, and tiny structures and microchannels can be precisely fabricated by micromachining, chemical etching and other methods to realize the integration of microfluidic systems.

Its highly controllable preparation process provides a more stable and reliable platform for experiments, while its transparency facilitates real-time observation of cells, particles or biochemical reactions within the microfluidics, providing an advanced and reliable solution for microfluidics applications.

1 Glass Chip Materials

Characteristics:

1 Superior optical transparency: Facilitates optical detection and observation.

2 Excellent corrosion resistance: Can withstand the corrosion of various acids, alkalis, and organic solvents, suitable for various chemical experiments and analyses.

3 Biocompatibility: Suitable for applications such as biological analysis and cell culture.

4 High-temperature resistance: Suitable for high-temperature reactions and thermal cycling experiments.

5 Processable: Glass material can undergo high-precision processing and micro/nano fabrication to manufacture microchannels and microreactors in microfluidic chips.

Property	B270	BF33	D263
Optical Performance	Exceptional optical transparency	High transmittance, low fluorescence, laser systems	General optical glass, microscope slides, biochips
Mechanical Strength	Higher compressive and flexural strength	Average	Average
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion	Moderate	Low	Moderate
Chemical Stability	Good, can withstand some chemicals	Good, low fluorescence, high corrosion resistance	Good, commonly used in the field of biology
Temperature Stability	Moderate	Good	Moderate
Complexity of Preparation	Moderate	Moderately difficult to corrode	Moderate
Main Application Scenarios	Conventional applications	Applications requiring low fluorescence background and corrosion resistance	Biosensors, often used in the biological field

2 Processing Methods:

Processing Methods:	Advantages	Disadvantages
wet etching	1）Suitable for the fabrication of microfluidic channels with low cost. 2）Capable of mass production	1）Uneven etching, prone to undercutting. 2）Chemical liquids are harmful to the environment and require proper disposal.
dry etching	1）Achieves anisotropic and precise etching 2）Suitable for high aspect ratio microstructures.	1)Low etching rate. 2)Low selective etching.
laser fabrication	High preparation efficiency.	1）Glass is brittle and prone to microcracks. 2）Poor quality of the groove bottom.
mechanical fabrication	High preparation efficiency.	1）Difficult to obtain a smooth processing surface. 2）The size of microstructures is limited by the tools.
photostructuring	1)No need for photoresist layer. 2)Suitable for photosensitive glass.	1）The preparation time is relatively long. 2）High cost.
molding process	Efficient fabrication of microstructures.	Challenges in mold preparation and parameter optimization need to be addressed.

wet etching

The efficient processing of microfluidic glass chip channels with a depth of 20um or more, and a depth-to-width ratio above 2:1.

The basic process of microfabrication for microfluidic glass chips includes steps such as coating, exposure, development, etching, and de-molding. Wet etching and dry etching can be chosen based on channel requirements. Wet etching exhibits isotropy, while dry etching demonstrates anisotropy. Currently, wet etching of glass is the most widely used method for microfluidic glass chips.

Wet etching process for microfluidic glass chips:

Dxfluidics product ( standard Glass chip)

Product Code	Outline （mm）	Width （um）	Height （um）	Thickness （mm）	Chip material	Price （CNY）
J0001	22.5*15	105&300	50	2+2	BF270	1000
J0002	22.5*15	105	50	2+2	BF270	1000
J0003	22.5*15	105&300	50	2+2	BF270	1000
J0004	22.5*15	105	50	2+2	BF270	1000
J0005	22.5*15	105	50	2+2	BF270	1000
J0006	22.5*15	105	50	2+2	BF270	1000
J0007	22.5*15	450	50	2+2	BF270	1000
Chip fixture		/	/	/	Al	1500

Our company also provides customized microfluidic glass chip processing services. For specific details, please feel free to contact us at +86-17751163890 (also available on WeChat) or email：sale@dxfluidics.com.

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