Fab on a Package: LTCC Microfluidic Devices Applied to Chemical Process Miniaturization

Abstract

Microfluidics has brought diverse advantages to chemical processes, allowing higher control of reactions and economy of reagents and energy. Low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) have additional advantages as material for fabrication of microfluidic devices, such as high compatibility with chemical reagents with typical average surface roughness of 0.3154 μm, easy scaling, and microfabrication. The conjugation of LTCC technology with microfluidics allows the development of micrometric-sized channels and reactors exploiting the advantages of fast and controlled mixing and heat transfer processes, essential for the synthesis and surface functionalization of nanoparticles. Since the chemical process area is evolving toward miniaturization and continuous flow processing, we verify that microfluidic devices based on LTCC technology have a relevant role in implementing several chemical processes. The present work reviews various LTCC microfluidic devices, developed in our laboratory, applied to chemical process miniaturization, with different geometries to implement processes such as ionic gelation, emulsification, nanoprecipitation, solvent extraction, nanoparticle synthesis and functionalization, and emulsion-diffusion/solvent extraction process. All fabricated microfluidics structures can operate in a flow range of mL/min, indicating that LTCC technology provides a means to enhance micro- and nanoparticle production yield.

Microfluidic Platform for Examination of Effect of Chewing Xylitol Gum on Salivary pH, O2, and CO2

“…Besides standard Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) fabrication technology for MF chip fabrication [26], the other proposed technologies combine different materials and bonding solutions. Some of the commonly used technologies are realizing MF chips in glass [27], PMMA [28], low-temperature, co-fired ceramics (LTCC) [29], 3D printing [30], paper [31] etc. In addition, different hybrid fabrication technologies have been developed by combining different materials and technologies [32,33].…”

Novel Platform for Droplet Detection and Size Measurement Using Microstrip Transmission Lines

“…The device used for droplet detection and size measurement in microwave frequencies is illustrated in Figure 1a. The microfluidic device was fabricated using the DuPont Green Tape TM 951P2 LTCC [22,23]. In order to produce single emulsions, a T-junction geometry was designed, as can be seen in the right side of the channel layer in Figure 1a.…”

Microfluidic Modules Integrated with Microwave Components—Overview of Applications from the Perspective of Different Manufacturing Technologies

“…Moreover, a new trend of fabricating ceramic microsystems has recently appeared-additive manufacturing, which in the near future will significantly increase the variety of fabricated ceramic microsystems [73]. Hence, LTCC seems to be suited for solutions combining microfluidic components with microwave technology, a trend that can be observed in the literature [13,[74][75][76].…”