Miniaturized Total Analysis Systems:  Integration of Electronics and Fluidics Using Low-Temperature Co-Fired Ceramics

Abstract

The advantages of microanalyzers, usually fabricated in silicon, glass, or polymers, are well-known. The design and construction of fluidic platforms are well-developed areas due to the perfectly established microfabrication technologies used. However, there is still the need to achieve devices that include not only the fluid management system but also the measurement electronics, so that real portable miniaturized analyzers can be obtained. Low-temperature co-fired ceramics technology permits the incorporation of actuators, such as micropumps and microvalves, controlled either magnetically, piezoelectrically, or thermally. Furthermore, electronic circuits can be also easily built exploiting the properties of these ceramics and the fact that they can be fabricated using a multilayer approach. In this work, taking advantage of the possibility of combining fluidics and electronics in a single substrate and using the same fabrication methodology, a chemical microanalyzer that integrates microfluidics, the detection system, and also the data acquisition and digital signal processing electronics is presented. To demonstrate the versatility of the technology, two alternative setups have been developed. In the first one, a modular configuration is proposed. In this case, the same electronic module can be used to determine different chemical parameters by simply exchanging the chemical module. In the second one, the monolithic integration of all the elements was accomplished, allowing the construction of compact and dedicated devices. Chloride ion microanalyzers have been constructed to demonstrate the operability of both device configurations. In all cases, the results obtained showed adequate analytical features.

Microfluidic ion-sensing devices

“…Detection limits for NH 4 + were in the range of 10 −5 M, with one order of magnitude higher limits obtained for nitrate. Other ceramic devices have been reported utilizing pressure-driven fluidics, an embedded Ag 2 S/AgCl electrode for chloride analysis, and integrated data acquisition and signal processing electronics [60]. The devices demonstrated slightly sub-Nernstian sensitivities, but possessed M detection limits and were capable of highly reproducible (1-2% R.S.D.)…”

Biparametric Potentiometric Analytical Microsystem Based on the Green Tape Technology

“…Pretreatment stages [1][2][3], different types of detection systems [4][5][6][7], actuators or measurement and data acquisition systems [8,9] can be easily integrated in a substrate through the fabrication of three-dimensional geometries by means of a multilayer approach. The technique was firstly conceived to develop compact and miniaturized electronic devices because of the symbiotic assembling of fluidics and electronics [10,11]. More recently, it has been proposed for the construction of miniaturized chemical analyzers [12][13][14][15][16][17][18].…”

LTCC microreactor for urea determination in biological fluids

“…The most important features of the LTCC technology in respect to microdevices fabrication are the following: 3D structuring, integration of various components in one module, possibility of combining with various materials [10,11,25]. The advantages of LTCC structure, in comparison with silicon one, are as follows: lower price, shorter design and development time and possibility of integration of fluidic channels, heater, sensors and package in one LTCC module [12][13][14][15].…”