Scalable wafer level production of consumables made of

non-CMOS compatible materials on glass

Dr. Alexios-Paul Tzannis

• Challenges in the field of microfluidics

• A diversified market

• Lack of Standardisation

• Opportunities utilizing the foundry concept

• IMT’s solution

• Conclusions and outlook

Outline

• Each application is based on a different detection

scheme, i.e. biosensor technology

• Though same application, due to patent restrictions

different road paths

• no standardisation

• Understanding the needs translate these into

deliverables

• Immense time pressure

• Multiple iterations

• rapid prototypes

• ability to scale-up

• Cost efficiency

Challenges for a foundry

What is a biosensor??

A biosensor is an analytical device, used for the detection of an analyte, that

combines a biological component with a physicochemical detector.

Signal Transduction Mechanisms

Diverse road maps

No standardisation

Source: Corning Life Sciences 2012 at ALSSA

Fall Senior Management Conference.

The Life Science Tools

market is very diverse in

terms of technologies;

molecular and cellular

biology tools and reagents

account for 36%

A diversified market

Advances in technology promote decentralization

Source: Scientia Analysis, Roche

Medical equipment are decreasing in size and becoming easier to use

SEMI-PORTABLE EQUIPMENT

TRADITIONAL EQUIPMENT

Large, stationary equipment that

must be operated by healthcare professionals

MOBILE EQUIPMENT

Bench-top and handheld devices

used in clinics and POs allowing for faster, on-site

results

Small devices for clinical and in-

home use requiring little to no professional

assistance

FUTURE

Ref: ©2015 | www.yole.fr | Microfluidic Applications 2015

Material of choice vs. Application

Classical questions to be addressed

• I want to utilise fluorescence detection

• transparency at the UV or visible range

• Single molecule detection low signal

• I want to utilise an electrochemical transducer • Integrate electrodes in the chip

• They have to be of Au

• I need to modulate my signal in the KHz

• I want many measuring points per mm2

• Bio functionalisation, e.g. covalent bond chemistry

• Localised bio functionalisation

• periodic sub-micron bio functionalisation

• I want mass manufacturing and low cost

• I need integration of filters, pumps, wet chemistry on the cartridge

• It needs to be dummy safe

Initial idea prototyping Serial

production

Feasibility Iteration &

Ramp-up strategy

Scalability

Standardisation

QC

IMT’s value chain for MF consumables supply

How do we address the diverse requirements of the life science community?

• Implement full MEMS compatible processes

• Address the challenges by utilising non-CMOS compatible materials

• Target hybridisation to use the best of each material and technology

Automated process line for 200mm wafers

Glass cleaning Coating Resist Coating Exposure Wet Process

Dicing Final Cleaning Bonding AOI

Flexible Capacity > 14 - 20’000 wafers/month

from 1 to 1Mio. glass chips per month

RIE-cluster

Metallic and reactive sputtering

Automated loading and coating of

batches of 16 x 200mm wafers

Masking for HF-etched patterns in glass

Isotropy / Anisotropy is controlled

by selecting:

• The right mask material (chrome)

• The right tool and method (sputtering)

by tight control of:

• The masking material and its properties

• The glass material (polished, drawn, ..

320m

150m

Isotropically HF- etched structures Anisotropically etched HF- etched structures

HF Spray – etching chamber

High-volume controlled etching of lithographically defined

microstructures in glass

16 x Ø200mm Wafer / batch with excellent homogeneity (± 1% within the batch)

Complete processing dry-in – dry-out (Resist development,

chrome & glass etching resist/chrome strip)

Use of different

- chemistries and concentration (HF, HNO3, HCl,…) and

- glass types (B270, D263, Borofloat, Mempax, fused Silica,

Float….)

Development and large scale manufacture of

cost effective glass consumables

• Complete assembled flow cells

• Nano- and micro-patterns on glass

• Nano-wells and channels in glass

• Nano-pillars in glass

• Structured electrodes on glass

• Planar or structured Waveguides and phase gratings to guide and couple light

• Covalent bond chemistry

• Structured polymers (photoresists)

• Through-holes

• (Adhesive-) Bonding of glass substrates

• in-house master manufacture

• All processes in-house

Service offering to the Bio Photonics industry

• Structured polymers (SU-8, CBC, TMMF, Ordyl, CYTOP ...)

• Polymer as intermediary layer for micro fluidic solutions

• High degree of freedom in pattern design

• Combination with electrodes, waveguides, nano-wells and other patterns

possible, e.g. bio functionalisation

Chip functionalisation: intermediary layer

Ti-Au electrodes in a channel generated by

patterning SU-8. SU-8 pattern 350µm deep

Ti-Au electrodes integrated within a

microfluidic channel

Wafer Bonding by UV-adhesive transfer process

Adhesive Bonding

Bonding with adhesives can be used to

join many different materials, e.g.

Glass, Silicon, polymers . Often liquid

adhesives are used, which can be

cured thermally or by exposure to UV-A

light, offering a room-temperature

bonding process, which allows for bio-

molecule encapsulation.

Key features

• Ultra-thin selective adhesive transfer

technology with excellent uniformity

over large areas

• Room-temperature processes for

encapsulation of bio-materials

• Compatible with a wide range of

materials, e.g. CTE

• Insensitive to surface roughness

D263

D263/Silicon/Polymer

UV-cement

Hybridisation of materials

D263

D263

Hybrid materials (Glass-Si, Polymer-Si, Glass-Polymer…) are being increasingly

used, since they enable the integration of additional functionalities to the chips

(e.g. sensing functions: electrodes, measurement points, temperature probes,

optical sensors…).

This trend aims to answer the increasing demand for functional integration in

microfluidic devices.

Ta2O5 & grating / nano-wells / electrodes / structured covalent bonds

S.C. Bürgel et al. / Sensors and Actuators B 210 (2015) 82–90

Hybridisation of Materials / Technologies

Hybrid solution proposed by IMEC / BE, http://www2.imec.be/be_en/home.html

VirCelChip NMI Reutlingen / MFCS / IMT AG

IMT AG

Hybridisation of Materials / Technologies

IMT AG Veredus Laboratories / STMicroelectronics Pacific Biosystems

Pick&Place equipment

Conclusions

IMT AG provides leading edge BioMEMS technology transferring the

microfabrication know-how originally developed for microelectronics into

flexible and scalable solutions for the manufacturing of micro- and

nanostructures on/in glass for consumables in life science applications and

components in medical instruments and equipment. CMOS processes for non-CMOS materials:

• free choice of glass substrate or other

• Electrodes of Gold, ITO, Platinum

• Adhesives and polymers

• Silanes, …

Opportunities for the customer:

• Hybrid solutions

• wide process portfolio for biosensor consumables

• From one-off prototypes to large scale manufacturing

• Full QC, complete traceability

• Effective turn-around times and optimal costs scenarios

IMT your solution provider

Thank you for

your attention!

Dr. Alexios Paul Tzannis

Business Development Manager

+41 44943 1966

atzannis@imtag.ch