Powder blasting for the realisation of microchips for bio-analytic applications

We introduce powder blasting for the fabrication of glass microchips. Powde r blasting is a fast and cheap technique with which we pattern channels in sodalime and pyrex glass with a width down to 100 mum. We combine the techn ique with appropriate bonding procedures to realise sealed microchannel str uctures. We study the transport of fluorescent dye solutions and fluorescen t beads within channels made by powder blasting and in 'classical' channels made by HF-etching. We find a remarkable difference in sign of the electri c field induced flow for both types of channels and explain the observed st rong plug broadening effects in the powder blasted channels. (C) 2001 Elsev ier Science B.V. All rights reserved.