Highly integrated hybridization assay and capillary electrophoresis have im
proved the throughput of DNA analysis. The shift to high throughput analysi
s requires a high speed DNA amplification system, and several rapid PCR sys
tems have been developed. In these thermal cyclers, the temperature was con
trolled by effective methodology instead of a large heating/cooling block p
reventing rapid thermal cycling. In our research, high speed PCR was perfor
med using a silicon-based microchamber array and three heat blocks. The hig
hly integrated microchamber array was fabricated by semiconductor micro fab
rication techniques. The temperature of the PCR microchamber was controlled
by alternating between three heat blocks of different temperature. In gene
ral, silicon has excellent thermal conductivity, and the heat capacity is s
mall in the miniaturized sample volume. Hence, the heating/cooling rate was
rapid, approximately 16 degreesC/s. The rapid PCR was therefore completed
in 18 min for 40 cycles. The thermal cycle time was reduced to 1/10 of a co
mmercial PCR instrument (Model 9600, PE Applied Biosystems-3 h). (C) 2001 E
lsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.