Plasma in Microchannel

Abstract

Without Abstract Synonyms Microchannel glow discharge; Microchannel surface modification; Microchannel surface sterilization; Plasma bonding Definition Gas plasma, a fourth state of matter, is a neutral composition of ions, electrons, radicals, and photons that is synthesized by applying energy to a gas at atmospheric pressure or within a vacuum. Gas plasma can be used to enhance the functionality of microdevices for various biological and chemical applications. The effects of plasma in microchannels are regulated by parameters such as the type of gas, power intensity, chamber pressure and duration of the treatment. Overview Microchannels that range in diameter from tens to hundreds of microns have emerged as potentially powerful tools for a variety of biomedical applications. They can be used to minimize sample volume and reduce costs, as well as to increase throughput and analysis sensitivity. Since microfluidic devices operate at small length scales, their functionality is greatly dependent on their surface properties, which vary depending on the type of material that is used to fabricate the channel and the subsequent surface modifications. Microchannels have traditionally been fabricated from commonly used materials from the semiconductor industry, such as silicon. Silicon offers many advantages for microchannel fabrication, such as standardized fabrication procedures and easy integration with electronics. Despite these merits, silicon is opaque and brittle and cannot be used for fabricating transparent microfluidic devices that require light based sensors. To overcome these difficulties, glass microfluidic channels have also been developed, however, the fabrication of these devices, similar to those of silicon microchannels is time consuming, expensive and requires the use of a clean room facility. As a result, polymeric microchannels have recently emerged as potentially valuable alternatives. Polymers that have previously