Highly Sensitive Microfluidic Chip Sensor for Biochemical Detection

Chip calorimetry offers a power tool for fast and high throughput analysis of biochemical process. However, it is challenging to realize an inexpensive, easy to fabricate microfluidic chip-based calorimeter with high sensitivity. This paper describes the design of a novel, highly sensitive, and continuous flow microfluidic chip sensor with an integrated antimony (Sb)-bismuth (Bi) thin-film thermopile heat detection element. The geometry and the design of the microfluidic device facilitate hydrodynamic flow focusing, and the integration and design of the thermopile sensor into the microfluidic device eliminates the need for reference temperature control. The device contains a single flow channel that is 120 μm high and 10-mm wide with two fluid inlets and one fluid outlet. An Sb-Bi thin film thermopile is fabricated on the inner surface of the bottom channel wall using thermal evaporation and was passivized with a 3 μm SU-8 photoresist layer. The device has been successfully used to measure the dynamic temperature changes resulting from heat generation following the mixing of glycerol and water. The effect of flow rates on the sensor's response was measured. The sensor can detect dynamic temperature changes in the order of 10-6 K. The limit of detection of heat power of the device was calculated to be 8.8 pW. With the obtained remarkable sensitivity and heat power detection limit, the microfluidic chip sensor can potentially be used to investigate biochemical processes, such as enzyme-catalysed reactions, and metabolic activity of cells.