Hi All,

I am making a microfluidic device for electrokinetic studies. The device
will
consist of a channel deep-etched into silicon and a top layer consisting of
glass. I want to use anodic bonding to bond the device.
Because I will use the device for electrokinetic studies I need to be able
to
apply high voltages over the liquid in the channel. A problem here is of
course
that the native oxide on the silicon wafer will breakdown causing a short
circuit
through the silicon wafer. Therefore I want to apply an insulation layer on
the
silicon before the bonding. This layer will most likely be an oxide.
The insulating layer is likely to interfere with the anodic bonding process.
Has anyone tried a similar process ? The parameters that I am most
interested in
are the thickness of the insulating layer and the voltage and temperature
for
the anodic bonding process.... Voltages that I expect to use are around 50 -
250V.

Any help is greatly appreciated ! :-)

Heiko van der Linden

Delft University of Technology
Delft, the Netherlands