<title>Laminated ceramic components for microfluidic applications</title>

Abstract

Applications for micro fluidic components continue to expand as the benefits resulting from the small volumes and light weight of such devices are recognized. Such benefits are particularly attractive for man-portable and automotive devices where reduction of weight is critical. As applications expand, so too does the need for the development of methods for producing micro fluidic components from unconventional materials (i.e., materials other than silicon). At the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, we are currently developing processes for producing laminated multilevel ceramic components containing microchannel features that will find applications in micro fluidic chemical processing and energy management systems. Thin layers of green ceramic tape are patterned with micro fluidic flow features using one of a number of cutting processes. The patterned layers are then stacked and laminated with other layers of green tape, ceramic plate, or other materials using a series of processing steps. The resulting monolithic, leak-tight micro fluidic ceramic components are capable of tolerating high temperature or chemically corrosive environments. Fabrication issues associated with the use of the green ceramic tape for this type of application will be discussed, and examples of test components produced using these processes will be presented.