Abstract
An X-ray microtomography system was used for inspecting and characterizing the packaging of micro mixers of planar configuration. Two types of micro mixers were machined from acrylic plate by means of precision milling, and four different packaging techniques were tested for mixer assembly: adhesive bonding, plasma bonding, screw-bolting, and xurography with doublesided tape. The interiors of the mixers were thoroughly examined by navigating the threedimensional images generated by the micro CT system. It was found that plasma bonding did not work well on acrylics. The boundaries between the acrylic plate and the plastic tape used in tape bonding were almost indistinguishable in the X-ray images because the densities of these two materials are very close. Of the different packaging techniques we tested tape bonding provided good sealing without the drawback of glue or sealing materials smeared into the mixing chamber or flow channels.
Highlights
X-ray based technologies have been commonly used for the inspection and characterization of a variety of natural and man-made materials and devices
Detailed information (e.g., [11]) about the application of X-ray CT for the inspection and characterization of microfluidics is rare. This motivated the present investigation of 3D X-ray images of micro mixers fabricated by different packaging techniques
The 3D images re-constructed by the micro CT system allow a nondestructive inspection of the interiors of a micro mixer after the mixer has been packaged
Summary
X-ray based technologies have been commonly used for the inspection and characterization of a variety of natural and man-made materials and devices. Innovative designs and methods (e.g., [5,6,7,8,9]) have been developed to improve bonding strengths and conditions, prevent adhesives and sealing materials smeared into the mixing chamber or flow channels, facilitate the packaging process, and reduce deformation during packaging Plasma bonding is another technique that has been applied to the packaging of plastic microchips and microfluidics fabricated from plastics as well as glass and metals. Detailed information (e.g., [11]) about the application of X-ray CT for the inspection and characterization of microfluidics is rare This motivated the present investigation of 3D (three-dimensional) X-ray images of micro mixers fabricated by different packaging techniques
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