Integration of electronic materials in microfluidic systems

Adam C. Siegel

This thesis describes several approaches for integrating electronic components--in the form of wires, sensors, and actuators--and microfluidic structures in lab-on-a-chip systems. Lab-on-a-chip systems are devices that combine one or more laboratory functions on a single, compact chip that is typically just a few square centimeters in size. By operating on small volumes of fluid (10 -9 to 10 -18 liters), these devices can be used to carry out separations and detections with high resolution and sensitivity using very little sample and reagent. The high surface-to-volume ratios and short diffusion paths that are characteristic of these devices allow for rapid heating, cooling, and analysis of a product. The chips can be manufactured in high quantity at low cost, and compact designs make it possible to analyze--and dispose of--samples at the point-of-need, rather than a centralized...