Seamless integration of CMOS and microfluidics using flip chip bonding

We demonstrate the microassembly of PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) microfluidics with integrated circuits made in complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processes. CMOS-sized chips are flip chip bonded to a flexible polyimide printed circuit board (PCB) with commercially available solder paste patterned using a SU-8 epoxy. The average resistance of each flip chip bond is negligible and all connections are electrically isolated. PDMS is attached to the flexible polyimide PCB using a combination of oxygen plasma treatment and chemical bonding with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. The total device has a burst pressure of 175 kPA which is limited by the strength of the flip chip attachment. This technique allows the sensor area of the die to act as the bottom of the microfluidic channel. The SU-8 provides a barrier between the pad ring (electrical interface) and the fluids; post-processing is not required on the CMOS die. This assembly method shows great promise for developing analytic systems which combine the strengths of microelectronics and microfluidics into one device.