Microfabricated chromatography system

Chromatography columns have been traditionally packed with support particles. Novel monolithic chromatography systems were fabricated using microlithographic technology. Chromatography columns and other peripheral components of the chromatography systems were all in situ microfabricated using deep reactive ion etching on the same microchip. This thesis describes the architectural design, fabrication, and evaluation of their performance.;These microfabricated chromatography columns are based on collocated monolith support structures (COMOSS). COMOSS-based chromatography columns allow a great deal of freedom in design and selection of channel size, shape, and spatial distribution. The performance of COMOSS-based columns was clearly demonstrated with a 18 nL column made of 5 x 5 x 10 mum COMOSS separated by rectangular channels 1.5 mum wide and 10 mum deep.;A collocated monolith distributor (COMOD) and collocated monolith collector (COMOC) for COMOSS column were also fabricated together with the column in the same microchip. Discontinuity of mobile phase flow velocity and stagnant pools of mobile phase were effectively controlled in these modules. The COMOD and COMOC were about 150 mum longitudinal length and 60 pL in volume. Several column coupling structures, fluid turning connectors (FTC), serial column coupling structures (SCCS) and parallel column coupling structures (PCCS), are also described. Their application facilitated the integrated design of multiple parallel columns. A 100 pL static mixer was designed to achieve complete mixing of solvents and reagents in a path length of approximately 200 mum. Finally, these microfluidic analytical systems were protected from particle clogging using a filter in situ micromachined at the system inlets and outlets in the microchip.