A Hybrid Microwave Source and Irradiator for Biological Lab On a Chip Applications.

Using a standard lithographic process, we have built a hybrid microwave irradiator for use in microwave enhanced chemistry and localized, rapid heating. The device combines a 100mW microwave source with a near field antenna to produce an entirely on-chip system for delivering microwave energy into a thin($<$100$\mu $m) layer above a substrate. The antenna utilizes a serpentine wire pattern to produce a thin layer of intense microwave electromagnetic field intensity that falls off exponentially in distance away from the substrate. The device, including RF electronics, was built on a standard 1'' by 3'' glass slide, and several antenna pixel sizes are tested for Biological Lab On a Chip Applications. This work is made possible by the NSEC NSF grant PHY-0117795.