First Prototype Silicon Micromixer

The first prototype micromixer was a roughly 1 mm thick silicon plate with the dimensions of ca. 17 X 30 mm (Fig. 15.4). The hrst trivial task to be solved was how to introduce reagents and organic solvents into this micromixer. The first approach was to glue a hypodermic needle onto the silicon chip. The resulting construction was fairly fragile and had to be stabilized by a polymer cast. 

This setup worked for aqueous solutions but not for organic solvents or aggressive reagents, which dissolved the glue or attacked the cast and the system became leaky. The cast was only applied in the inlet and outlet regions. The rest of the silicon body was not stabilized with the danger of braking. 

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