Microfluidic integration on detector arrays for absorption and fluorescence micro-spectrometers

We describe a new approach for miniaturizing spectrometers by combining replica molded elastomeric micro-channels with filtered silicon detector arrays. Elastomers are excellent transparent materials, which provide hermetic seals to silicon dioxide and allow sensitive. absorption and fluorescent spectroscopy in the visible and near-UV wavelength range. When integrated on dense detector arrays, such spectroscopy can be conducted on picoliter sample volumes. Elastomeric fluidic systems also permit easy integration of spectroscopic measurements with control functions for reaction monitoring and biological drug delivery and analysis systems. Here we present some results from our! first experiments in which we explore the sensitivity of spectroscopic measurements within microfluidic channels. We show that multi-channel spectrometers defined on complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) silicon detector arrays can be used to obtain absorption signatures even for dilute dye solutions. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.