Introduction

A photonic crystal optofluidic microsystem (Figure 1) and a process for realizing the same. Optofluidic devices with photonic crystals are currently proposed for several applications, such as optical telecommunications, sensors and biosensors and, more generally, Lab-on-Chip and more. But the techniques known to date have some important issues, as the complexity of construction and assembly due to the small size of the photonic crystal, resulting in improper filling of the crystal cavities and therefore a poor accuracy in the analysis. Another problem of these microsystems is represented by their high cost.

Technical features

The creation of the photonic crystal optofluidic microsystem, providing a simple manufacturing procedure, aims to obviate the previously mentioned drawbacks. The microsystem can be marketed already provided with optical fibers in the housings, equipped with plugs, pigtails or other means of attachment to connect them with external devices. It can also be thought as a “building block” to be manufactured multiple times on the same chip simultaneously. The various base blocks can be connected to each other  via fluidics or optically in series or parallel, so as to obtain a true optofluidic network of considerable precision and real Lab-on-Chip. In this context, the technical task underlying the present invention is the creation of an optofluidic microsystem with photonic crystals and a process for its construction capable of substantially obviating the aforementioned drawbacks (see Technical Annex).

Possible Applications

• Production of lasers, sensors and optical biosensors;
• Processes for making a simple photonic crystal optofluidic microsystem;
• Fabrication of analytical systems with a housing for optical fiber placement;
• The microsystem can be fabricated multiple times on the same chip simultaneously.

Advantages

• Ease of assembly and use;
• Increased sensitivity;
• Achievement of high quality measurements with reduced cost;
• Possibility of reading both in transmission and in reflection, so as to be able to compare data, in theory specular, and derive a more accurate and error-free reading.