EN-A1 and AQ-grade quartz are the industry’s preferred biosensor glass substrates for Lab-on-a-Chip (LOAC), microfluidics devices, DNA microreactors, micro-nano sensors, and handheld point-of-care diagnostic devices in life sciences. Each grade is optimized for a different point on the cost/performance curve, with engineered surfaces for the micro-channel structures that LOAC platforms depend on.
EN-A1: the high-volume workhorse
EN-A1 is a low-cost substrate for high-volume applications where signal-to-noise is not the dominant requirement.
- Lowest-in-class fluorescing emission. Makes it the premier choice for 570 nm and 670 nm bio-markers used in DNA gene sequencing and expression studies.
- Sodium-free. Works well with most chemistries; does not interfere with detection or cause premature polymerization.
- Standard thicknesses of 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 mm.
- Standard polish of < 1 nm Ra. Roughness from 5 Å down to < 2 Å available for special applications.
- Pre-drilled vias from 70 µm down to 30 µm, with or without copper fill.
- Wafer sizes up to 300 mm.
- Panel formats available to increase yield and lower manufacturing cost.
- A variety of metallic coatings can be applied.
AQ quartz: the performance substrate
AQ quartz delivers the cleanest, lowest-autofluorescence surface for reactor microarrays and sequencing where absolute performance is required.
- No detectable fluorescing emission in the priority frequency range for CY3 and CY5 bio-markers. The ultimate substrate for biological-marker applications.
- Transparent down to 190 nm.
- Low and controllable surface roughness.
- Low electrical loss and exceptionally low RF tan δ for low-power sensors.
- Wafer sizes up to 300 mm.
- Pre-drilled vias from 70 µm down to 30 µm, with or without copper fill.
- A variety of metallic coatings can be applied.
Selecting between them
For high-volume diagnostic devices where cost dominates, EN-A1 typically gives the right balance of optical performance and manufacturability. For research, sequencing, and high-precision sensors where absolute fluorescence performance or sub-200 nm transmission matters, AQ is the substrate to specify.
Applications
- Lab-on-a-Chip (LOAC) devices
- DNA microreactors and gene-sequencing microarrays
- Micro-nano sensors and biosensors
- Handheld diagnostic devices
Documents
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Specifications
Detailed specifications available on request. Use the form below.
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