Adhesion methods for manufacturing multilaminate devices

Abstract

Methods for effecting monomolecular adhesion are described. Adhesion may be effected by contacting a first and second bonding surface, wherein a first reactant for a chemical bonding reaction is plurally present on the first bonding surface, a second reactant for the chemical bonding reaction is plurally present on the second bonding surface, and the surfaces are contacted for a time and under conditions sufficient to permit the chemical reaction to bond a sufficient number of first reactants to second reactants to attach the bonding surfaces. A molecular linker may optionally be used. Methods for producing multi-laminate structures, wherein successive layers are monomolecularly bonded, are described, as are multi-laminate structures so constructed. The monomolecular bonding between successive layers prevents extrusion of adhesive, obviates use of elevated temperatures to effect adhesion, and presents other advantages useful in the construction of nanoscale and microscale devices for clinical and analytic use.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A method of attaching a first bonding surface to a second bonding surface, said method comprising the steps of: 
 contacting said first bonding surface to said second bonding surface in the presence of a linker molecule;    providing a first reactant for a first chemical bonding reaction that is plurally present on said first bonding surface;    providing a first reactant for a second chemical bonding reaction that is plurally present on,said second bonding surface;    providing said linker with a second reactant for said first chemical bonding reaction and a second reactant for said second chemical bonding reaction; and    placing said surfaces and said linker in contact with each other for a time and under conditions sufficient to permit said first and second chemical reactions to bond said linker concurrently to both first and second bonding surfaces in numbers sufficient to attach said first bonding surface to said second bonding surface.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of disposing upon said first bonding surface a plurality of said first chemical reaction first reactant.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising the step of disposing upon said second bonding surface a plurality of said second chemical reaction first reactant before said contacting step.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said step of disposing includes exposure of said bonding surface to a gas plasma.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said plasma is selected from the group consisting of ammonia plasma, oxygen plasma, and halogen plasma.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said plasma is ammonia plasma.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the chemical bond formed in at least one of said bonding reactions is a covalent bond.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the chemical bond formed at least one of said bonding reactions is a dative bond.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said dative bond includes at least on bonding atom that is a metal.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said metal is gold.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said metal is platinum.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first bonding surface first reactant and said second bonding surface first reactant are the same.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said linker is bis-epoxy-polyethylene glycol.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said linker is maleimido-polyethylene glycol.  
     
     
         15 . A method for constructing a multilaminate structure, said method comprising the steps of: 
 attaching a first adherend to a second adherend, said attached adherends serving as first adherend in any subsequent iteration of the step; and    performing said attaching step by contacting a bonding surface of said first adherend to a bonding surface of said second adherend, wherein a first reactant for a chemical bonding reaction is plurally present on said first adherend bonding surface, a second reactant for said chemical bonding reaction is plurally present on said second adherend bonding surface, and said surfaces are contacted for a time and under conditions sufficient to permit said chemical reaction to bond a sufficient number of said first reactants to said second reactants to attach said first adherend bonding surface to said second adherend bonding surface.    
     
     
         16 . A method for constructing a multilaminate structure, the method comprising at least on iteration of the step of: 
 attaching a first adherend to a second adherend, said attached adherends serving as firs adherend in any subsequent iteration of the step;    wherein said attaching step is performed by contacting a bonding surface of said first adherend to a bonding surface of said second adherend in the presence of a linker molecule, wherein a first reactant for a first chemical bonding reaction is plurally present on said first adherend bonding surface, wherein a first reactant for a second chemical bonding reaction is plurally present on said second adherend bonding surface, wherein said linker includes a second reactant for said first chemical bonding reaction and a second reactant for said second chemical bonding reaction, and said surfaces and said linker are contacted for a, time and under conditions sufficient to permit said first and second chemical reactions to bond said linker concurrently to said first adherend surface and said second adherend surface in numbers sufficient to attach said forst adherend bonding surface to said second adherend bonding surface.    
     
     
         17 . A multilaminate structure produced by at least one iteration of the process of  claim 15 .  
     
     
         18 . A multilaminate structure produced by at least on iteration of the process of  claim 16 .  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said step of disposing includes exposure of said bonding surface to a gas plasma.