Microelectronic device with heating electrodes

Abstract

The invention relates to different designs of a microelectronic device comprising heating electrodes (HE) and field electrodes (FE) that have effect in the same sub-region of a sample chamber. By applying appropriate voltages to the field electrodes (FE), an electrical field (E) can be generated in the sample chamber. By applying appropriate currents to the heating electrodes (HE), the sample chamber can be heated according to a desired temperature profile. The heating electrodes (HE) may optionally be operated as field electrodes such that they generate an electrical field in the sample chamber, too.

1 . A microelectronic device for manipulating a sample, comprising:
 a) a sample chamber;   b) at least one heating electrode for exchanging heat with at least a sub-region of the sample chamber when being driven with electrical energy;   c) at least one field electrode for generating an electrical field in said sub-region of the sample chamber when an electrical potential is applied to it;   d) a control unit for selectively driving the electrodes.   
   
   
       2 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 1 ,
 characterized in that the heating electrode is disposed in a first layer, called “heating layer”, and the field electrode is disposed in a second layer, called “field layer”, said layers being arranged one upon the other adjacent to the sample chamber.   
   
   
       3 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 2 ,
 characterized in that the field layer is disposed between the sample chamber and the heating layer.   
   
   
       4 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 2 ,
 characterized in that the heating layer and the field layer each comprise a plurality of heating electrodes and field electrodes, respectively, wherein the electrodes of different layers are preferably aligned with respect to each other.   
   
   
       5 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 4 ,
 characterized in that the field electrodes are at least partially disposed above gaps between the heating electrodes.   
   
   
       6 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 4 ,
 characterized in that the field electrodes are at least partially disposed above the heating electrodes.   
   
   
       7 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 4 ,
 characterized in that the field electrodes are at least partially arranged at an angle, preferably a right angle, to the heating electrodes.   
   
   
       8 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 1 ,
 characterized in that it comprises an array of heating electrodes.   
   
   
       9 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 8 ,
 characterized in that the control unit is located outside the array and connected to the heating electrodes by power lines for selectively carrying electrical energy.   
   
   
       10 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 9 ,
 characterized in that the control unit comprises a de-multiplexer for coupling it to the power lines.   
   
   
       11 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 8 ,
 characterized in that each heating electrode is associated with a local driving unit.   
   
   
       12 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 11 ,
 characterized in that all local driving units are coupled to a common power line and that all heating elements are coupled to another common power line.   
   
   
       13 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 8 ,
 characterized in that a part of the control unit is located outside the array and connected to local driving units, which are located at and coupled to the heating electrodes, via control lines for carrying control signals.   
   
   
       14 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 13 ,
 characterized in that control signals are pulse-width modulated, pulse-amplitude modulated, and/or pulse frequency modulated.   
   
   
       15 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 13 ,
 characterized in that the local driving units comprise a memory for storing the information of the control signals.   
   
   
       16 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 1 ,
 characterized in that the field electrode is a bi-functional electrode, which can by definition also be operated like a heating electrode.   
   
   
       17 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 16 ,
 characterized in that it comprises several field electrodes which all are bi-functional electrodes.   
   
   
       18 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 16 ,
 characterized in that the control unit is adapted to drive the bi-functional electrode simultaneously and/or sequentially like a field electrode and like a heating electrode.   
   
   
       19 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 16 ,
 characterized in that the bi-functional electrode is connected with one pole to a first potential and, via a switch controlled by the control unit, with its second pole to a distinct second potential.   
   
   
       20 . The microelectronic device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises at least two field electrodes which commonly generate an electrical field in said sub-region of the sample chamber when an electrical voltage is applied between them. 
   
   
       21 - 48 . (canceled)