Polymer microring resonator directly patterned by multilevel-nanoimprint: Integration into a biosensor system with a miniaturized microfluidic system

With optical biosensors based on planar optical waveguides, much progress was achieved in the last decade. Due to their high sensitivity, small size and good ability for integration, waveguides of microring resonator shape were identified to be especially suited for biosensor applications. Biosensing with microring resonators is typically carried out with reliable but bulky lab tools. Sensors are typically not integrated in portable sensor systems with a microfluidic system, laser source, detector as well as grating couplers. For point-of-care testing (POCT), these peripheral components are essential for an independent system usage. The biosensor system proposed in this work is based on a sensor chip with functional, polymeric microring resonators. With multilevel grating couplers, a miniaturized microfluidic system and cost-efficient UV-based nanoimprint (UV-NIL) manufacturing technology, the biosensor system has a high potential for further miniaturization and the use for POCT. The main focus in this work is the integration of a microfluidic system that allows the supply with analyte solutions and the processing of automated biosensor experiments. The influence of the microfluidic system on the sensing performance is discussed.