Hands on: thermal bonding of nano- and microfluidic chips

Fused silica microchips have several attractive features; they are stable, transparent and allow fabrication with immense precision, also of nanochannels, which make them good candidates for both micro- and nanofluidics. Although fused silica microchips have been around for years, the single most difficult fabrication step, thermal bonding, remains a major hurdle. However, thermal bonding can be mastered by observing some simple rules. We provide an illustrated, step-by-step guide on how to prepare glass and fused silica microchips, pointing out pitfalls and advising correct manners for successful thermal bonding.