Investigation in the Application of MVD Technology to Life Science Consumables

Client : Semiconductor Equipment Tool Company

Project Duration : 2 months

A start-up MEMS tool company had developed a new Molecular Vapor Deposition (MVD) equipment for low consumption and high quality low volume MEMS semiconductor applications.

The client asked this consultant to help research the biotech and life-science field for potential application of this technology specifically in laboratory consumables. This consultant developed a detail business opportunity analysis and report to guide the sales and marketing team develop strategies for approaching specific consumable applications in the life-science market.

This consultant worked with the client technical personnel to develop a presentation poster for a local conference. This consultant approached several target customers and got two life science companies engaged in evaluating the client's technology for their consumable.

Following are some excerpt pages from the final 42 page report.

Investigation of Potential Applications for MVD technology in Life Science Research and Drug discovery

Phase I

Content Highlights :

• Overview of current Drug Discovery research assays and Screening
• Surface chemistry issues in Life-science research tools
• California companies involved in Life and Bioscience
• Summary and tasks for further investigation

Table of contents

1. Objective and Outline

2. Background and Overview

3. Life Science methods and applications

3.1 Drug Discovery

3.2 High Throughput Screening

3.3 Genomics, Genotyping and Proteomics

3.4 Combinatorial Chemistry

3.5 Diagnostics

3.6 Typical Assays in Life-science Research

3.6.1 Avidin-Biotin and Antibody-Hapten techniques

3.6.2 Immunoassays (ELISA)

3.6.3 Homogenous binding assays

3.6.4 Cell Based Assays

3.6.5 GPCR and Protein Kinase Inhibitors

3.7 Common Elements of most Life science assays

4. Tools of the Trade

4.1 Sample Handling and Preparation

4.2 Liquid Handling

4.2.1 Micro-volume dispensing

4.3 Consumables

4.3.1 Pipette tips

4.3.2 Glass Slides

4.3.4 Microplates

4.4 Purification, Filtration and Separation

4.4.1 Centrifugation

4.4.2 Solid Phase Extraction (SPE)

4.5 Amplification

4.6 Washing

4.7 Labeling

4.8 Detection

4.8.1 Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)

4.8.2 Electrophysiology

4.9 Disposal

4.10 Typical Surface Chemistry Issues implication on data

4.11 Type of Errors

5. Life Science Companies in California

6. Brief Description of the MVD Process

7. Benefits of the MVD process for Life-science tools

8. Limitations of the MVD process for Life-science tools

9. Suggested projects and investigation studies for Phase 2

Appendix A

Appendix B

Appendix C

6. Brief Description of the MVD Process

The molecular vapor deposition technique (MVD) provides a surface modification method for a variety of substrate materials. The method involves remote plasma treatment followed by the application of an adhesion promoting layer and functional organic layer deposition in a single vacuum chamber without substrate transfer. The MVD method has been applied to a variety of biologically important substrate/coating technologies, such as organo-functional layers on glass slides, polymeric and silicon substrates. The MVD method is shown to be a scalable, batch process with excellent uniformity. The properties of MVD-deposited organic layers and their stability in aqueous environments are reported to be better than traditional wet coating methods.

7. Benefits of the MVD process for Life-science tools

• The surface quality (i.e. roughness and porosity) produced from this process is uniform, smooth and conformal. It depends mainly on the coating compound and substrate.
• MVD can convert a hydrophobic plastic surface (i.e. Polypropylene or Polyethylene) into a hydrophilic surface. Masking is also possible. This is a low cost and fast process compared to other processes i.e. SAM or even liquid phase.
• MVD can attach hydrophobic coatings for cell attachment on glass substrates. No geometrical or dimensional distortions expected.
• Various chemistries with the same tool can be applied at room temperature.
• This process can coat non-functional and inert elements on metal parts like electrodes, and dispensing needles.
• Features as small as 0.03 um Diameter can reliably be coated with this process. A long (1000mm) 120 um capillary tube can also be coated uniformly internally and externally.

8. Limitations of the MVD process for Life-science tools

• The monolayer coating is not rugged. It can easily be scrapped in handling or by contact with hard objects. So it cannot be used successfully for multiuse and human handling devices i.e. dispense needles.
• Coating enzymes and peptides is not possible since these substances cannot be vaporized, and some other compounds on some substrates may require special chemistry and process optimization not developed yet.
• The process might not be cost effective for low value/high volume consumables. The throughput and cost per part of current liquid coating methods might still be cost effective than the compound saving and the quality or flexibility of the MVD coating process.

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