Optofluidic Lab-on-a-Chip Fluorescence Sensor Using Integrated Buried ARROW (bARROW) Waveguides

Optofluidic, lab-on-a-chip fluorescence sensors were fabricated using buried anti-resonant reflecting optical waveguides (bARROWs). The bARROWs are impervious to the negative water absorption effects that typically occur in waveguides made using hygroscopic, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) oxides. These sensors were used to detect fluorescent microbeads and had an average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) that was 81.3% higher than that of single-oxide ARROW fluorescence sensors. While the single-oxide ARROW sensors were annealed at 300 °C to drive moisture out of the waveguides, the bARROW sensors required no annealing process to obtain a high SNR.