APEX™ Glass Technology
APEX™ Glass is a photodefinable glass-ceramic with unparalleled performance, processing ease, and scalability. Its microfabrication ability is well-suited for optical, microfluidic, biological analysis and even some micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) applications. For customers who have been frustrated by high glass microfabrication costs and scalability, APEX™ Glass offers an entirely new approach. Unlike plastics with their limited shelf life and bio-reactive side effects, this glass is inert, has an unlimited shelf life, and is easy to use. Because APEX™ Glass is processed in a highly scalable batch process, microfabricated parts can easily be scaled from prototype to commercial quantities at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods.
The APEX™ Glass Advantage
Plastics have been renowned for their ability to create microstructures in a highly scaleable manufacturing process. However, it is well documented that at the microscale, plastics have a variety of drawbacks leading to poor suitability for many applications. These drawbacks include: limited shelf-life, reactivity with biological and chemical molecules, their hydrophobic nature, porous structure, and optical transparency, among others.
In contrast, glasses have great suitability for most microscale applications like lab-on-a-chip products, but until recently their ability to be scaled cost-effectively has been non-existent. APEX™ Glass addresses this juxtaposition. APEX™ Glass is a product platform with the extreme ability to be scaled to meet the demands of any customer''s applications with near plastic part prices.
Simple Processing = Low Cost Products with Exceptional Results
APEX™ Glass is gaining in popularity among academic and industrial users because micro-structures can be produced using a simple three-step process.
APEX™ Glass is first exposed to ultraviolet light in a pattern. Second, the glass is baked in an oven transforming the exposed glass into a ceramic. Third, the glass is etched, where areas that were previously exposed to UV light are etched preferentially over non-exposed glass. This last process gives the final product it's 3D nature.
To find out more about how to process APEX™ Glass and the equipment needed, please check out our APEX™ Glass Resource Center or contact us directly.
APEX = Revolutionary