An electronic device manufacturing system includes: a gas supply; a mass flow controller (MFC) coupled to the gas supply; an inlet coupled to the MFC; an outlet; a control volume serially coupled to the inlet to receive a gas flow; and a flow restrictor serially coupled to the control volume and the outlet. A controller is adapted to allow the gas supply to flow gas through the control volume and the flow restrictor to achieve a stable pressure in the control volume, terminate the gas flow from the gas supply, and measure a rate of pressure decay in the control volume over time. A process chamber is coupled to a flow path, which is coupled to the mass flow controller, the process chamber to receive one or more process chemistries via the mass flow controller.

The present invention provides microfluidic technology enabling rapid and economical manipulation of reactions on the femtoliter to microliter scale.

A system and method provides a more precise mole delivery amount of a process gas, for each pulse of a pulse gas delivery, by measuring a concentration of the process gas and controlling the amount of gas mixture delivered in a pulse of gas flow based on the received concentration of the process gas. The control of mole delivery amount for each pulse can be achieved by adjusting flow setpoint, pulse duration, or both.

A system is provided to automatically monitor and control the operation of a microfluidic device using machine learning technology. The system receives images of a channel of a microfluidic device collected by a camera during operation of the microfluidic device. Upon receiving an image, the system applies a classifier to the image to classify the operation of the microfluidic device as normal, in which no adjustment to the operation is needed, or as abnormal, in which an adjustment to the operation is needed. When an image is classified as normal, the system may make no adjustment to the microfluidic device. If, however, an image is classified as abnormal, the system may output an indication that the operation is abnormal, output an indication of a needed adjustment, or control the microfluidic device to make the needed adjustment.

The invention relates to a microfluidic method for measuring viscosity in a micro droplet in a microfluidic system, comprising the steps of i) introducing a fluorescent molecule into a micro droplet otherwise comprising a fluid, ii) in the microfluidic system, exciting the fluorescent molecule in said micro droplet by applying light to the micro droplet, iii) measuring the resulting fluorescence emitted from the micro droplet thereby determining the viscosity of the fluid in the micro droplet. The invention also relates to method of screening for microorganisms or cells that produce viscosity-modulating compounds with desired properties. Finally, the invention also relates to the use of fluorescent molecules for measuring the viscosity of a fluid in a micro droplet in a microfluidic system.

The present invention provides microfluidic technology enabling rapid and economical manipulation of reactions on the femtoliter to microliter scale.

Mass flow verification systems and apparatus verify mass flow rates of mass flow controllers (MFCs) based on pressure decay principles. Embodiments include a location for coupling a calibrated gas flow standard or a MFC to be tested in a line to receive a gas flow from a gas supply; a control volume serially coupled to the location in the line to receive the gas flow; a flow restrictor serially coupled to the control volume; a pump serially coupled to the flow restrictor; and a controller adapted to allow the gas supply to flow gas through the mass flow control verification system to achieve a stable pressure in the control volume, terminate the gas flow from the gas supply, and measure a rate of pressure decay in the control volume over time. Numerous additional aspects are disclosed.

A fluid control apparatus includes a valve and a pump. The valve has a valve chamber surrounded by the first main plate, the second main plate, and the side plate. The first main plate has a first aperture, and the second main plate has a second aperture. The valve further includes a valve diaphragm disposed inside the valve chamber. The valve diaphragm is configured to switch between a state in which the first aperture and the second aperture communicate with each other and a state in which the first aperture and the second aperture do not communicate with each other. The pump includes a vibration unit that has a piezoelectric device and a vibrating plate. The pump has a pump chamber that is defined by the vibration unit and the second main plate. The pump chamber communicates with the valve chamber through the second aperture.

The present invention provides microfluidic technology enabling rapid and economical manipulation of reactions on the femtoliter to microliter scale.

The invention relates to a microfluidic method for measuring viscosity in a micro droplet in a microfluidic system, comprising the steps of i) introducing a fluorescent molecule into a micro droplet otherwise comprising a fluid, ii) in the microfluidic system, exciting the fluorescent molecule in said micro droplet by applying light to the micro droplet, iii) measuring the resulting fluorescence emitted from the micro droplet thereby determining the viscosity of the fluid in the micro droplet. The invention also relates to method of screening for microorganisms or cells that produce viscosity-modulating compounds with desired properties. Finally, the invention also relates to the use of fluorescent molecules for measuring the viscosity of a fluid in a micro droplet in a microfluidic system.