Selective metallization of glass

Selective metallization of glass can be used to incorporate microelectronic components in microfluidic systems making it an important technique for further enhancing the functions of biochips. Both femtosecond-laser-assisted electroless plating and femtosecond laser surface modification combined with electroless plating can be used to selectively deposit thin metal films only on laser irradiated regions, even on the internal walls of microfluidic structures. Additionally, two-photon-induced metal ion reduction of a liquid or polymer containing metal ions by femtosecond laser direct writing can be used to fabricate three-dimensional metal microstructures on glass substrates that have a high electrical conductivity. These metallization techniques can be utilized to manufacture functional microcomponents including microheaters for space-selective control of temperature in microfluidic systems and surface-enhanced Raman scattering platforms for highly sensitive analysis of biochemical samples.