Research
Overview
Smart Scalable Systems (3S)
We fabricate Intelligent micro devices by semiconductor technology.
By using self-assembly technology we assemble micro devices for many different applications.
MicroLED display
Solarcell panel
Diagnosis Lab on a Chip platform
Scalable Display (MicroLED)
Micro-sized inorganic light-emitting diode (MicroLED) display, in which arrays of sub-100μm LED individually operate as single pixel, has received great attentions as a next generation display. Along with all the advantages of currently commercialized organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, MicroLED display has even more benefits such as very low power consumption, great external quantum efficiency, deep color expression and long lifespan without burn-in issue. Unlike conventional display technology, each inorganic MicroLED pixels such as gallium nitrides (GaN) are separately grown on a sapphire wafer and are transferred to the display substrate. To produce an ultra-high definition (UHD) MicroLED display, for example, more than 24 million LED chips smaller than 100μm must be transferred and individually operated as RGB pixels. The bottleneck for industrialization of MicroLED display is how to resolve the difficulties in assembling millions of chips with low cost and high throughput. Currently, we are developing FSA (Fluidic Self-Assembly) technology that can be applied to MicroLED displays.
Scalable Energy
We propose a manufacturing process that utilizes FSA technology to rapidly and cost-effectively assemble hundreds of GaAs solar cells. The process combines the module with the polymer LA to implement micro-CPV.
Scalable Biochips
(Diagnosis Lab on a Chip platform)
Cancer Diagnosis
Single cell analysis of heterogeneous circulating tumor cells (CTCs), by which the genomic profiles of rare single CTCs are connected to the clinical status of cancer patients, is crucial for understanding cancer metastasis and the clinical impact on patients. However, the heterogeneity in genotypes and phenotypes and rarity of CTCs have limited extensive single CTC genome research, further hindering clinical investigation. Despite recent efforts to build platforms that separate CTCs, the investigation on CTCs has been difficult due to the lack of a retrieval process at the single cell level. In this study, we applied Laser-induced Isolation of Microstructure on Optomechanically-transferrable-chip and sequencing (LIMO-seq) for whole genome sequencing of single CTCs. Also, we analyzed the whole genome sequences and the molecular profiles of the isolated single cells from a whole blood of a breast cancer patient.
Protein Diagnostic Assays
Barcoded planar microparticles are suitable for developing cost-efficient multiplexed assays. But robustness and efficiency of the readout process still needs improvement. Here, we designed a one-step microparticle assembling chip that produces efficient and accurate multiplex immunoassay readout results. Our design was also compatible with injection molding for mass production.
Tissue Engineering
Understanding tissue engineering using a bottom-up approach has been hindered by technical limitations because no platform can demonstrate the controlled formation of a heterogeneous population of cells in microscale. Here, we demonstrate hierarchical shape-by-shape assembly of virus-laden particles into larger ones to transfect two different genes on the seeded cells. We show that smaller daughter particles with different sizes and shapes can be assembled into the matching indentations of larger parent particles with different sizes and shapes. Then, we transfected a population of cells with two different gene-transfecting viruses, each of which was laden on the parent or daughter particles.