NMR planar microcoil for microanalysis^*

¹ Laboratoire d'Électronique Nanotechnologies Capteurs - LENAC, EA3730, Université Lyon 1, Bât. L. Brillouin, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France
² Laboratoire de RMN - LRMN, UMR CNRS 5012, Université Lyon 1, ESCPE, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France

Corresponding author: jean-francois.chateaux@lenac.univ-lyon1.fr

Received: 2 March 2005
Revised: 20 June 2006
Accepted: 26 July 2006
Published online: 11 October 2006

Abstract

This article deals with the analysis of small sample volume by using a planar microcoil and a micromachined cavity. This microcoil is used as a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) radio frequency detection coil in order to perform in vitro NMR analysis of the sample introduced into the microcavity. It is a real challenging task to develop microsystem for NMR spectrum extraction for smaller and smaller sample volume. Moreover, it is advantageous that these microsystems could be integrated in a Micro Total Analysing System (-TAS) as an analysing tool. In this paper, NMR theory, description, fabrication process and electrical characterization of planar microcoils receiver are described. Results obtained on NMR microspectroscopy experiments have been performed on water and ethanol, using a 1 mm diameter planar coil. This microcoil is tuned and matched at 85.13 MHz which is the Larmor frequency of proton in a 2 T magnetic field.