Micromachining of monocrystalline silicon and glass for chemical analysis systems A look into next century's technology or just a fashionable craze?

Miniaturization of already existing techniques in on-line analytical chemistry is an alternative to compound-selective chemical sensors. Theory indicates higher efficiency, faster analysis time and lower reagent consumption. Micromachining, a well known photolithographic technique for structures in the micrometer range, is introduced and documented with structures as examples for flow injection analysis, electrophoresis and a detector cell.