Waveguide structure with aperture array

Abstract

A waveguiding structure () includes one or more fluid channels () intersected by a waveguide (). An aperture layer () of the waveguide structure includes an array of apertures adjacent to the one or more fluid channels, such that the array of apertures may allow emission signals from analytes in the fluid channels to pass through the aperture layer for detection. The aperture layer may be etched using a first etching step, while an air-gap in a substrate of the waveguiding structure may be etched using a second etching step, wherein the first etching step has a higher level of precision than the second etching step. The array of apertures may comprise one or more one-dimensional signature patterns of apertures associated with specific fluid channels of the device, such that the signature patterns may be used to demultiplex signals and to correlate a signal with one of the plurality of channels.