Direct projection on dry-film photoresist (DP(2)): do-it-yourself three-dimensional polymer microfluidics.
In this paper, we present a novel rapid-prototyping process for out-of-cleanroom microfabrication of three-dimensional multilayer microfluidic structures with a 10 microm resolution, referred to as the Direct Projection on Dry-film Photoresist (DP(2)). A commercially available digital projector is customized to function as a direct mask generation and photo exposure system, while easy-processing photosensitive dry films are used as the microfluidic constructs. Multilayer alignments among maskless-patterned layers are reliably achieved by using a Software Alignment technique with less than 10 microm precision, which eliminates the use of mechanical travelling stage. The bonding between different layers of dry film, simply enabled by a plasma-assisted thermal lamination, offers an easy implementation for suspended multilayer microstructures. Development of a complex microfluidic chip from computer layout can thus be accomplished within an hour in a regular chemical or biological lab environment using this approach.
Zhao
Siwei
S
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Cong
Hailin
H
Pan
Tingrui
T
D004867:Equipment Design; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012984:Software; D013499:Surface Properties
D011108:Polymers