Injection molded nanofluidic chips: fabrication method and functional tests using single-molecule DNA experiments.
We demonstrate that fabrication of well-defined nanofluidic systems can be greatly simplified by injection molding of thermoplastic polymers. Chips featuring nanochannel arrays, microchannels and integrated interconnects are produced in a single processing step by injection molding. The resulting open channel structures are subsequently sealed by facile plasma-enhanced thermal bonding of a polymer film. This fast, inexpensive and industry-compatible method thus provides a single-use all-polymer platform for nanofluidic lab-on-a-chip applications. Its applicability for nanofluidics is demonstrated by DNA stretching experiments performed on individual double-stranded DNA molecules confined in the injection molded nanochannels. The obtained results are consistent with measurements performed in costly state-of-the-art silica nanochannels, for both straight and tapered channel geometries.
DTU Nanotech, Department of Micro and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark. pawel@fys.ku.dk
Pawel
P
Utko
Fredrik
F
Persson
Anders
A
Kristensen
Niels B
NB
Larsen
D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry*; D004867:Equipment Design; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D055616:Microtechnology / Q000379:methods*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry
D004279:DNA, Viral; D011108:Polymers