title: Note: A single-chamber tool for plasma activation and surface functionalization in microfabrication.
abstract: We present a simple apparatus for improved surface modification of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic devices. A single treatment chamber for plasma activation and chemical/physical vapor deposition steps minimizes the time-dependent degradation of surface activation that is inherent in multi-chamber techniques. Contamination and deposition irregularities are also minimized by conducting plasma activation and treatment phases in the same vacuum environment. An inductively coupled plasma driver allows for interchangeable treatment chambers. Atomic force microscopy confirms that silane deposition on PDMS gives much better surface quality than standard deposition methods, which yield a higher local roughness and pronounced irregularities in the surface.
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, USA.
authors.forename: Adam J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bowman
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Scherrer
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, USA.
authors.forename: Ronald S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Reiserer
mesh_terms: D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D004867:Equipment Design; D056656:Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D055616:Microtechnology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D012821:Silanes; D013499:Surface Properties; D014618:Vacuum
chemical_list: D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D012821:Silanes; C013830:baysilon