J. Semicond. > 2018, Volume 39 > Issue 8 > 086001

SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY

The simple two-step polydimethylsiloxane transferring process for high aspect ratio microstructures

Shaoxi Wang1, 2, , Dan Feng1, Chenxia Hu3 and P. Rezai2

+ Author Affiliations

 Corresponding author: Shaoxi Wang, Email: shxwang@nwpu.edu.cn

DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/39/8/086001

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Abstract: High aspect ratio units are necessary parts of complex microstructures in microfluidic devices. Some methods that are available to achieve a high aspect ratio require expensive materials or complex chemical processes; for other methods it is difficult to reach simple high aspect ratio structures, which need supporting structures. The paper presents a simple and cheap two-step Polydimethylsioxane (PDMS) transferring process to get high aspect ratio single pillars, which only requires covering the PDMS mold with a Brij@52 surface solution after getting a relative PDMS mold based on an SU8 mold. The experimental results demonstrate the method efficiency and effectiveness.

Key words: high aspect, microfluidic chip, microstructures



[1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polydimethylsiloxane
[2]
McDonald J C, Whitesides G M. Polydimethylsiloxane as a material for fabricating microfluidic devices. Acc Chem Res, 2002, 35(7): 491 doi: 10.1021/ar010110q
[3]
Friese C, Werber A, Krogmann F, et al. Materials effects and components for tunable micro-optics. IEEE Trans Electr Electron Eng, 2007, 2(3): 232 doi: 10.1002/(ISSN)1931-4981
[4]
Nguyen N T. Micro-optofluidic lenses: a review. Biomicrofluidics, 2010, 4(3): 031501 doi: 10.1063/1.3460392
[5]
Shao G C, Wu J H, Cai Z L, et al. Fabrication of elastomeric high-aspect-ratio microstructures using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) double casting technique. Sens Actuators A, 2012, 178(5): 230
[6]
Lee T R, Chung K O, Chang Y S, et al. Resonant behavior and microfluidic manipulation of silicone cilia due to an added mass effect. Soft Matter, 2011, 7(9): 4325 doi: 10.1039/c0sm01294g
[7]
Sun M, Luo C, Xu L, et al. Artificial lotus leaf by nanocasting. Langmuir, 2005, 21(19): 8978 doi: 10.1021/la050316q
[8]
Gitlin L, Schulze P, Belder D. Rapid replication of master structures by double casting with PDMS. Lab on a Chip, 2009, 9(20): 3000 doi: 10.1039/b904684d
[9]
Natarajan S, Chang-yen D A, Gale B L. Large-area, high aspect ratio SU-8 molds for the fabrication of PDMS microfluidic devices. J Micromechan Microeng, 2008, 18(4): 045021 doi: 10.1088/0960-1317/18/4/045021
[10]
Paek J, Kim J. Microsphere assisted fabrication of high aspect ratio elastomeric micropillars and waveguides. Nat Commun, 2014, 5(5): 3324
[11]
Sasoglu F M, Bohl A J, Layton B E. Design and microfabrication of a high aspect ratio PDMS microbeam array for parallel nanonewton force measurement and protein printing. J Micromechan Microeng, 2007, 17(3): 623 doi: 10.1088/0960-1317/17/3/027
[12]
vanKan J A, Wang L P, Shao P G, et al. High aspect ratio PDMS replication through proton beam fabricated Ni masters. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res B, 2007, 260(1): 353 doi: 10.1016/j.nimb.2007.02.046
[13]
Sitti M. High aspect ratio polymer micro/nano-structure manufacturing using nanoembossing, nanomolding and directed self-assembly. IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics, 2003, 2(2): 886
[14]
Chandra D, Taylor J A, Yang S. Replica molding of high aspect ratio (sub-) micro hydrogel pillar arrays and their stability in air and solvents. Soft Matter, 2008, 4(5): 979 doi: 10.1039/b717711a
[15]
Hung P J, Lee P J, Sabounchi P, et al. A novel high aspect ratio microfluidic degsin to provide a stable and uniform microenviroment for cell growth in a high throughput mammalian cell culture array. Lab on a Chip, 2005, 5: 44 doi: 10.1039/b410743h
[16]
Kung Y C, Huang K W, Fan Y J, et al. Fabrication of 3D high aspect ratio PDMS microfluidic networks with a hybrid stamp. Lab on a Chip, 2015, 15(8): 1861 doi: 10.1039/C4LC01211A
[17]
Cusachs P R, Rico F, Martinez E, et al. Stability of microfabricated high aspect ratio structures in Poly(dimethylsiloxane). Langmuir, 2005, 21(12): 5524 doi: 10.1021/la050252j
[18]
Sia S K, Whitesides G M. Microfluidic devices fabricated in poly (dimethylsiloxane) for biological studies. Electrophoresis, 2003, 24(21): 3563-3576 doi: 10.1002/(ISSN)1522-2683
[19]
McDonald J C, Whitesides G M. Poly (dimethylsiloxane) as a material for fabricating microfluidic devices. Acc Chem Res, 2002, 35(7): 491 doi: 10.1021/ar010110q
Fig. 1.  (Color online) The simple two-step PDMS transferring process.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint
Fig. 2.  The final PDMS chip microstructure.

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Fig. 3.  (Color online) The measurement results of the pillar sizes in PDMS device.

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Fig. 4.  (Color online) The results for test thickness of SU8 mold.

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Fig. 5.  (Color online) (a) The test chip based on a dry mold. (b) The test chip based on a wet mold.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Table 1.   Experimental results with aspect ratio.

Parameter Experimental results
Width (μm) 5 5 10 10 15 20
Length (μm) 5 10 15 20 15 20
Aspect ratio 6 7 12 15 18 25
DownLoad: CSV
[1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polydimethylsiloxane
[2]
McDonald J C, Whitesides G M. Polydimethylsiloxane as a material for fabricating microfluidic devices. Acc Chem Res, 2002, 35(7): 491 doi: 10.1021/ar010110q
[3]
Friese C, Werber A, Krogmann F, et al. Materials effects and components for tunable micro-optics. IEEE Trans Electr Electron Eng, 2007, 2(3): 232 doi: 10.1002/(ISSN)1931-4981
[4]
Nguyen N T. Micro-optofluidic lenses: a review. Biomicrofluidics, 2010, 4(3): 031501 doi: 10.1063/1.3460392
[5]
Shao G C, Wu J H, Cai Z L, et al. Fabrication of elastomeric high-aspect-ratio microstructures using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) double casting technique. Sens Actuators A, 2012, 178(5): 230
[6]
Lee T R, Chung K O, Chang Y S, et al. Resonant behavior and microfluidic manipulation of silicone cilia due to an added mass effect. Soft Matter, 2011, 7(9): 4325 doi: 10.1039/c0sm01294g
[7]
Sun M, Luo C, Xu L, et al. Artificial lotus leaf by nanocasting. Langmuir, 2005, 21(19): 8978 doi: 10.1021/la050316q
[8]
Gitlin L, Schulze P, Belder D. Rapid replication of master structures by double casting with PDMS. Lab on a Chip, 2009, 9(20): 3000 doi: 10.1039/b904684d
[9]
Natarajan S, Chang-yen D A, Gale B L. Large-area, high aspect ratio SU-8 molds for the fabrication of PDMS microfluidic devices. J Micromechan Microeng, 2008, 18(4): 045021 doi: 10.1088/0960-1317/18/4/045021
[10]
Paek J, Kim J. Microsphere assisted fabrication of high aspect ratio elastomeric micropillars and waveguides. Nat Commun, 2014, 5(5): 3324
[11]
Sasoglu F M, Bohl A J, Layton B E. Design and microfabrication of a high aspect ratio PDMS microbeam array for parallel nanonewton force measurement and protein printing. J Micromechan Microeng, 2007, 17(3): 623 doi: 10.1088/0960-1317/17/3/027
[12]
vanKan J A, Wang L P, Shao P G, et al. High aspect ratio PDMS replication through proton beam fabricated Ni masters. Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res B, 2007, 260(1): 353 doi: 10.1016/j.nimb.2007.02.046
[13]
Sitti M. High aspect ratio polymer micro/nano-structure manufacturing using nanoembossing, nanomolding and directed self-assembly. IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics, 2003, 2(2): 886
[14]
Chandra D, Taylor J A, Yang S. Replica molding of high aspect ratio (sub-) micro hydrogel pillar arrays and their stability in air and solvents. Soft Matter, 2008, 4(5): 979 doi: 10.1039/b717711a
[15]
Hung P J, Lee P J, Sabounchi P, et al. A novel high aspect ratio microfluidic degsin to provide a stable and uniform microenviroment for cell growth in a high throughput mammalian cell culture array. Lab on a Chip, 2005, 5: 44 doi: 10.1039/b410743h
[16]
Kung Y C, Huang K W, Fan Y J, et al. Fabrication of 3D high aspect ratio PDMS microfluidic networks with a hybrid stamp. Lab on a Chip, 2015, 15(8): 1861 doi: 10.1039/C4LC01211A
[17]
Cusachs P R, Rico F, Martinez E, et al. Stability of microfabricated high aspect ratio structures in Poly(dimethylsiloxane). Langmuir, 2005, 21(12): 5524 doi: 10.1021/la050252j
[18]
Sia S K, Whitesides G M. Microfluidic devices fabricated in poly (dimethylsiloxane) for biological studies. Electrophoresis, 2003, 24(21): 3563-3576 doi: 10.1002/(ISSN)1522-2683
[19]
McDonald J C, Whitesides G M. Poly (dimethylsiloxane) as a material for fabricating microfluidic devices. Acc Chem Res, 2002, 35(7): 491 doi: 10.1021/ar010110q

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    Received: 21 November 2017 Revised: 29 December 2017 Online: Accepted Manuscript: 04 April 2018Uncorrected proof: 12 April 2018Published: 09 August 2018

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      Article Navigation >  Journal of Semiconductors  > 2018  >  39(8): 086001
      Shaoxi Wang, Dan Feng, Chenxia Hu, P. Rezai. The simple two-step polydimethylsiloxane transferring process for high aspect ratio microstructures[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2018, 39(8): 086001. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/39/8/086001 ****S X Wang, D Feng, C X Hu, P Rezai, The simple two-step polydimethylsiloxane transferring process for high aspect ratio microstructures[J]. J. Semicond., 2018, 39(8): 086001. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/39/8/086001.
      Citation:
      Shaoxi Wang, Dan Feng, Chenxia Hu, P. Rezai. The simple two-step polydimethylsiloxane transferring process for high aspect ratio microstructures[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2018, 39(8): 086001. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/39/8/086001 ****
      S X Wang, D Feng, C X Hu, P Rezai, The simple two-step polydimethylsiloxane transferring process for high aspect ratio microstructures[J]. J. Semicond., 2018, 39(8): 086001. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/39/8/086001.
      shu

      The simple two-step polydimethylsiloxane transferring process for high aspect ratio microstructures

      DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/39/8/086001
      • 1.

        School of Software & Microelectronics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China

      • 2.

        Department of Mechanical Engineering, York University, Toronto, Canada

      • 3.

        School of Chinese Meteria Medica, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China

      Funds:

      Project supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shenzhen (No. JCYJ20160429153110908) and the Science and Technology Development Program of Shaanxi Province (No. 2016GY-091).

      More Information
      • Corresponding author: Email: shxwang@nwpu.edu.cn
      • Received Date: 2017-11-21
      • Revised Date: 2017-12-29
      • Published Date: 2018-08-01

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