Optical trapping microfabrication with electrophoretically delivered particles inside glass capillaries

We have developed a new technique for rapid microfabrication that uses electrophoretically delivered particles and an optical trap. The material particles, micrometer- and nanometer-sized polystyrene beads in aqueous solution, are continuously delivered to an optical trap by means of the electrophoretic effect inside glass capillaries or similar microstructures. The optical trap is used to manipulate and deposit the polystyrene beads onto a substrate. The continuous, on-demand delivery of particles allows for microfabrication in two and three dimensions with high speed and high efficiency and without material waste. This new technique has many potential applications in microelectronics and biotechnology.