Solvent immersion imprint lithography: A high-performance, semi-automated procedure.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Microfluidics Engineering
• Optofluidics

Background:

• Solvent Immersion Imprint Lithography (SIIL) offers a novel approach to microfabrication.
• Existing methods for polymer microfluidics prototyping can be costly and labor-intensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a semi-automated, high-performance procedure for polymer microfluidics and optofluidics prototyping using SIIL.
• To demonstrate the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of the modified SIIL procedure.

Main Methods:

• Development of a cost-effective (∼$200), easy-to-assemble apparatus for semi-automated SIIL.
• Analysis of the procedure's performance with Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microsystems.
• Characterization of imprinting, bonding, and 3D functionalization capabilities.

Main Results:

• Repeatable polymer imprinting, bonding, and 3D functionalization achieved in under 5 minutes.
• Demonstrated resolutions down to 8 μm with 1:1 aspect ratios.
• Achieved a 100-fold reduction in imprinting force and a >10-fold increase in bonding strength compared to commercial methods.

Conclusions:

• The modified SIIL procedure significantly reduces costs and improves performance for polymer microfluidics fabrication.
• Directed polymer dissolution at the polymer-solvent interface is key to SIIL's advantages.
• This method enables accessible desktop prototyping for applications like live-cell imaging and on-chip sensing.