Issue 12, 2014

Solvent immersion imprint lithography

Abstract

We present Solvent Immersion Imprint Lithography (SIIL), a technique for polymer functionalization and microsystem prototyping. SIIL is based on polymer immersion in commonly available solvents. This was experimentally and computationally analyzed, uniquely enabling two practical aspects. The first is imprinting and bonding deep features that span the 1 to 100 μm range, which are unattainable with existing solvent-based methods. The second is a functionalization scheme characterized by a well-controlled, 3D distribution of chemical moieties. SIIL is validated by developing microfluidics with embedded 3D oxygen sensors and microbioreactors for quantitative metabolic studies of a thermophile anaerobe microbial culture. Polystyrene (PS) was employed in the aforementioned applications; however all soluble polymers – including inorganic ones – can be employed with SIIL under no instrumentation requirements and typical processing times of less than two minutes.

Graphical abstract: Solvent immersion imprint lithography

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
20 Feb 2014
Accepted
08 Apr 2014
First published
08 Apr 2014

Lab Chip, 2014,14, 2072-2080

Solvent immersion imprint lithography

A. E. Vasdekis, M. J. Wilkins, J. W. Grate, R. T. Kelly, A. E. Konopka, S. S. Xantheas and T.-M. Chang, Lab Chip, 2014, 14, 2072 DOI: 10.1039/C4LC00226A

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