A simple and cost-effective method for fabrication of integrated electronic-microfluidic devices using a laser-patterned PDMS layer

Ming Li, Shunbo Li, Jinbo Wu, Weijia Wen, Weihua Li, Gursel Alici

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

47 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We report a simple and cost-effective method for fabricating integrated electronic-microfluidic devices with multilayer configurations. A CO2 laser plotter was employed to directly write patterns on a transferred polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer, which served as both a bonding and a working layer. The integration of electronics in microfluidic devices was achieved by an alignment bonding of top and bottom electrode-patterned substrates fabricated with conventional lithography, sputtering and lift-off techniques. Processes of the developed fabrication method were illustrated. Major issues associated with this method as PDMS surface treatment and characterization, thickness-control of the transferred PDMS layer, and laser parameters optimization were discussed, along with the examination and testing of bonding with two representative materials (glass and silicon). The capability of this method was further demonstrated by fabricating a microfluidic chip with sputter-coated electrodes on the top and bottom substrates. The device functioning as a microparticle focusing and trapping chip was experimentally verified. It is confirmed that the proposed method has many advantages, including simple and fast fabrication process, low cost, easy integration of electronics, strong bonding strength, chemical and biological compatibility, etc.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)751-760
Number of pages10
JournalMicrofluidics and Nanofluidics
Volume12
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2012
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Microfluidics
  • Electronics integration
  • PDMS
  • Laser ablation
  • Transfer bonding
  • Dielectrophoresis

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