Rapid Micromolding of Sub-100 µm Microfluidic Channels Using an 8K Stereolithographic Resin 3D Printer
Engineering microfluidic devices relies on the ability to manufacture sub-100 micrometer fluidic channels. Conventional lithographic methods provide high resolution but require costly exposure tools and outsourcing of masks, which extends the turnaround time to several days. The desire to accelerate...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Micromachines |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/14/8/1519 |
| _version_ | 1797583828756201472 |
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| author | Arpith Vedhanayagam Michael Golfetto Jeffrey L. Ram Amar S. Basu |
| author_facet | Arpith Vedhanayagam Michael Golfetto Jeffrey L. Ram Amar S. Basu |
| author_sort | Arpith Vedhanayagam |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Engineering microfluidic devices relies on the ability to manufacture sub-100 micrometer fluidic channels. Conventional lithographic methods provide high resolution but require costly exposure tools and outsourcing of masks, which extends the turnaround time to several days. The desire to accelerate design/test cycles has motivated the rapid prototyping of microfluidic channels; however, many of these methods (e.g., laser cutters, craft cutters, fused deposition modeling) have feature sizes of several hundred microns or more. In this paper, we describe a 1-day process for fabricating sub-100 µm channels, leveraging a low-cost (USD 600) 8K digital light projection (DLP) 3D resin printer. The soft lithography process includes mold printing, post-treatment, and casting polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer. The process can produce microchannels with 44 µm lateral resolution and 25 µm height, posts as small as 400 µm, aspect ratio up to 7, structures with varying z-height, integrated reservoirs for fluidic connections, and a built-in tray for casting. We discuss strategies to obtain reliable structures, prevent mold warpage, facilitate curing and removal of PDMS during molding, and recycle the solvents used in the process. To our knowledge, this is the first low-cost 3D printer that prints extruded structures that can mold sub-100 µm channels, providing a balance between resolution, turnaround time, and cost (~USD 5 for a 2 × 5 × 0.5 cm<sup>3</sup> chip) that will be attractive for many microfluidics labs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:43:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4bdc3d1ab29d424fa9207324ee8c1202 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-666X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:43:31Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Micromachines |
| spelling | doaj.art-4bdc3d1ab29d424fa9207324ee8c12022023-11-19T02:12:50ZengMDPI AGMicromachines2072-666X2023-07-01148151910.3390/mi14081519Rapid Micromolding of Sub-100 µm Microfluidic Channels Using an 8K Stereolithographic Resin 3D PrinterArpith Vedhanayagam0Michael Golfetto1Jeffrey L. Ram2Amar S. Basu3Electrical and Computer Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USAElectrical and Computer Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USADepartment of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USAElectrical and Computer Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USAEngineering microfluidic devices relies on the ability to manufacture sub-100 micrometer fluidic channels. Conventional lithographic methods provide high resolution but require costly exposure tools and outsourcing of masks, which extends the turnaround time to several days. The desire to accelerate design/test cycles has motivated the rapid prototyping of microfluidic channels; however, many of these methods (e.g., laser cutters, craft cutters, fused deposition modeling) have feature sizes of several hundred microns or more. In this paper, we describe a 1-day process for fabricating sub-100 µm channels, leveraging a low-cost (USD 600) 8K digital light projection (DLP) 3D resin printer. The soft lithography process includes mold printing, post-treatment, and casting polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer. The process can produce microchannels with 44 µm lateral resolution and 25 µm height, posts as small as 400 µm, aspect ratio up to 7, structures with varying z-height, integrated reservoirs for fluidic connections, and a built-in tray for casting. We discuss strategies to obtain reliable structures, prevent mold warpage, facilitate curing and removal of PDMS during molding, and recycle the solvents used in the process. To our knowledge, this is the first low-cost 3D printer that prints extruded structures that can mold sub-100 µm channels, providing a balance between resolution, turnaround time, and cost (~USD 5 for a 2 × 5 × 0.5 cm<sup>3</sup> chip) that will be attractive for many microfluidics labs.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/14/8/15193D resin printingmicromoldingrapid prototypingPDMS soft lithography |
| spellingShingle | Arpith Vedhanayagam Michael Golfetto Jeffrey L. Ram Amar S. Basu Rapid Micromolding of Sub-100 µm Microfluidic Channels Using an 8K Stereolithographic Resin 3D Printer Micromachines 3D resin printing micromolding rapid prototyping PDMS soft lithography |
| title | Rapid Micromolding of Sub-100 µm Microfluidic Channels Using an 8K Stereolithographic Resin 3D Printer |
| title_full | Rapid Micromolding of Sub-100 µm Microfluidic Channels Using an 8K Stereolithographic Resin 3D Printer |
| title_fullStr | Rapid Micromolding of Sub-100 µm Microfluidic Channels Using an 8K Stereolithographic Resin 3D Printer |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rapid Micromolding of Sub-100 µm Microfluidic Channels Using an 8K Stereolithographic Resin 3D Printer |
| title_short | Rapid Micromolding of Sub-100 µm Microfluidic Channels Using an 8K Stereolithographic Resin 3D Printer |
| title_sort | rapid micromolding of sub 100 µm microfluidic channels using an 8k stereolithographic resin 3d printer |
| topic | 3D resin printing micromolding rapid prototyping PDMS soft lithography |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/14/8/1519 |
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