Mask-less laser-machining for rapid low-cost patterning of microstructures in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)

Sones, C.L., Katis, I.N., Mills, B., Feinäugle, M., Mosayyebi, Ali, Butement, Jonathan and Eason, R.W. (2013) Mask-less laser-machining for rapid low-cost patterning of microstructures in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). E-MRS '13 Materials Research Society Spring Meeting, , Strasbourg, France. 27 - 31 May 2013.

Abstract

We report on the use of a mask-less laser-machining procedure that enables the rapid creation of micron-scale structures in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a platform most commonly used in the implementation of lab-on-chip devices, and also in micro-contact printing or soft lithography. The designed two-dimensional array of structures, extending over ~1mm² regions with micron-scale resolution, was laser-ablated into a thin film through the use of femtosecond laser pulses (150fs, 800nm) that were spatially shaped via diffraction from a programmable digital multi-mirror device (DMD). The high switching speed of the DMD mirrors in combination with a high repetition rate laser provides the ability to pattern any desired 2D prototype on the ~1mm scale within a few minutes, circumventing the need for a custom-designed mask and photolithography which is generally needed to produce a specific prototyping master mould. The complementary pattern from the thin film was subsequently transferred into PDMS for fabrication of a mould that was used for micro-contact printing of ink onto a glass substrate. In addition, this non-lithographic, mask-less laser-machining approach can be extended to form both complex micron and submicron scale structures that are useful in contact printing applications but also in the fabrication of millimetre scale lab-on-chip fluidic devices

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Contributors

Author: I.N. Katis

Author: B. Mills

Author: Ali Mosayyebi

Author: R.W. Eason

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