Fabrication of Functional Plastic Parts Using Nanostructured Steel Mold Inserts

Nicolas Blondiaux,Philippe Vuillermoz,Stéphane Dessors,Gaëlle Andreatta,Lionel Tenchine,Pierre-François Chauvy,Raphaël Pugin,Matthieu Diserens

doi:10.3390/mi8060179

Abstract

We report on the fabrication of sub-micro and nanostructured steel mold inserts for the replication of nanostructured immunoassay biochips. Planar and microstructured stainless steel inserts were textured at the sub-micron and nanoscale by combining nanosphere lithography and electrochemical etching. This allowed the fabrication of structures with lateral dimensions of hundreds of nanometers and aspect ratios of up to 1:2. Nanostructured plastic parts were produced by means of hot embossing and injection molding. Surface nanostructuring was used to control wettability and increase the sensitivity of an immunoassay.

Highlights

There is a growing trend for the fabrication of smart products with novel functionalities or enhanced performances
The first part of this study focused on the fabrication of sub-micro-/nanostructures on flat, stainless steel substrates
The structures are transferred into the substrate by etching the stainless steel by means of an electrochemical dissolution process

Summary

Introduction

There is a growing trend for the fabrication of smart products with novel functionalities or enhanced performances. Plastic parts with controlled wettability have been produced using replication techniques such as hot embossing and injection molding, the production of highly liquid-repellent plastic surfaces without any surface treatment remains challenging [8] Another field of application relevant to this study is the use of surface micro- and nanostructuring to enhance the performance of sensors for biomedical and point-of-care diagnostics [9]. Kim et al reported a significant increase in the fluorescence intensity (four times greater compared to a flat surface) after fabricating quartz nanopillars on the surface of a DNA biosensor [14] Such an effect was demonstrated by Kuwabara et al [15] on polystyrene immunoassay chips using a nanoimprinting process. By using a specific elongation process during nanoimprinting, high aspect ratio pillars were produced, giving rise to a 34-fold increase in the fluorescence intensity

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