Fabrication of microfluidic channels derived from a UV/thermally cured preceramic polymer via a soft lithographic technique

Abstract

Of SiC-based non-oxide ceramics, SiCN is considered to be one of the most interesting materials due to its unique physical and chemical properties such as high thermal conductivity, excellent thermal stability, high mechanical strength and chemical inertness. In the characterization of the mechanical properties, the characteristic values of the elastic modulus and hardness notably increased for the heat-treated SiCN. This study utilized the unique hydrophobic nature of the cured preceramic polymers after fabricating the non-oxide SiCN microchannels derived from the preceramic polymers that are solvent resistant and thermally stable. It is believed that the fabrication of microchannels using cured inorganic polymers has enormous potential in the field of microfluidics, where materials with a high optical transparency, thermal stability and chemical inertness are in demand.