Abstract
Using polymer materials to fabricate microfluidic devices provides simple, cost effective, and disposal advantages for both lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices and micro total analysis systems (μTAS). Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer and thermoplastics are the two major polymer materials used in microfluidics. The fabrication of PDMS and thermoplastic microfluidic device can be categorized as front-end polymer microchannel fabrication and post-end microfluidic bonding procedures, respectively. PDMS and thermoplastic materials each have unique advantages and their use is indispensable in polymer microfluidics. Therefore, the proper selection of polymer microfabrication is necessary for the successful application of microfluidics. In this paper, we give a short overview of polymer microfabrication methods for microfluidics and discuss current challenges and future opportunities for research in polymer microfluidics fabrication. We summarize standard approaches, as well as state-of-art polymer microfluidic fabrication methods. Currently, the polymer microfluidic device is at the stage of technology transition from research labs to commercial production. Thus, critical consideration is also required with respect to the commercialization aspects of fabricating polymer microfluidics. This article provides easy-to-understand illustrations and targets to assist the research community in selecting proper polymer microfabrication strategies in microfluidics.
Highlights
With the introduction of microfluidics, micro total analysis system, and lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices in the 1900s, the use of microfluidic devices has increased tremendously due to the great potential in biomedical, point-of-care testing, and healthcare applications
With the concept of using polymer materials in microfluidics been proposed in the late 1990s [1], the use of silicon and glass materials has shifted to polymers, primarily due to their simple and low-cost advantages
The fabrication tools for making polymer devices are much cheaper than those for making semiconductor infrastructures, such as wet benches or reactive-ion etching facilities. These factors make it possible for polymer microfluidics devices to be fabricated in average research labs, a fact which has driven the development of polymer microfluidics academically, and further toward industrial applications
Summary
With the introduction of microfluidics, micro total analysis system (μTAS), and lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices in the 1900s, the use of microfluidic devices has increased tremendously due to the great potential in biomedical, point-of-care testing, and healthcare applications. We examine polymer microfabrication with respect to the raw materials, facility costs, and general and state-of-art fabrication processes, as well as commercialization considerations. One selects an appropriate polymer material and determines the fabrication strategy to create a polymer microfluidic device that will meet the specific microfluidic application requirements.
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