Rapid Prototyping of Micropatterned Substrates Using Conventional Laser Printers
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Rapid prototyping of micropatterned substrates using conventional laser printers Michael L. Branham Department of Aerospace Engineering, Mechanics, and Engineering Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611-6250, and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4390
Roger Tran-Son-Tay Department of Aerospace Engineering, Mechanics, and Engineering Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611-6250
Christopher Schoonover, Patrick S. Davis, and Susan D. Allen Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4390
Wei Shyy Department of Aerospace Engineering, Mechanics, and Engineering Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611-6250 (Received 15 November 2001; accepted 20 March 2002)
We demonstrated rapid prototyping of templates for replica molding using a conventional laser printer. A polymer, polydimethylsiloxane, was cast directly on the transparency templates to make the replicas. The templates and replicas were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, profilometry, and optical microscopy. Four patterns, including an Electronic Industries Association resolution test pattern, were printed on transparencies at 600 dots per inch on a HP LaserJet 4M printer (Hewlett-Packard, Palo Alto, CA). Optimal precision and clarity occurred between intensity settings of 50–100. Mean pattern height/depth ranged from 8–13 m, and width was as small as a few tenths of a millimeter. Mean surface roughness of the template patterns ranged from 1 to 4 m on the top surface and from 5 to 10 nm on the bare transparency surface. This method provides access to microfabricated patterns for the broader research community without the need for sophisticated micromachining facilities.
The interest in miniaturized systems for biochemical analysis and biomedical research continues to grow rapidly. Devices commonly referred to as micro total analytical systems (TAS) have been reported for a diverse range of applications, such as the determination of monoclonal antibodies,1 the determination of phosphate2 and nitrite,3 and for high-speed DNA sequencing.4 The application of similar devices to cell culture and cell mechanics5 is also expanding to include the geometric control of cell shape,6 orientation, and gene expression,7 as well as the adhesion of neurons8 and growth cone guidance.9 The devices themselves usually require photolithographic microfabrication techniques to produce them since conventional machining will not provide sufficiently small devices (colloquially referred to as chips). A review by Madou provides information relating to all J. Mater. Res., Vol. 17, No. 7, Jul 2002
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aspects of microfabrication.10 Chip-based devices manufactured from glass are perhaps the most widely used in part because of the versatility and chemical resistivity of glass, the relatively straightforward fabrication, and the ease of optical detection in gla
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