Issue 8, 2011
From the journal:

Lab on a Chip

Fabrication of circular microfluidic channels by combining mechanical micromilling and soft lithography†

Mary E. Wilson,e   Nithyanand Kota,f   YongTae Kim,f   Yadong Wang,c   Donna B. Stolz,d   Philip R. LeDuc*a  and  O. Burak Ozdoganlar*b  

* Corresponding authors

a Departments of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, Computational Biology, and Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Scaife Hall, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
E-mail: prl@andrew.cmu.edu
Fax: +1-412-268-3348
Tel: +1-412-268-2504

b Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Scaife Hall, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
E-mail: ozdoganlar@cmu.edu
Fax: +1-412-268-3348
Tel: +1-412-268-9890

c Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

d Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

e Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburg, PA, USA

f Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburg, PA, USA

Abstract

The fabrication of microfluidic channels with complex three-dimensional (3D) geometries presents a major challenge to the field of microfluidics, because conventional lithography methods are mainly limited to rectangular cross-sections. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of mechanical micromachining to fabricate microfluidic channels with complex cross-sectional geometries. Micro-scale milling tools are first used to fabricate semi-circular patterns on planar metallic surfaces to create a master mold. The micromilled pattern is then transferred to polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) through a two-step reverse molding process. Using these semi-circular PDMS channels, circular cross-sectioned microchannels are created by aligning and adhering two channels face-to-face. Straight and serpentine-shaped microchannels were fabricated, and the channel geometry and precision of the metallic master and PDMS molds were assessed through scanning electron microscopy and non-contact profilometry. Channel functionality was tested by perfusion of liquid through the channels. This work demonstrates that micromachining enabled soft lithography is capable of fabricating non-rectangular cross-section channels for microfluidic applications. We believe that this approach will be important for many fields from biomimetics and vascular engineering to microfabrication and microreactor technologies.

Graphical abstract: Fabrication of circular microfluidic channels by combining mechanical micromilling and soft lithography

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Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/C0LC00561D
Article type
Technical Note
Submitted
04 Nov 2010
Accepted
16 Feb 2011
First published
14 Mar 2011

Lab Chip, 2011,11, 1550-1555

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Fabrication of circular microfluidic channels by combining mechanical micromilling and soft lithography

M. E. Wilson, N. Kota, Y. Kim, Y. Wang, D. B. Stolz, P. R. LeDuc and O. B. Ozdoganlar, Lab Chip, 2011, 11, 1550 DOI: 10.1039/C0LC00561D

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