A NOVEL METHOD FOR RAPID FABRICATION OF PMMA MICROFLUIDIC CHIP BY LASER CUTTING AND SEALING INTEGRATION

Abstract

In this paper, we present a new method that is capable of manufacturing microfluidic chips of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) rapidly and cheaply. This technique, which we call Tape adhering-Laser Cutting and Sealing Integration (TLCSI), only utilizes a CO2 laser and a piece of double-sided tape to produce a microfluidic chip in several minutes. It only has three main steps. First, the double-sided tape sticks to the surface of a PMMA substrate. Second, the microchannel should be cut on the surface of the double-sided tape. At last, a PMMA cover plate with liquid pools is pressed onto the surface of the double-sided tape and a CO2 laser is used to cut edges of the chip for sealing the chip. We present a qualified microfluidic chip with regular microchannels and sealing strength of 1.2[Formula: see text]Mpa. Compared with most current fabrication methods, TLCSI is a quick and cost-effective way to produce microfluidic chips of PMMA.