Fabrication and characterisation of intermediate mold printing using laser-processed PMMA substrate

Abstract

The rising interest in microfluidic studies in biological research has widened up the search for a variety of biocompatible materials. There are several materials available in the market, with Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) being the most common one. An expensive and slow process, the soft lithography is usually employed to manufacture PDMS. The quick advance in biotechnology pushes the need for low-cost and mass-producible manufacturing methods. Over the years, researchers have looked into several ways to fabricate PDMS to obtain desirable nano-scale and micro-scale features. In this research, a new approach was introduced to fulfill the said requirement for PDMS fabrication. The Intermediate Mold Printing makes use of a commonly available reagent, NOA 81, to form a mold for micro-scale pattern transfer. This technique is combined with laser direct writing on PMMA, which is used to produce the initial pattern required. Surface characterisation and wettability test conducted suggest that the NOA 81 can produce quality pattern transfer, without the need for expensive facility or machinery.