Functionalization Of Microfluidic Devices By Microstructures Created With Proton Beam Lithography

Microfluidic devices have become important part of technology nowadays in numerous fields of application, such as chemical reactions, biosensors, synthesis of nanomaterials, diagnostic device for detection of biological samples, etc.In this work, as a new fabrication approach, poly(dimethyl-siloxane) (PDMS) microstructures were integrated into PDMS microdevices by combining proton beam lithography and conventional UV lithography fabrication techniques. This way, the microstructures and the microdevices can be made from the same material, which is not only useful, but in case of certain applications, it is essential. This work deals with the design of various microfluidic devices with and without integrated microstructures, for passive mixing purposes. The investigation involves the computer simulation and optimization, and then the fabrication of the chips with the above mentioned methods. Finally, the analysis of the mixing efficiency of the micromixer devices was realized with UV/vis spectroscopy at different fluid flow rates. Compared to the small size of the whole mixing chip, high mixing efficiency could be achieved.