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Low cost method for hot embossing of microstructures on PMMA by SU-8 masters

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Abstract

Polymer based microfabrication technologies are used extremely in Bio-MEMS, especially in Microfluidic devices in recent years. In this paper, a novel method for fabrication of microstructures on a polymeric material using hot embossing lithography process is presented. The proposed method involves usage of low cost materials and procedure with respect to previous methods and can be processed in a short time. The master is made from SU-8 on an inexpensive glass substrate which is patterned by standard lithography. The embossing pressure can be increased in our master as the glass substrate used in this paper is more robust than Silicon. Master robustness and SU-8 to glass adhesion is optimized by some substrate pretreatments and SU-8 baking time and temperatures. Microchannels are replicated on a Polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA) stamp which is a plexiglass sheet with thickness of 1 mm. Significant embossing parameters including temperature, pressure and time are discussed and optimum values are determined. Microchannels are imprinted by depth of 50 μm and minimum width of 15 μm and aspect ratio more than 3. The microchannels are sealed by a PMMA cap using thermal annealing bonding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Engineering Department, Islamic Azad University, Roudehen Branch, Roudehen, Tehran, Iran

    Alireza Shamsi, Ali Amiri & Mehrnaz Esfandiari

  2. Mechanical Engineering Department, Islamic Azad University, Roudehen Branch, Roudehen, Iran

    Payam Heydari

  3. Electrical Engineering Department, K.N.Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

    Hasan Hajghasem & Mansour Mohtashamifar

Authors
  1. Alireza Shamsi
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  2. Ali Amiri
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  3. Payam Heydari
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  4. Hasan Hajghasem
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  5. Mansour Mohtashamifar
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  6. Mehrnaz Esfandiari
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alireza Shamsi.

Additional information

Reference code of this paper at HARMNST2013:51081CF408D04.

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Shamsi, A., Amiri, A., Heydari, P. et al. Low cost method for hot embossing of microstructures on PMMA by SU-8 masters. Microsyst Technol 20, 1925–1931 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-013-2000-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-013-2000-z

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