Rapid Laser Manufacturing of Microfluidic Devices from Glass Substrates

Conventional manufacturing of microfluidic devices from glass substrates is a complex, multi-step process that involves different fabrication techniques and tools. Hence, it is time-consuming and expensive, in particular for the prototyping of microfluidic devices in low quantities. This article des...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Micromachines (Basel) 2018-08, Vol.9 (8), p.409
Main Authors: Wlodarczyk, Krystian L, Carter, Richard M, Jahanbakhsh, Amir, Lopes, Amiel A, Mackenzie, Mark D, Maier, Robert R J, Hand, Duncan P, Maroto-Valer, M Mercedes
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Borosilicate glass
Devices
enclosed microstructures
Engineering research
Engineering schools
Etching
fluid displacement
Fluid dynamics
Fluid flow
glass
Glass plates
Glass substrates
Laser applications
Laser machining
laser materials processing
Lasers
microfluidic devices
Micromachining
Microwelding
Oil recovery
Petroleum engineering
Polymethyl methacrylate
Porous media
Prototyping
Rapid manufacturing
Saline water
ultrafast laser micromachining
ultrafast laser welding
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Summary:Conventional manufacturing of microfluidic devices from glass substrates is a complex, multi-step process that involves different fabrication techniques and tools. Hence, it is time-consuming and expensive, in particular for the prototyping of microfluidic devices in low quantities. This article describes a laser-based process that enables the rapid manufacturing of enclosed micro-structures by laser micromachining and microwelding of two 1.1-mm-thick borosilicate glass plates. The fabrication process was carried out only with a picosecond laser (Trumpf TruMicro 5×50) that was used for: (a) the generation of microfluidic patterns on glass, (b) the drilling of inlet/outlet ports into the material, and (c) the bonding of two glass plates together in order to enclose the laser-generated microstructures. Using this manufacturing approach, a fully-functional microfluidic device can be fabricated in less than two hours. Initial fluid flow experiments proved that the laser-generated microstructures are completely sealed; thus, they show a potential use in many industrial and scientific areas. This includes geological and petroleum engineering research, where such microfluidic devices can be used to investigate single-phase and multi-phase flow of various fluids (such as brine, oil, and CO₂) in porous media.
ISSN:2072-666X
2072-666X
DOI:10.3390/mi9080409