Microfluidic Film Fabrication via Reusable Master Mold
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for fabricating microfluidic films, such as those using photolithography, are costly and difficult to scale for mass production due to the need for extensive photomasks and complex processes.
Innovation Solution
A microfluidic film is fabricated using a method that involves creating a basic mold with specific grooves, then using this mold to create a reusable master mold. The microfluidic film, featuring a microchannel and through passage for fluid communication, is then produced using the master mold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If photolithography is used to fabricate through-holes in microfluidics, then precise through-holes can be created, but process cost becomes too high due to extensive photomasks and complicated processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a master mold as a reusable template to copy the microchannel and through-hole patterns onto multiple microfluidic devices. This eliminates the need for expensive photomasks and complex photolithography processes, significantly reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining precise through-hole formation through the mold's predefined geometry
Solution Approach 2:
The fabrication process is segmented into distinct stages: creating a basic mold with initial patterns, then using it to fabricate a reusable master mold, and finally using the master mold to produce multiple microfluidic devices. This segmentation allows the complex precision requirements to be met in the master mold creation stage, while subsequent copying stages become simpler and cheaper
2Ease of manufacture
If soft-lithography with disposable molds is used to fabricate through-holes, then process cost is reduced, but mass production becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The master mold serves as a reusable template that can be copied onto multiple microfluidic devices repeatedly. This copying approach maintains the low-cost advantage of soft-lithography while enabling mass production, as the single master mold can produce numerous devices without being consumed in the process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from disposable molds that are discarded after single use to a reusable master mold that is recovered and reused multiple times. This recovery and reuse of the master mold enables mass production while maintaining cost-effectiveness, as the mold's lifespan is extended across multiple fabrication cycles
3Area of stationary object
If 3D circuits are stacked in vertical direction to solve space limitation, then space utilization is improved, but organic connection between circuits becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The through-holes act as intermediaries that enable fluid communication between stacked microfluidic devices. These vertical channels provide direct pathways through the device stack, simplifying the connection architecture compared to complex lateral routing, and enabling organic connections between 3D-stacked circuits through the mediator of the through-hole fluid pathways
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a microfluidic film including a base film, a microchannel, which is formed on the base film and through which a fluid flows, and a through passage, which is configured to pass through the base film and through which the base film stacked on an upper portion or a lower portion of the base film and the fluid communicate with each other.