Polycycloolefinic Polymer for UV Nanoimprinted Microfluidics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for fabricating microfluidic devices are costly and impractical, as they often require hard materials like silicon and glass, and involve complex processes such as photolithography and etching.
Innovation Solution
A composition containing a polymer derived from polycycloolefinic monomers with a pendant maleimide group, capable of undergoing 2+2 cycloaddition reactions, is used to form nanoimprinted layers when exposed to actinic radiation, eliminating the need for additional additives and simplifying the fabrication process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If hard materials like silicon and glass are used for fabricating microfluidic devices, then device strength and durability are improved, but manufacturing cost and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from hard materials (silicon, glass) to soft materials (polycycloolefinic polymers), fundamentally altering the fabrication approach from photolithography/etching to UV nanoimprinting, thereby reducing process complexity while maintaining device functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical/chemical fabrication processes (photolithography and etching) with a UV-initiated photopolymerization process, substituting complex multi-step mechanical systems with a simpler light-based curing process
2Manufacturing precision
If photolithography and etching techniques are used for device fabrication, then manufacturing precision is improved, but manufacturing cost and process time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates the pattern directly into the mold structure, which is then replicated onto the polymer material in a single UV exposure step, eliminating the need for sequential photolithography and etching steps while maintaining precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple fabrication steps (pattern transfer, material deposition, and structuring) into a single UV nanoimprinting process, where the mold directly imprints the final structure onto the cured polymer in one operation
3Reliability
If additional additives are included in the polymer composition, then adhesion and processing performance are improved, but material complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the polycycloolefinic polymer to inherently possess both structural and adhesive functions, eliminating the need for separate adhesion promoters while maintaining reliable bonding to substrates like glass and silicon
Solution Approach 2:
The polymer composition is formulated to be self-sufficient, where the base polymer provides all necessary properties (adhesion, flexibility, UV responsiveness) without requiring additional additives or promoters, thereby simplifying the material system
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The composition effectively forms high-resolution nanoimprinted images without the need for additional additives, providing a cost-effective and practical method for fabricating microfluidic devices with micro- to nano-scale features.
Implementation Method 1
a polymer derived from one or more monomers of formula (I) as described herein in combination with a monomer of formula (III)... which polymer in combination with a monomer containing a substituted or unsubstituted maleimide forms a composition which can be used for a number of photopatternable polymeric layer when exposed to suitable actinic radiation
Implementation Method 2
the compositions of this invention can be used to form UV initiated nanoimprinted layers having utility in a number of applications including microfluidic devices
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments in accordance of this invention relates generally to a composition containing polymers formed from one or more polycycloolefinic monomers at least one of which monomers containing a pendant maleimide group and a monomer which is capable of undergoing 2+2 cycloaddition reaction with the pendant group. More specifically, in an embodiment of this invention there is provided a polymer derived from one or more substituted or unsubstituted norbornene derivatives among which at least one monomer contains a substituted or unsubstituted maleimide pendant group, which polymer in combination with a monomer containing a substituted or unsubstituted maleimide forms a composition which can be used for a number of photopatternable polymeric layer when exposed to suitable actinic radiation. For example, the compositions of this invention can be used to form UV initiated nanoimprinted layers having utility in a number of applications including microfluidic devices, among others.