Replicative Production of Multifunctional Microfluidic Polymer Films for Biomedical Disposables

Increasing demands on the reproducibility and accuracy of lab-on-a-chip systems in the life science sector require new tools for the molding of polymer films with spatially selectively functionalized surfaces. By applying local micro- and nanostructuring to the molding tools, the aim is to achieve multifunctionality of the polymer films, by setting certain wetting properties. This means that fluid-affecting properties (hydrophobic, hydrophilic) should be possible. To functionalize polymer films, the replication tools were specifically microstructured using laser-based surface functionalization. The periodic micro- and nanostructures were produced with the help of nanosecond pulsed and picosecond pulsed laser systems using Direct Laser Interference Patterning. For this purpose, complex functional microstructures in the range of 0.1 µm to 100 µm were developed based on a bionic approach. The functional properties were transferred in a one-step replicative process using UV-imprinting and were subsequently verified by determining the wetting behavior of the molded microfluidic films and the corresponding laser microstructured replication tools. This publication presents the successfully developed processes and the promising results of this series of experiments.