Injection molded nanofluidic chips: Fabrication method and functional tests using single-molecule DNA

TY - JOUR

T1 - Injection molded nanofluidic chips

T2 - Fabrication method and functional tests using single-molecule DNA

AU - Utko, Pawel Wincenty

AU - Persson, F.

AU - Kristensen, A.

AU - Larsen, Niels B.

PY - 2011/1/21

Y1 - 2011/1/21

N2 - We demonstrate that fabrication of well-defined nanofluidic systems can be greatly simplified by injection molding of thermoplastic polymers. Chips featuring nanochannel arrays, microchannels and integrated interconnects are produced in a single processing step by injection molding. The resulting open channel structures are subsequently sealed by facile plasma-enhanced thermal bonding of a polymer film. This fast, inexpensive and industry-compatible method thus provides a single-use all-polymer platform for nanofluidic lab-on-a-chip applications. Its applicability for nanofluidics is demonstrated by DNA stretching experiments performed on individual double-stranded DNA molecules confined in the injection molded nanochannels. The obtained results are consistent with measurements performed in costly state-of-the-art silica nanochannels, for both straight and tapered channel geometries.

AB - We demonstrate that fabrication of well-defined nanofluidic systems can be greatly simplified by injection molding of thermoplastic polymers. Chips featuring nanochannel arrays, microchannels and integrated interconnects are produced in a single processing step by injection molding. The resulting open channel structures are subsequently sealed by facile plasma-enhanced thermal bonding of a polymer film. This fast, inexpensive and industry-compatible method thus provides a single-use all-polymer platform for nanofluidic lab-on-a-chip applications. Its applicability for nanofluidics is demonstrated by DNA stretching experiments performed on individual double-stranded DNA molecules confined in the injection molded nanochannels. The obtained results are consistent with measurements performed in costly state-of-the-art silica nanochannels, for both straight and tapered channel geometries.

U2 - 10.1039/c0lc00260g

DO - 10.1039/c0lc00260g

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1473-0197

VL - 11

SP - 303

EP - 308

JO - Lab on a Chip

JF - Lab on a Chip

IS - 2

ER -