Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia
Abstract
Microfluidic channels are fabricated in thick polycarbonate (PC) substrates by hot embossing using soft poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) stamps. The embossing force is in the range of 2.5-3 kN for a 4-inch diameter substrate, and the embossed microchannel is 70 μm deep. We investigate the influence of soft stamp precursor and curing agent mix ratio, and post thermal treatment on embossing conditions. Experimental results show that a soft stamp fabricated with 5:1 mix ratio and post-annealed at 150c results in better embossing properties than conventional un-annealed stamps