Center for Polymer Microfabrication (CPM): Materials and Process Modeling

Develop engineering-science-based processing procedures for producing polymer-based micro- and nano-structures.

Unlike the field of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), for which the material of choice has long been silicon, and for which the microfabrication techniques have been borrowed from the well-established microelectronics industry, the materials of choice for microfluidic systems are the optically-transparent materials. These include glass or quartz, amorphous glassy polymers (e.g., polymethylmethacrylate, PMMA, polycarbonate, PC), and elastomeric polymers (e.g., polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS).

Polymers are considered as the material of choice, owing to their superior properties for both manufacturing economy and product performance. The use of polymers is motivated by the prospect of high production rates and lower costs when compared to traditional methods using glass or silicon and lithography based methods. In terms of lab scale demonstrations, polymer workpieces are routinely made with characteristic dimensions in the 1 to 100 µm range. Many polymers have good biocompatibility and favorable optical properties.

Some current research endeavors include :
(*) Rheological behavior of the uncured elastomers and curing schedules for elastomers.
(*) Nonlinear large-deformation elastic response and failure of elastomers.
(*) Behavior of amorphous polymers above and below their glass transition temperatures. Research page.
(*) Effects of tooling and process conditions on optical characteristic of elastomers and polymers.
(*) Demolding: surface adhesion and release mechanics.
(*) Interlayer Bonding chemistry and mechanics.
(*) Relationship of fluidic and optical performance specifications to manufacturing specifications.
(*) Surface modification protocols for polymers.