Fabrication of microfluidic chips using laser click deposition

Abstract

Here we proposed a programmable and low-cost laser click deposition (LCD) method to form complicated CuO patterns as master templates for fabricating microfluidic chips. It was based on the heat-induced micro-hydrolysis reaction of Cu(Ac)₂ under laser irradiation. The relationship between laser parameters and microstructure size was investigated in detail by monitoring the deposition and growth processes with bright field microscopy. By optimizing the deposition conditions, high-quality patterned structures were produced via additive manufacturing strategy, which subsequently acted as master molds for fabricating the corresponding microfluidic chips. Multiple microchannel structures exhibit outstanding performance, indicating that LCD is a promising technique for fabricating microfluidic devices for use in sensors and diagnostics.