Low-temperature, simple and fast integration technique of microfluidic chips by using a UV-curable adhesive

Abstract

In the fields of MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) and Lab On a Chip (LOC), a device is often fabricated using diverse substrates which are processed separately and finally assembled together using a bonding process to yield the final device. Here we describe and demonstrate a novel straightforward, rapid and low-temperature bonding technique for the assembly of complete microfluidic devices, at the chip level, by employing an intermediate layer of gluing material. This technique is applicable to a great variety of materials (e.g., glass, SU-8, parylene, UV-curable adhesive) as demonstrated here when using NOA 81 as gluing material. Bonding is firstly characterized in terms of homogeneity and thickness of the gluing layer. Following this, we verified the resistance of the adhesive layer to various organic solvents, acids, bases and conventional buffers. Finally, the assembled devices are successfully utilized for fluidic experiments.