Abstract

Alternative Semiconductor Manufacturing Technologies for Microfluidics Manufacturing

Gerald Kreindl, Business Development Manager, EV Group

Semiconductor micro- and nanofabrication techniques have enabled the scientific and medical community to expand the applications of already-existing devices through miniaturization, and to create completely new devices with use of the increased control of size, morphology, topology, and functionality offered by these techniques. Nanoimprint lithography's (NIL) originally developed as next generation or alternative lithography for the IC industry is now widely used for topological-, chemical- and biological patterning in microfluidics and medical device manufacturing enabling researchers to understand and manipulate basic biological and chemical processes to improve modern medical devices. Nanoimprint is a flexible and easily accessible production patterning technique for types of materials normally used in the microfluidic space, for example thermoplastic polymer sheets and spin-on thermoplastic layers as well as biophotonic devices. This technology enables the creation of 2- and 3-dimensional structures for large polymer channels (>100 µm) down to the fabrication of sub 100 nm features for bio- or chemical sensing. All these skills are making NIL an ideal solution for the development and production of microfluidic, point of care and medical devices. The presentation will show alternative semiconductor manufacturing techniques for the fabrication of cell sorting, micro array as well as bioengineered sensingdevices.