SBIR Phase I: Fabrication of High Aspect Ratio Microstructures in Polymers: Applications in Microcolumn Separations

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目致力于开发商业上可行的方法，利用接触式纳米印刷制造用于微流体应用的高深宽比微纳米结构。X射线光刻将被用于生产模压工具，以压印聚合物中的结构。微流控通道将用填充这些通道的微柱和纳米柱的有序阵列来制造。成型工具将由金属电铸制成，以允许各种聚合物的热压或注塑成型。将评估电铸和聚合物的机械性能，以确定在拆除过程中将结构变形降至最低的能力。将研究封闭微流控通道的各种胶合和热退火组装方法。在成型、拆除和组装过程中，将检查许多柱子几何形状的特征完整性。将使用共聚焦荧光显微镜详细研究有序阵列中的流体传输。该项目的商业应用将在微柱分离领域，如反相色谱和微反应器。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to develop commercially viable methods for the fabrication of high aspect ratio micro- and nano-structures for microfluidic applications using contact nano-printing. X-ray lithography will be used to produce molding tools to emboss structures in polymers. Microfluidic channels will be fabricated with ordered arrays of micro- and nano-posts filling these channels. Molding tools will be constructed from metal electroform to allow hot embossing or injection molding of various polymers. Mechanical properties of both the electroform and the polymers will be evaluated for the ability to minimize structure deformation during demolding. Various gluing and heat annealing assembly methods to enclose the microfluidic channels will be investigated. A number of post geometries will be examined for feature integrity during molding, demolding and assembly. Fluid transport through the ordered arrays will be studied in detail using confocal fluorescence microscopy.The commercial applications of this project will be in the area of micro-column separations such as for reversed phase chromatography and for micro-reactors.