Rolled-Up Microsystems

RUM联盟将开发一种新的微技术方法，基于薄聚合物薄膜的自滚，这将导致具有高度尺寸和形态控制的广泛微工程过程。该研究将基于对非平凡几何形状和形态的轧制过程的理论预测，以及对每个相关加工步骤的理论预测，并将预测与实验结果相关联。RUM财团将把自滚与功能和金属喷墨结合起来，包括随后的电振成形，以实现独特的微设备内管装饰。工艺开发将侧重于通过这种新方法实现的新颖应用，并将展示该技术的高潜力。基础应用将是一个广泛的、在需要时光学透明的片上实验室基础设施，它位于载体基板之上，而不是嵌入在载体基板中。表面上的微流体网络将被细胞生物学功能所增强，需要光滑的非矩形微管和内管表面的图案化学装饰。通过使用双光子聚合，将形成独特的三维人字形混沌流混合器结构，这将产生新的流体动力学理解和更高程度的流体混合，目前可能在微混合器中实现。微流体通道将在管内包含独特且精确形成的Alderman-Grant核磁共振（NMR）探测器结构，并连接到无源和微同轴电缆，这将实现高分辨率核磁共振波谱（MRS）和成像（MRI）能力，同时进行基于微流体的细胞增殖研究。RUM联盟还将开发将流体和射频设备与外界连接起来的结构。综上所述，我们的目标是展示这种新型芯片实验室功能的前所未有的精度和并行化，如果成功，我们的目标是开辟全新的研究领域。

The RUM consortium will develop a novel micro-technology approach, based on the self-rolling of thin polymeric films, that will result in an extensive micro-engineering process with a high degree of dimensional and morphological control.The research will be based upon a theoretical prediction of the rolling process for non-trivial geometries and morphologies, as well as for each of the relevant processing steps, and a correlation of the predictions with experimental findings.The RUM consortium will combine self-rolling with functional and metal ink-jetting including subsequent galvano-forming to achieve unique inner-tube decoration with micro-devices. The process development will be focused on novel applications that are enabled by this new approach, and will demonstrate the high potential of the technology.The basis application will be an extensive and when required optically transparent lab-on-a-chip infrastructure that lies on top of rather than embedded in the carrier substrate. The above-surface micro-fluidic networks will be augmented by cell-biological functions requiring smooth non- rectangular micro-tubes and patterned chemical decoration of the inner tube surfaces. Through the use of 2 photon polymerisation, unique 3D herringbone-like chaotic flow mixer structures will be formed which should yield a new fluid dynamic understanding and higher degree of fluidic mixing that currently possible in micromixers.The micro-fluidic channels will contain unique and precisely formed Alderman-Grant nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) detector structures within the tubes, and connected to passives and micro-coaxial cables, that will enable high resolution NMR spectrum (MRS) and imaging (MRI) capabilities whilst at the same time performing microfluidic-based cell-proliferation studies. The RUM consortium will also develop structures with which to connect the fluidic and radiofrequency devices to the outside world.Taken together, we aim to demonstrate unprecedented precision and parallelization of this novel lab-on-a-chip functionality, and if successful, aim to open up brand new areas of investigation.