High Throughput Manufacturing for Three-Dimensional Microfluidic Devices

描述(申请人提供)：基于光刻技术的制造开创了微电子时代，产生了巨大的社会和经济影响。将微制造技术扩展到3D有可能给包括生物医学、能源节约和存储以及光子器件制造在内的许多不同领域带来革命性的变化。虽然存在许多3D微制造技术，但它们存在产量低和/或分辨率低的问题。重要的是，这些技术是不可扩展的；制造更大的设备需要更长的时间。在这份SBIR Fast Track提案中，FemtoFab Inc.寻求资金，以展示一种基于超快光脉冲时间聚焦的新型微制造工艺--广域双光子3D光刻。这种新的制造技术类似于标准的2D光刻，具有高产量和可扩展的特点。与标准光刻不同，该技术能够制造具有3D分辨特征的零件。在这种3D微制造工艺的众多不同应用中，FemtoFab Inc.已将制造用于生物医学应用的微流控设备确定为最有前途的方向。在生物医学中，微流控设备在许多领域都有应用，如临床点诊断、药物发现和蛋白质结晶。将广场双光子三维光刻应用于制造领域，将满足微流控领域对低成本、高密度、多功能器件的需求。在第一阶段结束时，我们将演示如何使用这项新技术制造具有复杂3D结构的微流体通道。我们将进一步量化制造速度，以证明在仪器设备上的额外投资将导致具有工业规模生产能力的微制造平台。该项目第二阶段的额外资源将使我们能够建立并表征升级的广域双光子3D光刻微制造系统，其生产能力和成本与工业规模的制造相兼容。我们将进一步演示如何以高速度和低成本制造具有集成的有源微流控部件的复杂3D设备，如泵、阀门。 公共卫生相关性：在生物医学中，微流控设备已在许多领域得到应用，如医疗诊断、药物发现和蛋白质结晶。我们提出了一种新的高通量3D制造工艺，以满足这些应用对低成本、高密度和多功能器件的需求。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Manufacturing based on photolithography has been responsible for ushering in the microelectronics era with enormous societal and economical impact. Extending microfabrication technology to 3D has the potential to revolutionize many diverse fields including biomedicine, energy conversation and storage, and photonic device manufacturing. While many 3D microfabrication techniques exist, they suffer from low throughput and/or low resolution. Importantly, these techniques are not scalable; longer times are required to build larger devices. In this SBIR Fast Track proposal, FemtoFab Inc. seeks funding to demonstrate a novel microfabrication process, wide-field two-photon 3D lithography, which is based on temporal focusing of ultrafast light pulses. This new manufacturing technique, similar to standard 2D photolithography, is high throughput and scalable. Unlike standard photolithography, this technique is capable of manufacturing parts with 3D resolved feature. Among the many diverse applications of this 3D microfabrication process, FemtoFab Inc. has identified the manufacturing of microfluidic devices for biomedical applications as the most promising direction. In biomedicine, microfluidic devices have found applications in numerous areas, such as point-of- care diagnostic, drug discovery, and protein crystallization. The adaptation of wide-field two- photon 3D lithography for manufacturing will address the demand of microfluidic field for lower cost, higher density, and multi-functional devices. At the completion of Phase I, we will demonstrate the fabrication of microfluidic channels with complex 3D structures using this new technique. We will further quantify fabrication speed to prove that will additional investment in instrumentation will result in a microfabrication platform with industrial scale throughput. The additional resources during Phase II of this project will allow us to build and characterize an upgraded wide-field two-photon 3D lithographic microfabrication system with throughput and cost compatible with industrial scale manufacturing. We will further demonstrate the fabrication of complex 3D devices with integrated active microfluidic components such as pumps, valves at high speed and low cost. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: In biomedicine, microfluidic devices have found applications in numerous areas, such as point- of-care diagnostic, drug discovery, and protein crystallization. We propose a novel high throughput 3D manufacturing process that addresses the demand of these applications for lower cost, higher density, and multi-functional devices.