Micro Machining of Injection Mold Inserts for Fluidic Channel of Polymeric Biochips

Author: Jung Woo-Chul   Heo Young-Moo   Yoon Gil-Sang   Shin Kwang-Ho   Chang Sung-Ho   Kim Gun-Hee   Cho Myeong-Woo  

Publisher: MDPI

E-ISSN: 1424-8220|7|8|1643-1654

ISSN: 1424-8220

Source: Sensors, Vol.7, Iss.8, 2007-08, pp. : 1643-1654

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Abstract

Recently, the polymeric micro-fluidic biochip, often called LOC (lab-on-a-chip), has been focused as a cheap, rapid and simplified method to replace the existing biochemical laboratory works. It becomes possible to form miniaturized lab functionalities on a chip with the development of MEMS technologies. The micro-fluidic chips contain many micro-channels for the flow of sample and reagents, mixing, and detection tasks. Typical substrate materials for the chip are glass and polymers. Typical techniques for microfluidic chip fabrication are utilizing various micro pattern forming methods, such as wet-etching, micro-contact printing, and hot-embossing, micro injection molding, LIGA, and micro powder blasting processes, etc. In this study, to establish the basis of the micro pattern fabrication and mass production of polymeric micro-fluidic chips using injection molding process, micro machining method was applied to form micro-channels on the LOC molds. In the research, a series of machining experiments using micro end-mills were performed to determine optimum machining conditions to improve surface roughness and shape accuracy of designed simplified micro-channels. Obtained conditions were used to machine required mold inserts for micro-channels using micro end-mills. Test injection processes using machined molds and COC polymer were performed, and then the results were investigated.