Timothy J. Johnson, Emanuel A. Waddell, David J. Ross, Gary W. Kramer, Laurie E. Locascio
The physical morphology and chemical functionality of fluid microchannels
formed in poly(methyl methacrylate) substrates were studied to increase
the fundamental understanding of polymer microchannel surface properties
for 'lab-on-a-chip' devices. Microchannels were formed by a hot imprint
method using a silicon template or by a laser ablation process (248nm KrF
laser) operating at low to moderate fluence levels (up to 1180 mJ/cm2).
The carboxylate groups, which are responsible for the surface charges,
were fluorescently labeled by reaction with an ethyl-dimethylaminopropyl-carbodiimide
hydrochloride/amino-fluorescein solution. Fluorescence microscopy
was then used to locate and measure qualitatively the charge present on
the microchannel walls. Results suggest that surface charges are
localized on the corners of trapezoidal channel formed by the hot imprint
method and that the amount of charge present is significantly less compared
with laser-ablated microchannels where charges appear to be distributed
uniformly. For substrates irradiated at fluences above the laser
ablation threshold, it was found that one pass of the laser produced a
surface with greater charge than channels made with multiple passes, that
ablation under nitrogen resulted in more charge than ablation under oxygen,
and that non-sonicated substrates had more charge than samples that were
sonicated after ablation. Finally, we have determined that the surface
charge on the substrate can be modified by using the laser at fluence levels
lower than those required to ablate the substrate.