TY - JOUR
T1 - Rapid Prototyping of Organ-on-a-Chip Devices Using Maskless Photolithography
AU - Kasi, D.G.
AU - de Graaf, M.N.S.
AU - Motreuil-Ragot, P.A.
AU - Frimat, Jean-Phillipe M. S.
AU - Ferrari, Michel D.
AU - Sarro, Pasqualina M
AU - Mastrangeli, M.
AU - van den Maagdenberg, Arn M.J.M.
AU - Mummery, Christine
AU - Orlova, Valeria
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) and microfluidic devices are conventionally produced using microfabrication procedures that require cleanrooms, silicon wafers, and photomasks. The prototyping stage often requires multiple iterations of design steps. A simplified prototyping process could therefore offer major advantages. Here, we describe a rapid and cleanroom-free microfabrication method using maskless photolithography. The approach utilizes a commercial digital micromirror device (DMD)-based setup using 375 nm UV light for backside exposure of an epoxy-based negative photoresist (SU-8) on glass coverslips. We show that microstructures of various geometries and dimensions, microgrooves, and microchannels of different heights can be fabricated. New SU-8 molds and soft lithography-based polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chips can thus be produced within hours. We further show that backside UV exposure and grayscale photolithography allow structures of different heights or structures with height gradients to be developed using a single-step fabrication process. Using this approach: (1) digital photomasks can be designed, projected, and quickly adjusted if needed; and (2) SU-8 molds can be fabricated without cleanroom availability, which in turn (3) reduces microfabrication time and costs and (4) expedites prototyping of new OoC devices
AB - Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) and microfluidic devices are conventionally produced using microfabrication procedures that require cleanrooms, silicon wafers, and photomasks. The prototyping stage often requires multiple iterations of design steps. A simplified prototyping process could therefore offer major advantages. Here, we describe a rapid and cleanroom-free microfabrication method using maskless photolithography. The approach utilizes a commercial digital micromirror device (DMD)-based setup using 375 nm UV light for backside exposure of an epoxy-based negative photoresist (SU-8) on glass coverslips. We show that microstructures of various geometries and dimensions, microgrooves, and microchannels of different heights can be fabricated. New SU-8 molds and soft lithography-based polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chips can thus be produced within hours. We further show that backside UV exposure and grayscale photolithography allow structures of different heights or structures with height gradients to be developed using a single-step fabrication process. Using this approach: (1) digital photomasks can be designed, projected, and quickly adjusted if needed; and (2) SU-8 molds can be fabricated without cleanroom availability, which in turn (3) reduces microfabrication time and costs and (4) expedites prototyping of new OoC devices
KW - Backside exposure
KW - Digital micromirror device (DMD)
KW - Grayscale photolithography
KW - Low-cost microfabrication
KW - Maskless photolithography
KW - Organ-on-a-chip (OoC)
KW - PRIMO
KW - Photoresist
KW - Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)
KW - SU-8
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85122149350&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/mi13010049
DO - 10.3390/mi13010049
M3 - Article
SN - 2072-666X
VL - 13
JO - Micromachines
JF - Micromachines
IS - 1
M1 - 49
ER -