Microfabrication, Microstructures andMicrosystems Dong Qin'Younan Xia .|ohn A. Rogers.RebeccaJ.|ackman .Xiao-MeiZhao . GeorgeM. Whitesides* Department of Chemistry andChemical Biology, HarvardUniversity, MA 02138, Cambridge, USA. E-mail: gwhitesides@gmwgroup.harvard.edu This reviewgivesa brief introduction to materialsand techniquesusedfor microfabrication. Rigid materialshave typically been used to fabricatemicrostructuresand systems.Elastomeric materialsare becomingattractive,and may haveadvantages for certain typesof applications.Photolithographyis the most commonlyusedtechniquefor the fabricationof structures for microelectroniccircuits,microelectromechanical systems,microanalyticaldevices and micro-optics.Soft lithographyrepresentsa set of non-photolithographictechniques:it formsmicropatterns of self-assembled monolayers(SAMs)by contactprintingand generates microstructuresof polymersby contactmolding. The aim of this paper is to illustratehow non-traditionalmaterialsand methodsfor fabricationcan yield simple,cost-effective routes to microsystems, and now they canexpandthe capabilities of thesesystems. Keywords: Microfabrication,microsystems, microlithographictechniques. Introduction 2 Requirements on Materials for Microsystems 2.I 2.2 Rigid Materials for Microsystems ElastomericMaterials for Microsystems 3 4 3 Microlithographic Techniques 5 3.r Photolithography 3.3 RapidPrototyping 3.4 Other Methods for Microfabrication 5 6 6 10 t2 t4 Conclusions and Future Directions 16 References T7 3.2 Soft Lithography 3 . 2 . r Microcontact Printing 3.2.2 Molding of Organic Polymers * Correspondingauthor. Topicsin Current Chemistry,Vol.194 @SpringerVerlag Berlin Heidelberg1998 D. Qin et al. 1 lntroduction Microfabrication is increasingly central to modern science and technology. Many opportunities in technology derive from the ability to fabricatenen'tvpes of microstructures or to reconstituteexisting structures in down-sizedversions. The most obvious examples are in microelectronics.Microstructures should also provide the opportunity to study basic scientific phenomena that occur at small dimensions: one example is quantum confinement observed in nanostructures [1].Although microfabricationhas its basisin microelectronicsand most researchin microfabrication has been focusedon microelectronic devices [2], applicationsin other areasare rapidly emerging.Theseinclude systemsfor microanalysis[3 -6], micro-volumereactors[7, 8], combinatorialsynthesis[9], microelectromechanicalsystems (MEMS) [10, 1l], and optical comPonents [r2-r41. One particularly exciting use for microanalytical devicesis in the separation and analysisof chemicaland biologicalsubstances[3 - 6]. Thesedevicesrequire only small quantities of reagents,have relatively short analysis times and can show efficienciesin separationsthat are better than larger counterparts.In the past few years,a number of miniaturized total chemical analysissystems(pTAS) [15] have been developedthat perform all sample-handlingstepsin an integrated fashion. For example,capillary electrophoresis(CE) devices using microchannels et c hed i n to p l a n a rg l a s s s u b s tra te shaveattractedattenti on for [16-18] their use in applied molecular genetics.Systemsfor free-flow electrophoresis capillary elec[19], gas chromatography[20],liquid chromatography121,221, trochromatography 123) and micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECC) l24lhave been developed.Rapid and efficient capillary zone electrophoretic separationsin micromachined channels(open, gel-filled or polyacrylamide-coated)on quartz substrateshave also been demonstrated[3, 25,26). Devices for performing not only analysis,but also chemical synthesis in miniaturized systems(or microreactors)are also being developed17,27-341. An array of chemical tools on a chip would make it possible,for example,to synthesize,analyzeand characterizeextremely small amounts of product (- tO-tz;; [6]; thesesystemswill be useful for combinatorial synthesisas part of new proceduresfor the parallel synthesisand screeningof large numbers of compounds. Development of severalprototypical microreactors suggestthat microfabrication will play an important role in biology and chemistry: examples include DNA chips for high-speedDNA sequencing[35-38]; microchips for carrying out the polymerasechain reaction (PCR) [39]; microchip-basedapparatusfor the synthesisand characterizationof libraries of peptides and oligonucleotides [a0]; and microchip-based drug discovery using electronic addressingfor the investigationof small objects such as single biological cells [41]. In addition to their biological and chemical applications,microstructures used in MEMS have evolved rapidly to integrate electronicswith monitoring, actuating, and controlling tools (including chemical, optical, and mechanical sensors)for use in engineering.In the past few years,the scope of fabrication Microfabrication, Microstructures and Microsystems techniques and the types of devices categorizedas MEMS have widened dramatically [10, 17,42,43]. Most are fabricatedfrom silicon using standard microlithographic techniques (silicon bulk micromachining and polysilicon surfacemicromachining) 144-461.With thesemethods,thousandsof mechanimasselements cal elements(for example,cantileveredbeams,springs,linkages, and joints) can be batch-fabricatedon a single silicon substrate[9, 11]. Microactuators,micromotors and microengines[46] havebeen fabricatedfor optical switches,fluid pumps [a7], systemsfor drug deliveryand microchemicalanalysis and high-speedrotational gyros for navigation [48-51].More recently,surface micromachining techniques have been used to fabricate miniaturized optical components [12-14]. A free-spacemicro-optical system comprising three-dimensionalmicrogratings, micromirrors and microlensesis one example [14,52]. Theseand similar miniatrrrzed optical devicesare attractivefor free-spaceoptical interconnects,displaydevices, applicationsin spectrometers, sensors,optoelectronicpackagesand data storagedevices. These current and potential applications motivate the development of techniquesfor fabricating and manipulating objectswith nanometer and micrometer feature sizes.This review gives a brief introduction to materials and techniquescommonly used for microfabrication;its focus is on those currently being explored in our laboratory.Our aim is to illustratehorv non-traditional materialsand methods for fabricationcan yield simple,cost effectiveroutesto microsystems,and how they can expand the capabilitiesoi these svstems.In a c onc luding s ec ti o n w e p ro v i d e b ri e f d e s c ri pti onsoi a number of other mav providevariable techniquesfor fabricationthat,likethose\\'eare der.eloping, alternativesto photolithograph,v. 2 for Microsystems Requirements on Materials Miniaturized systems for performing chemical/biochemicalreactions and analysisrequire cavities,channels,pumps, valves,storagecontainers,couplers, electrodes,windows and bridges [53]. The typical dimensionsof thesecomponents are in the range of a few micrometersto severalmillimeters in length or width, and between100nm and 100pm in depth and height.An extensiveset of techniquesfor fabricatingthesemicrostructuresis discussedin Sect.3. 2.1 RigidMaterialsfor Microsystems Microsystemscan be built on various substrateswith a range of materials: crystallinesilicon,amorphous silicon,glass,quartz,metals,and organic polymers. Single-crystalsilicon substrateshave been used in most areasof microfabrication for a range of excellentreasons: 1. Silicon processingitself can be carried out using thin films of organic photoresistsas resistsagainst etching, and this technology is very highly developed. D. Qin et al. 2. TWo- and three-dimensional shapes and patterns can be reproduced in silicon with high precision using bulk and surface micromachining techniques 146,54) 3. Silicon devicescan be batch-fabricatedusing the technology currently used for fabricating integrated circuits. 4. Silicon/silicondioxide is stablechemically and thermally. Crystalline silicon also has severaldisadvantages:it is expensive,brittle, and opaque in the UV/visible regions, and its surface chemistry is complicated to manipulate.As alternativesto silicon,glass,quartz and some rigid organic polymers (for example, epoxy, polyurethane, polyimide, polystyrene and polymethylmethacrylate) have properties that make them useful as materials for microsystems[55, 56]. In particular, they are transparent in the visible and UV regions and so can be easily adapted to optical detection in microanalytical devices.Microstructures of thesematerials can be replicatedreadily using lowcost methods such as replicamolding and embossing[55-61].In addition, the surface properties of these substrates(e.g. wetness ability, adhesion, surface adsorption and surfacereactivity) can be modified rationally using a variety of surface chemistries. Techniques involving the formation of self-assembled monolayers(SAMs) [62] and the attachmentof complex macromolecules[63] (e.g. immunoglobulins and nucleic acids) provide new routes to tailoring surfaceproperties.Polymers are,however,not stableat high temperaturesand their low thermal conductivities may limit their use in applications requiring high local power dissipation(e.g.in CE). Integration of various components of a miniaturized device requires methods for bonding materials to substrates[6a]. The most commonly used technologiesfor joining glassand silicon componentsinclude: l. Anodic bonding [0S], which uses electrostaticattraction to bring a glass wafer into contact with a silicon wafer and to form covalentbonds between them; 2 . S ilic on f us ion b o n d i n g [6 5 ],w h i c h e m p l o ysa si mi l ar mechani smto bond together the surfaces of two slightly-oxidized silicon wafers at high temperatures;and 3. Thermal bonding [66],which joins two glasswafersby locally melting them under controlled conditions. Bonding technologies for organic polymers will probably be based on adhesivesand other ones that are still being developed. 2 .2 Elastomeric Materialsfor Microsystems Rigid materials have typically been used to fabricate MEMS and optical components (for example,diffraction gratings,lensesand mirrors). Thesematerials have the advantagesof structural rigidity and strength.In certain applications, however,rigid materials may not provide the only solution to structural problem: adaptive optics is such an application [67]. Adaptive optics have com- Microfabrication, Microstructures and Microsystems monly been constructed by assemblingsmaller, rigid elements that can be moved independentlyto modify characteristics[68]. Elastomersare well suited as materials for similar systems.We have created a new route for fabricating optical elements and optical systems from elastomeric materials such as poly(dimethylsiloxane),PDMS [69]. These types of optical components and deviceshavecharacteristics that can be controlledby changingtheir shapeswith mechanicalcompressionor extension.There are severaladvantagesto using PDMS as a materialfor adjustableoptical elements: 1. It can be deformed reversiblyand repeatedlywithout permanent distortion or relaxationof features[70]. 2. It canbe molded at a scalesuitablefor optical applications(with featuresizes in the rangeof 0.I - l0 pm) with high fidelity IZt ] . 3. It is opticallytransparentdown to - 300 nm [72]. 4. It is durable and chemically inert. 5. It is non-toxic, commercially availableand inexpensive. We have demonstrated the concept of elastomeric optics by fabricating elastomericlenses,corner cubes,mirrors and diffraction gratings [69].We have u sed t hes e c om po n e n tsa s p h o to th e rma ld e te c tors[73]; devi cesfor measuri n g dis plac em ents, tra i n , s tre s s ,fo rc e , to rq u e , and accel erati on[70]; opti cal mo dulat or sand dis p l a yd e v i c e sl T a l .In th e s ed e v i ces,the acti veopti calel ement i s a bloc k of P DM Sw i th th e re l i e f o f a b i n a rv d i tf racti ongrati ngon i ts surface. Me c hanic alc om pre s s i o n /e x te n s i ocno n tro l s th e rel ati veopti cal path of l i ght passing through the grating; this change in path causesthe patterns of diffraction to be coupledto the compression/extension. Fabricationof elastomeric light valvesrepresentsadditional examplesof elastomericoptical devices[75]. One such exampleis an array of retroreflectivecorner cubes [76]. The amount of light transmitted through the valve is controlled by mechanicalcompression and extensionagainstthe surfacesof the PDMSblocks in the out-of-planedirection. Thesedeformable elastomericlight valvesmay have applicationsin display devices,energy savingwindows, sensors(accelerometers and pressuregauges) and photolithographicsystems(such as photomasks)[77]. 3 Microlithographic Techniques In the following sections,we begin with a descriptionof photolithography,then focus on a number of methods developedin our laboratory and concludewith some other non-traditionaltechniques.More extensivedescriptionsof traditional approachesare reviewedelsewhere[78]. 3.1 Ph o t olit hogr aphy Photolithographyis the most commonly used microlithographictechnique [2, 78l. In photolithography,a substrate,spin-coatedwith a thin layer of photo- D. Qin et al. sensitivepolymer (photoresist),is exposed to a UV light source through a photomask. The photomask is typically a quartz plate coveredwith patterned microstructuresof an opaque material (usually chromium). The photoresist exposed to UV light becomes either more (positive resist) or less (negative resist) soluble in a developingsolution.In either case,the pattern on the photomask is transferred into the film of photoresist;the patterned photoresist can subsequentlybe used as the mask in doping or etching the substrate. In addition to conventional photoresist polymers, Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films and SAMs 179- 811have been used as resistsin photolithography.In such applications,photochemical oxidation, cross-linking, or generation of reactive groups are used to transfer micropatterns from the photomask into the monol ay er s[ 82- 84] . Photolithography is widely used to fabricate structures for microelectronic circuits, MEMS, microanalytical devices and micro-optics. It has, however, a number of disadvantages.It is a relatively high-cost technology and the investment required to build and maintain photolithographic facilities makes this technique less than accessibleto many chemists and biochemists.It can not be applied easily to curved surfaces(the formation of micropatterns and microstructures on non-planar substratesis important in the fabrication of certain types of optical and MEMS devices). It is applicable to only a small set of materials and it gives little control over the properties of the surfacesthat are generated.These limitations have motivated the development of alternative, low-cost microlithographic techniquesfor manufacturing microstructures. 3.2 Soft Lithography We have developeda set of non-photolithographic techniquesfor microfabrication that are based on the printing of SAMs and molding of organic polymers; we refer to these techniques,collectively,as soft lithography. Soft lithographic techniquesinclude microcontact printing [80], micromolding in capillaries [85], microtransfermolding [86] and replica molding [60, 7t]. Embossing [58], injection molding, and sometechniquesbasedon electrochemicaldepositionand etching might also be included as soft lithographic techniques.The capability and feasibility of soft lithography have been demonstratedby the fabrication of microstructures and systemsin polymers and metals on a variety of substrates. 3 .2. 1 MicrocontactPrinting Microcontact printing (pCP) is a techniquethat usesan elastomericstamp with relief on its surfaceto generatepatterned SAMs on the surface of both planar and curved substrates[87,88]. SAMs are highly ordered molecular assemblies that form spontaneouslyby chemisorption of functionalized long-chain moleculeson the surfacesof appropriatesubstrates179,891. Well-establishedsystems of SAMs include alkanethiolateson coinage metals (Au, Ag, Cu) [90]; alkylsiloxaneson hydroxyl-terminated surfaces(Si/SiOz,glass) [91]; carboxylic and Microfabrication, Microstructures and Microsystems hydroxamicacidson oxide of metals179,92halkyphosphonates onZrOrl93,94l; and alkylphosphonicacidson Indium Tin Oxide [95].The thicknessof a SAM is about 2-3 nm, and can be varied with an precisionof - 0.1 nm by changingthe number of methylenegroups in the alkane chain. The surfaceproperties of a SAM can be controlled by modifying the tail groups (that is, the functional groups distal to the surface).SAMs have many of the featuresthat are attractive in microfabrication: l . They are quasi-equilibriumstructuresthat are at,or closeto, thermodynamic minima, and that tend, as a consequence, to be self-healingand defect-rejecting [62]. 2. SAMs function as ultrathin resistsagainstcertain types of etches,and patterned SAMs can alsobe usedas templatesto control the nucleationand deposition of other materials(e.g. polymers [96],copper [97] and mammalian cells Ie8]). 3. They can be handled outside of clean room facilities,and certain types of fabrication involving SAMs are relatively low in cost compared with conventional photolithographicmethods. FigureI outlinesthe procedureusedfor pCP.This techniqueis experimentally simple and inherentlyparallel.The elastomericstamp is fabricatedby castinga prepolymer of PDMS against a master,which can be prepared using photolithography or other related techniques (for example, micromachining or e-beamwriting). We have castmore than 50 stampsagainsta single master.To print hexadecanethiol(HDT) on gold, the "ink" used is a solution of HDT in ethanol (-2 mM). After the PDMS stamp is inked, it is brought into contact with a substrateto form patterned SAMs (Fig. 1A). Large area patterning (10- 100cm2)is possibleeither by using a largeflat stamp or by mounting a thin PDMS stamp onto a cylindrical rod and then rolling the stamp across the substrate(Fig. 1B) [99].]rCPalsoallowsgenerationof micropatternsand microstructures on curved substratesby rolling curved substratesacrossan inked stamp (Fig. 1C) [87]. Conventionallithography lacks the depth of focus to pattern on curved substrates. We havebeen able to generatepatternedSAMs of a l kanet hiolat es on c o i n a g eme ta l s[9 0 ,1 0 0 - 1 0 2 ],patternedS A Ms of al kyl si l oxaneson hydroxyl-terminatedsurfaces[ 103- I 05] . CP has alsobeen extendedfor p a tter ningar r ay sof c o l l o i d a lp a rti c l e so f Pd o n S i /S i O,[106].l npC P ,eachP D MS stamp can be used more than 100 times without degradationin performance; much higher levelsof use may alsobe possiblebut havenot been explored. pCP followed by selective wet etching allows the formation of arrays of microstructuresof coinagemetalswith controlled shapesand dimensions[96, 1071.This capabilityhas direct applicationsin the fabricationof sensors[108], arrays of microelectrodes[109], and diffraction gratings [110]. Moreover,the patterned metallic microstructures can be used as secondarymasks in the etchingof underlying substrates(for example,Si, SiO, and gallium arsenide)to fabricatemicrochannelsand microcavitiesfor microreactorsand microanalytical systems[5a]. Figure 2 shows severaltypical examplesof microstructures fabricatedusing the combinationof pCP and selectiveetching.Figure2A shows D. Qin et al. I Pnotolithooraohv tSi Pour PDMS against Master and Cure Si PeelPDMS otf from Master @ ffi I Microcontact Printing HDT 't t-t PDMS l-l t-t I-t r Att/Ag--+ Si with a planarPDMS Fig.1.Schematic procedures for pCP:(A) printingon a planarsubstrate with a rollingstamp;and(C)printingon a curved stamp;(B)printingon a planarsubstrate substrate with a planarstamp a scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of patterned microstructures of Ag on a Si/SiO2surface that were generatedby pCP hexadecanethiolwith a rolling stamp, followed by selectivewet etching in an aqueous ferricyanide solution [107].Wecan routinely produce sub-pm (>0.3pm) featuresover an area of - 50 cm2 in a single impression in approximately 30 s [99]. We are beginning to define the registration and distortion of the patterns associatedwith elastomeric stamps I I I I ] . Figure 2 B showsan SEM of patterned microstructures of Ag on Si/SiOr.Figure 2C shows a cross-sectionalSEM of microchannels that were generatedin a Si(100)wafer using a combination of pCP,shadow evaporation and silicon micromachining [5a]. Figure 2D shows an SEM of a microtrans- Microfabrication, Microstructures and Microsystems Fig.2.A, B SEMsof testpatternsof silverfabricated usingpCP,followedby selective etching; C cross-sectional SEMof microchannels etchedin Si(100); and D opticalmicrograph of a microtransformer fabricated using;rCP, selective etchingandelectroplating former fabricatedusing a combination of pCP,selectivewet etching and electroplating llI2). Conducting microcoils produced in this way on micro-capill a ri eshav ebeen us e d fo r h i g h -re s o l u ti o np ro to n N MR spectroscopyon nanol i ter v olum es [ 113 ] a n d a s c u rre n t c a rri e rsi n m i cro-i nductors[114].S i mi l ar cylindrical structuresmaybe useful as intravascularstentsand micro-springs [114]. 10 D. Qin et al. 3. 2. 2 Molding of OrganicPolymers Formation of replicasby molding againstrigid mastershas been widely used to manufacturecompact disks (CDs) [115] and diffraction gratings [59]. By extending this procedure to include an elastomeras the material for the mold, we have developeda number of techniquesfor fabricating microstructures of polymers, including micromolding in capillaries (MIMIC) [85, 116, ll7], microtransfer molding (pTM) [86], and replica molding 160,711.An elastomeric (PDMS) stamp with relief on its surface is central to each of these procedures (Fig.3).In MIMIC, a liquid prepolymer (for example,a UV curablepolyurethane or a thermally curable epoxy) wicks spontaneouslyby capillary action into the network of channelsformed by conformal contactbetweenan elastomericmold and a substrate.In pTM, the recessedregions of an elastomericmold are filled Micromoldingin Capillaries (MtMlc) Microtransfer Molding t =mR e p l i c aMo l d i n g PD M S H t Fig.3.Schematicproceduresfor MIMIC, pTM and replicamolding Microfabrication, Microstructures and Microsystems 1l with a liquid prepolymer,and the filled mold is brought into contact with a substrate. After curing the prepolymer, the mold is removed, leaving a polymer microstructure on the substrate.MIMIC can only be used to fabricateinterconnectedmicrostructures.Figure 44. showsan SEM of a free-standingmicrostructure of polyurethanethat was fabricatedon an SiO, surfaceusing MIMIC, followed by lift-off in an aqueousHF solution [85, 116].Figure 4B showspolystyrene beads crystallized in microchannelsfabricated by MIMIC using an aqueous suspensionof the colloidal beads [118]. Arrays of such crystalline microbeadsare interestingfor potential applicationsin chromatographyand applied optics.pTM can be used to generateboth isolatedand interconnected microstructures;it can also be used sequentiallyto fabricatemulti-layer structures.The smallestfeatureswe haveproduced using theseproceduresare parallel lines with cross sectionsof -0.1x2 m2. These dimensionsare limited by the PDMS molds used in our work. Figs 4C and 4D show SEMsof two- and threelayer microstructuresfabricatedusing TM [86]. Figs 4E and 4F show SEMs of carbonized polymeric structures (an interdigitated capacitor and an optical deflector)fabricatedby pTM [1 19]. In replicamolding,microstructuresare directly formed by castingand curing a UV curablepolymer againstan elastomericmold. This method is effectivefor replicatingfeaturesizesranging from severalcentimetersto - 30 nm. Figure4 G l b j e c t w i th 1 00m corner-cubeson i ts sursh o wsan S E M of a h e m i s p h e ri c a o facethat was fabricatedusing replica molding againsta deformed PDMS mold [60]. Replica molding also provides a convenient route to microstructures w i th high as pec tra ti o s . F i g u re 4 H s h o w s a n SE M of one such structure replicatedfrom a master generatedin a thin film of heat-shrinkablepolystyrene [120]. First, Molding againstan elastomericPDMS master has severaladvantages. releait can also be form contact with a substrate; conformal the elastomercan sedeasily,evenfrom complexand fragile structures.Secondly,PDMS providesa surfacewith low interfacialfree energy (-21.6 dyn cm ') and low in reactivity. As a result,the polymers being molded do not adhere irreversiblyto or react with the surfaceof PDMS.Thirdly, the deformation of PDMS can be controlled easilyby mechanicalcompression,bending and stretching.Taking advantageof this flexibility, we have been able to fabricatemicrostructures of polymers with controlledshapeson both planar and non-planarsurfaces[60]. Microfabrication based on molding is remarkable for its simplicity, for its economy,and for its fidelity in transferring the patterns from the mold to the polymeric structuresthat it forms. MIMIC, pTM and replicamolding havebeen used to fabricatemicrostructuresof a wide range of materials,including polymers,inorganic and organic salts,sol-gels,polymer beadsand precursorpolymers to ceramicsand carbon.The feasibilityof thesemolding techniqueshas been demonstratedby the fabrication of chirped, blazed diffraction gratings l tZZl , [6 0] , poly m er ic wa v e g u i d e s[1 2 1 ],w a v e g u i d ei nterferometers/coupl ers interdigitatedcarbon capacitors[118],and suspendedcarbon microresonators [123).Without steps for transferring patterns,photolithography can only be used to generatemicrostructuresin the classesof polymers that havebeen developedas photoresists. t2 D. Qin et al. Fig.4.SEMsof microstructuresfabricatedusing A, B MIMICi C, D, E, F pTM and G, H replica molding. Seetext for details 3. 3 RapidPrototyping An elastomericstamp or mold with relief structures on its surfaceis the key to soft lithographic techniques (see Sect. 3.2). As a result, the utility of these techniquesis often limited by the availability of appropriatemasters.In general, the mastersare fabricatedusing photolithography.Chrome masks are available commercially from custom fabricators,but the time required for vendorsto produce a chrome mask from a design presentedin a computer aided design (CAD) file can be weeks,and they are expensive(-$300 per square inch for features larger than 20 pm, and -$ 500- $ 1000per squareinch for featuresbetween I and Microfabrication, Microstructures and Microsystems 13 20 pm). The time and expenseinvolvedin generatingchromemasksarebarriers to the use of photolithography by chemists and biologists and have limited the use of microfabrication in thesefields. Recently,we [124)and others [125] havedevelopeda systemthat has enabled us to fabricate masters having feature sizes) 20 prmrapidly and at low cost. In this technique[124],wedraw patternsusing computerprogramssuchasMacromedia Freehandor AutoCAD and print them directly onto polymer films using image-settingsystem(for example,HerkulesPRO, a commercial,laser-assisted resolution of 3387 dpi, Linotype-Hell Company,Hauppauge,NY). Using this method,photolithographicmasks- transparentpolymeric films patternedwith microstructuresof black ink - can be made in a few hours at a cost of - $ 1 per squareinch. Although thesemasks do not have the durability and dimensional stability required for use in the manufacturing of microelectronic devices,they are suitablefor the rapid production of limited numbers of prototype microfluidics,sensors,micro-optics,and microanalyticalsystems.They alsohavetwo other attractive features: 1. They are flexible,and can be used to pattern non-planar substrates. 2. They are thin, and can be stackedon top of one anotherto generatenew types of patterns. After the patterns on these polymer films are transferred into photoresist films coatedon silicon substratesusing photolithography,the developedphotoresist patterns can serve as a master to make the required PDMS stamps.By combining this method of rapid prototyping with soft lithographic techniques, we can fabricate patterned microstructures of polymers and metals within 24 h of the time that the design is completed.Rapid prototyping makesit possible to produce substantialnumbers of simple microstructuresrapidly and inexpensively. The rapid prototyping method has been demonstratedby fabricatingstructures representativeof those used in microanalyticalsystems.Figure 5 shows two examples:a microCE channel and a surfaceacousticwave (SAW) device. Figure5A showsa schematicdesignof the pattern usedin the microCE.Figs.5 B and 5 C show optical micrographsof two areasof the pattern that were etched into a glassslide using the patternedfilm of photoresistas the mask.Figure 5 D illustratesthe pattern used for a SAW device and Fig. 5 E shows an SEM of a portion of this device (made of silver on Si/SiOr)that was fabricatedby selective etchingin an aqueousferricyanidesolution. At present, the smallest features that can be generated directly using this procedure are - 20 pm, a size that is limited by the resolution (3387dpi) of the image-settingsystem.Itshouldbe possibleto generatefeatureswith smallersizes by using printers with higher resolution.Even with masks made by the current image-settingsystem,we are able to generatefeaturessignificantly smaller than 20 pm by using some of the techniquesreported previously (e.9. mechanical compressionof an elastomericstamp) [126].We believethat rapid prototyping pavesthe way for expanded use of microfabrication (especiallywhen patterns may be complex but require only modest linewidths) in chemistry and biology. t4 D. Qin et al. AO o,r B o n T c c .: ! t! !! :l DSI€ I= Fig.5.A Thedesigned patternusedin microCE; andB,C opticalmicrographs of two selected areas of thepatternthatwastransferred intoa glassslide.D Thedesigned patternusedin SAW device; andE anSEMimageof a portionof thepatterngenerated in silveron Si/SiO, 3. 4 OtherMethodsfor Microfabrication Embossing (or Imprinting) is a low-cost,high-throughput manufacturing technique that imprints microstructures in plastic materials [127].The manufacture of CDs based on imprinting in polycarbonate is a good example of a large- Microfabrication, Microstructures and Microsystems t5 volume commercialapplicationof this techniqueI I 15].Until recently,embossing had not been seriouslydevelopedas a method for fabricatingmicrostructures of semiconductors,metals and other materials used in semiconductor integrated circuit manufacturing. Work by Chou and coworkers showed that embossingcan be used to make featuresas small as 25 nm and has attracted attention to the potential of this kind of patterning [58, 128]. We have also demonstrateda variant of embossingusing an elastomericmaster [129].In this technique,the elastomericmaster is wet with an appropriate solvent and is brought into contact with the surfaceof a polymer. The polymer is softenedby the solvent,and the resulting (probably gel-like) polymeric material is molded againstthe relief structureof the elastomerto form a pattern complementaryto that on the surfaceof the mold. Injection Molding is an alternativetechnique used for manufacturing CDs [57].It has been usedto generatemicrostructureswith featuresizesof > 0.5pm. Injection molding combined with sintering technology provides a potential route to complex structuresmade of nearly every sinterablematerial or material combination [130].The capability of this techniquehas been demonstratedby producingfiber-reinforcedmetal componentsand thosemade of metal-ceramic co mpounds[ 130] .Ba s e do n th e tw o -c o m p o n e n itnj ecti onmol di ng process,i t i s possible to produce components with a rigid exterior and a tough core. A low-pressureinjection molding technique[131] has been used as a method for fabricatingceramic thread-guidecomponentsused in the textile industry. Injection molding has great promise for fabrication on the < 100nm scale, although the required technology has not yet been developed. Excimer Laser Micromachining [132, 133] is a technique based on laser ablation. Currently, this process can routinely ablate vias as small as 6 pm in diameter in polymers, glass,ceramics and metals.The minimum size of the featuresthat this method can produce is limited by diffraction and by heat/mass transport.Commercialinstrumentsand servicesare availablefrom a number of companies(for example,Resonetics, Itek). Laser Direct Writing is a techniquethat combineslaser-assisted deposition and a high-resolutiontranslationalstageto fabricatepatternedmicrostructures from a wide range of materials [134-1371.For example,laser-assisted deposition can be used for generatingmicropatternsof seedingmaterials for electroless plating [138]. Laser-assisted polymerizatronenablesthe fabrication of patternedmicrostructuresof polymers [ 139] . Stereolithography, basedon laserassistedprocessing,can be usedto fabricatethree-dimensionalmicrostructures [r4 0 - 1421 LIGA (Lithography,Electroforming,Molding) [143, 144] is a techniquethat combines X-ray (or synchrotron) lithography electroplating,and molding for fabricating microstructures with high aspectratios and relatively large feature sizes (- 10 pm). Although the standard equipment for UV exposure can be adaptedfor this application,specialopticsand alignmentsystemsare neededfor structuresthicker than 200 pm. Electrochemicalmicromachining(EMM) is a techniquedesignedto generate patternedmicrostructuresin metalsand alloys[145].Microfabricationby EMM may involve masklessor through-mask dissolution.MasklessEMM uses the 16 D. Qin et al. impingement of a fine electrolytic jet for thin film patterning. Through-mask EMM involves selectivemetal dissolution from those regions unprotected by a patterned photoresist on the workpiece. The smallest feature that can be achievedusing this technique is - 1 pm. Ultrasonic machining, also known as ultrasonic impact grinding, usesultrasonically induced vibration delivered to a tool to create accuratecavities and channelsof many shapes[146]. It can be used to form deep cavities as small as 250 pm in diameter (with an accuracyof - 50 pm) in both hard and brittle materials such as glass,quartz, polymers, ceramics and metals.This technique may be useful for fabrication of large masters. 4 and FutureDirections Conclusions Microstructures and systemsare typically fabricatedfrom rigid materials,such as crystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, glass, quartz, metals and organic polymers. Elastomericmaterials can be used in applicationswhere rigidity is a drawback. We have demonstrated the concepts of elastomeric systems by fabrication of photothermal detectors,optical modulators and light valves.We believe that elastomericmaterials will find additional applications in the areas of optical systems,microanalytical systems,biomaterials and biosensors. Microfabrication is growing in importance in a wide range of areasoutside of microelectronics,including MEMS, microreactors,microanalytical systemsand optical devices.Photolithography will continue as the dominant technology in the area of microelectronics for the foreseeablefuture. Photolithography has, however,a number of limitations for certain types of applications,as discussed in Sect.3.l. Soft lithography offers a new strategy for microfabrication. Basedon SAMs and molding of organic polymers, this set of techniquesrepresentsa nonphotolithographic methodology for forming micropatterns, microstructures and microsystems of different materials on a range of substrates.Rapid prototyping enhancesthe utility of soft lithographic techniques and enablesthe generationof numerous microstructures and systemswith featuresizes>20 pm at low cost. In a researchsetting, soft lithographic techniques have generated structureswith featuresizesas small as 30 nm. The strengthsand weaknessesof these developing techniques are still being defined. Their strengths,however, include low cost (capital and operational),the ability to pattern large areasand the ability to generatestructures with feature size ( 100nm; limitations include the difficulty in achievinghigh resolution registration and in controlling distortion of patterns causedby deformation of the elastomers.We are beginning to addresstheseissuesin our research,and we believethat new materials,designs and configurations will lead to improvement in theseareas. andNSF Theworkin ourlaboratory wassupported in partbyONR,DARPA Acknowledgements. (GrantPHY9312572),and by theNSFunder madeuseof MRSEC sharedfacilitiessupported TheauthorsthankDr.|. MichaelRamsey for designof theCEin Fig.5A GrantDMR-9400396. 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