• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.105-111
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• 2024

The SLA (Stereolithography Apparatus) method is a type of 3D printing technique predicated on the transformation of liquid photocurable resin into a solid form through UV laser exposure, and its application is increasing in various fields. In this study, we conducted research to enhance the hydrophobicity and transparency of SLA 3D printing surfaces for microfluidic system production. The enhancement of surface hydrophobicity in SLA outputs was attainable through the application of hydrophobic coating methods, but the coating durability under different conditions varied depending on the type of hydrophobic coating. Additionally, to simultaneously achieve the required transparency and hydrophobic properties for the fabrication of microfluidic systems, we applied hydrophobic coatings to the proposed transparency enhancement method from prior research and compared the changes in contact angles. Teflon coating was proposed as a suitable hydrophobic coating method for the fabrication of microfluidic systems, given its excellent transparency and high coating durability in various environmental conditions, in comparison to titanium dioxide coating. Finally, we produced an Electrophoresis of Charged Droplet (ECD) chip, one of the digital microfluidics systems, using SLA 3D printing with the proposed Teflon coating method (Fluoropel 800). Droplet manipulation was successfully demonstrated with the fabricated chip, confirming the potential application of SLA 3D printing technology in the production of microfluidic systems.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.672-675
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• 2005

To imprint 70-nm wide line-patterns, we used a newly developed ultraviolet nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL) process in which an elementwise patterned stamp (EPS), a large-area stamp, and pressurized air are used to imprint a wafer in a single step. For a single-step UV-NIL of a 4' wafer, we fabricated two identical $5'\times5'\times0.09'(W{\times}L{\times}H)$ quartz EPSs, except that one is with nanopatterns and the other without nanopatterns. Both of them consist of 16 small-area stamps, called elements, each of which is $10\;mm\;\times\;10\;mm$. UV-curable low-viscosity resin droplets were dispensed directly on each element of the EPSs. The volume and viscosity of each droplet are 3.7 nl and 7 cps. Droplets were dispensed in such a way that no air entrapment between elements and wafer occurs. When the droplets were fully pressed between ESP and wafer, some incompletely filled elements were observed because of the topology mismatch between EPS and wafer. To complete those incomplete fillings, pressurized air of 2 bar was applied to the bottom of the wafer for 2 min. Experimental results have shown that nanopatterns of the EPS were successfully transferred to the resin layer on the wafer.