Han Dong Hyun, Oh Untaek, Park Je-Kyun
Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
ACS Omega. 2023 May 18;8(21):19128-19136. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.3c02933. eCollection 2023 May 30.
Three-dimensional (3D) printing is one of the promising technologies for the fabrication of microstructures due to its versatility, ease of fabrication, and low cost. However, the direct use of 3D-printed microstructure as a microchannel is still limited due to its surface property, biocompatibility, and transmittance. As an alternative, rapid prototyping of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) from 3D-printed microstructures ensures both biocompatibility and efficient fabrication. We employed 3D-printed molds fabricated using horizontal and vertical arrangement methods with different slice thicknesses in a digital light projection (DLP)-based 3D printing process to replicate PDMS microchannels. The replicated PDMS structures were investigated to compare their optical transmittances and surface roughness. Interestingly, the optical transmittance of PDMS from the 3D-printed mold was significantly increased via bonding two single PDMS layers. To evaluate the applicability of the replicated PDMS devices from the 3D-printed mold, we performed droplet generation in the PDMS microchannels, comparing the same device from a conventional Si-wafer mold. This study provides a fundamental understanding of prototyping microstructures from the DLP-based 3D-printed mold.
三维（3D）打印因其多功能性、易于制造和低成本，是制造微结构的一项有前景的技术之一。然而，由于其表面特性、生物相容性和透光率，直接将3D打印的微结构用作微通道仍受到限制。作为一种替代方法，通过3D打印的微结构快速成型聚二甲基硅氧烷（PDMS）可确保生物相容性和高效制造。我们采用在基于数字光投影（DLP）的3D打印过程中使用不同切片厚度的水平和垂直排列方法制造的3D打印模具来复制PDMS微通道。对复制的PDMS结构进行了研究，以比较它们的光学透光率和表面粗糙度。有趣的是，通过将两个单独的PDMS层粘结在一起，3D打印模具中PDMS的光学透光率显著提高。为了评估从3D打印模具复制的PDMS器件的适用性，我们在PDMS微通道中进行了液滴生成实验，并与传统硅晶圆模具制造的相同器件进行了比较。本研究为基于DLP的3D打印模具制造微结构提供了基本认识。
