Selective laser etching fabrication of stacked microporous membranes for multisize particle separation in 3D microfluidics
摘要
Glass substrates are widely utilized in microfluidic applications due to their exceptional properties, including optical transparency, biocompatibility, chemical and thermal stability, and compatibility with standard microfabrication techniques. These characteristics enable high-resolution micro- and nanopatterning through methods such as wet and dry etching, laser ablation, and photolithography, facilitating the fabrication of complex and reproducible microfluidic components—such as microchannels, microchambers, micropumps, mixers, sensors, and membranes. In this study we leverage femtosecond technology to fabricate a novel multilayer microfluidic system that integrates two porous membranes, with precisely engineered pore geometries. Fabrication of the multilayer device was based on a selective laser etching process (SLE) using a glass 3D printer (LightFab GmbH, Germany), to obtain microchannels and membranes with pore sizes of 5