Production of Fluoropolymer Microchips for Droplet Microfluidics and DNA Amplification

In this paper we present a novel fabrication technique for production of monolithic microfluidic chips made from a fluoropolymer (Dyneon THV). This material retains numerous properties of commonly used fluoropolymers (low surface energy and compatibility with chemicals such as organic solvents or fluorinated oil), and is easily processable at relatively low temperatures (lower than 180°C). We used hot embossing to mold microstructures on flat sheets of this polymer. The microchips are sealed through a combination of thermal and solvent bonding by applying uniform pressure with a flexible membrane. These closed channels can be used for the production and circulation of aqueous droplets in fluorinated oil. This droplet microfluidic configuration is suitable for DNA amplification since it avoids cross contamination between adjacent droplets.Copyright © 2010 by ASME