A new instrument for automated microcontact printing with applications to mems and biochips fabrication

Abstract

Microcontact printing (microCP) is a versatile tool for the chemical surface modification of substrates based on a mechanical concept. It makes use of an elastomeric stamp with a relief pattern. The stamp is inked with the chemical and the pattern of this chemical is transferred onto the substrate surface by contact. So far this technique has been in general performed manually or with modified expensive microelectronic aligners. We present here a new instrument, called Microcontact Printer, to pattern organic molecules as well as proteins and DNAs with a fully automated process. The mechanical design of this low cost and compact instrument is reviewed. Potential applications are discussed in the field of biochips and MEMS with emphasize on two exemples recently developed in our laboratory: (1) wet etching of glass microfluidic channels patterned by microCP and (2) grafting of biomolecules inside microfluidic channel.