Femtosecond pulsed laser micromachining of glass substrates with application to microfluidic devices.
- Resource Type
- Academic Journal
- Authors
- Giridhar MS; Optical Sciences Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA.; Seong K; Schülzgen A; Khulbe P; Peyghambarian N; Mansuripur M
- Source
- Publisher: Optica Publishing Group Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 0247660 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Print ISSN: 1559-128X (Print) Linking ISSN: 1559128X NLM ISO Abbreviation: Appl Opt Subsets: PubMed not MEDLINE
- Subject
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 1559-128X
We describe a technique for surface and subsurface micromachining of glass substrates by using tightly focused femtosecond laser pulses at a wavelength of 1660 nm. A salient feature of pulsed laser micromachining is its ability to drill subsurface tunnels into glass substrates. To demonstrate a potential application of this micromachining technique, we fabricate simple microfluidic structures on a glass plate. The use of a cover plate that seals the device by making point-to-point contact with the flat surface of the substrate is necessary to prevent the evaporation of liquids in open channels and chambers. Methods for protecting and sealing the micromachined structures for microfluidic applications are discussed.