1 Department of Electronic Engineering, Far East University, Tainan, Taiwan 744, R.O.C. 2 Department of Computer and Communications Engineering, Ta Hwa Institute of Technology, Hsinchu 307, Taiwan 3 Department of Bio-Industrial Mechatronics Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung City 402, Taiwan 4 Department of Refrigeration, Air-Conditioning and Energy Engineering, National Chi...

The surface modified polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannels show a much more inferior performance to the durable and reproducible glass chip. In this paper, a facile approach to preparing a silicate glass modified PDMS microchannel for glass-like performance is presented. This glass-like performance is made possible by a phase conversion of a preceramic polymer--allylhydridopolycarbosilane (...

This paper reports on the design, fabrication and demonstration of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/SU-8 inkjet dispenser with the following novel features: (1) the use of low-cost fabrication process and bio-compatible materials, (2) the use of hydrophobic SU-8 micro-nozzles to limit satellite droplet formation, (3) a modular device design that allows for the reuse of the external actuator, (4) t...

This paper describes the fabrication of large (up to 45 cm(2)) arrays of microwells, with volumes as small as ∼3 fL/well and densities as high as 10(7) wells/cm(2). These arrays of microwells are formed by casting an elastomer, poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), against "masters" prepared by photolithography; arrays of microwells in other polymers can be formed by using a master consisting of posts...

We developed a high-throughput screening assay that allows for relative comparison of the twitch force of millimeter-scale gel-based cardiac tissues. This assay is based on principles taken from traction force microscopy and uses fluorescent microspheres embedded in a soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate. A gel-forming cell suspension is simply pipetted onto the PDMS to form hemispherical...

We have micromachined and tested the first paraffin–PDMS composite thermal microactuator having multi shot large vertical displacement capabilities (~160 μm for 1 mm diameter device). A solid to liquid phase change of trapped paraffin into the PDMS is used to create a large volume dilatation of the composite (18%, for a temperature varied from 20 to 80 °C). The elasticity of the PDMS ensures th...

In this work, a wire-shaped flexible strain sensor was fabricated by encapsulating conductive carbon thread (CT) with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer. The key strain sensitive material, CT, was prepared by pyrolysing cotton thread in N2 atmosphere. The CT/PDMS composite wire shows a typical piezo-resistive behavior with high strain sensitivity. The gauge factors (GF) calculated at low str...

Polyimide is one of the most popular substrate materials for the microfabrication of flexible electronics, while polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is the most widely used stretchable substrate/encapsulant material. These two polymers are essential in fabricating devices for microfluidics, bioelectronics, and the internet of things; bonding these materials together is a crucial challenge. In this work...

The surface properties of poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) layers screen printed onto silicon wafers were studied after oxygen and ammonia plasma treatments and subsequent grafting of poly(ethylene -alt-maleic anhydride) (PEMA) using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), roughness analysis, and contact angle and electrokinetic measurements. In the case of oxygen-plasma-treated PDMS, a hydrophil...

One key challenge in regenerating vital organs is the survival of transplanted cells. To meet their metabolic requirements, transport by diffusion is insufficient, and a convective pathway, i.e., a vasculature, is required. Our laboratory pioneered the concept of engineering a vasculature using microfabrication in silicon and Pyrex. Here we report the extension of this concept and the developme...