Shrink-Film Micro and Nano Fabrication for Biomedical Tools

The challenge of micro- and nano-fabrication lies in the difficulties and costs associated with patterning at such high resolution. Instead of relying on traditional fabrication techniques largely inherited from the semiconductor industry we have developed a radically different approach. We pattern at the large scale, which is easy and inexpensive, and rely on the heat-induced relaxation of pre-stressed polymer sheets – commodity shrink-wrap film – to achieve our desired structures. Using this approach, we have demonstrated that we can create fully functional and complete microfluidic devices with integrated nanostructures, printed electronics, and even optical components, all within minutes. These devices can be created for only pennies per chip and without any dedicated costly equipment. Because this process is compatible with roll-to-roll plastic processing, it is also scalable and cost-effective enough for point of care applications.