Fabrication of microfluidic chips using lithographic patterning and adhesive bonding of the thick negative photoresist AZ 125 nXT

In this work, for the first time the negative photoresist AZ 125 nXT was used for the fabrication of a microfluidic chip. Usually, fabrication of microfluidic devices on the basis of silicon or glass substrates is done by using the epoxy-based negative photoresist SU-8 or other thick film polymer materials. The suitability of SU-8 for various microfluidic applications has been shown in the fields of bioanalytic devices, lab-on-chip systems or microreaction technology. However, processing is always a very challenging task with regard to the adaptation of process parameters to the individual design and required functionality. Now, the AZ 125 nXT allows for the fabrication of structures in a wide thickness range with only one type of viscosity. In contrast to SU-8, the AZ 125 nXT is fully cross-linked during UV exposure and does not require a time-consuming post-exposure bake. 90 mu m deep microfluidic channels were defined by lithographic patterning of AZ 125 nXT. Sealing of the open microfluidic channels was performed by a manual adhesive bonding process at a temperature of 100 degrees C. The fluidic function was successfully tested with flow rates up to 20 ml/min by means of a microfluidic edge connector. Long term stability and chemical resistance of the fabricated microfluidic channels will be investigated in the near future. The presented work shows the potential of AZ 125 nXT as a possible alternative to SU-8 for the fabrication of microfluidic chips.