TY - JOUR
T1 - Fabrication of concave micromirrors for single cell imaging via controlled over-exposure of organically modified ceramics in single step lithography
AU - Bonabi, Ashkan
AU - Cito, S.
AU - Tammela, P.
AU - Jokinen, V.
AU - Sikanen, T.
PY - 2017/5/1
Y1 - 2017/5/1
N2 - This work describes the fabrication of concave micromirrors to improve the sensitivity of fluorescence imaging, for instance, in single cell analysis. A new approach to fabrication of tunable round (concave) cross-sectional shaped microchannels out of the inorganic-organic hybrid polymer, OrmocompVR , via single step optical lithography was developed and validated. The concave micromirrors were implemented by depositing and patterning thin films of aluminum on top of the concave microchannels. The round cross-sectional shape was due to residual layer formation, which is inherent to Ormocomp® upon UV exposure in the proximity mode. We show that it is possible to control the residual layer thickness and thus the curved shape of the microchannel cross-sectional profile and eventually the focal length of the micromirror, by simply adjusting the UV exposure dose and the distance of the proximity gap (to the photomask). In general, an increase in the exposure dose or in the distance of the proximity gap results in a thicker residual layer and thus an increase in the radius of the microchannel curvature. Under constant exposure conditions, the radius of curvature is almost linearly dependent on the microchannel aspect ratio, i.e., the width (here, 20-200 lm) and the depth (here, 15-45 lm). Depending on the focal length, up to 8-fold signal enhancement over uncoated, round OrmocompVR microchannels was achieved in single cell imaging with the help of the converging micromirrors in an epifluorescence microscopy configuration. Published by AIP Publishing.
AB - This work describes the fabrication of concave micromirrors to improve the sensitivity of fluorescence imaging, for instance, in single cell analysis. A new approach to fabrication of tunable round (concave) cross-sectional shaped microchannels out of the inorganic-organic hybrid polymer, OrmocompVR , via single step optical lithography was developed and validated. The concave micromirrors were implemented by depositing and patterning thin films of aluminum on top of the concave microchannels. The round cross-sectional shape was due to residual layer formation, which is inherent to Ormocomp® upon UV exposure in the proximity mode. We show that it is possible to control the residual layer thickness and thus the curved shape of the microchannel cross-sectional profile and eventually the focal length of the micromirror, by simply adjusting the UV exposure dose and the distance of the proximity gap (to the photomask). In general, an increase in the exposure dose or in the distance of the proximity gap results in a thicker residual layer and thus an increase in the radius of the microchannel curvature. Under constant exposure conditions, the radius of curvature is almost linearly dependent on the microchannel aspect ratio, i.e., the width (here, 20-200 lm) and the depth (here, 15-45 lm). Depending on the focal length, up to 8-fold signal enhancement over uncoated, round OrmocompVR microchannels was achieved in single cell imaging with the help of the converging micromirrors in an epifluorescence microscopy configuration. Published by AIP Publishing.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85020655146&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1063/1.4985653
DO - 10.1063/1.4985653
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85020655146
SN - 1932-1058
VL - 11
JO - Biomicrofluidics
JF - Biomicrofluidics
IS - 3
M1 - 034118
ER -