Sajjad Aghajari, Mohammadmehdi Jahanbakhshian, Rouhollah Karimzadeh,
Volume 17, Issue 1 (1-2023)
Abstract
One of the basic requirements in the fabrication of microfluidic (MF) and optofluidic (OF) chips is a suitable initial mold, which is generally prepared with the help of a photoresist material. In this research, we investigate the SPE-60 photoresist as a quality alternative to the conventional SU-8 photoresist to achieve molds with thicknesses ranging from 25μm to 130μm and address the challenges of mold-making with this photoresist. The conventional photolithography method is used to assess the material's ability in mold making. The results show that SPE-60 molds have vertical edges, clean facets, and edges, complete voids between different components, and demonstrate good pattern transfer from the photomask to the SPE-60 film at various thicknesses. This article also suggests some ways to improve accuracy and reduce edge scattering. As a result, based on the experimental results, SPE-60 can be considered a cost-effective and suitable alternative to SU-8 photoresist in the fabrication of MF and OF molds.
