A Multilevel Polymer Process for Direct Encapsulation of Fluids in Microfluidic Systems

This paper describes a polymer manufacturing technique for the realization of sealed liquid tanks with a high filling ratio. It is based on a lithographic process combined with lamination and can be performed on any type of substrate: Si, glass or polymer films. We demonstrated the encapsulation of solvents or inks in multilevel tanks on large surface area (>118 cm2) without any damage of the stored liquid. This micro-fabrication technology proposes a significant breakthrough for micro-fluidic applications. We propose a one step process for the filling and sealing of tanks which are performed simultaneously. Tanks can be integrated at any level in the micro-fluidic system with a perfect filling rate and an excellent tightness.