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Process Technologies for Polymer-Based Sensor Systems

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A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Sensor Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 4896

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Sven Achenbach

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Guest Editor

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada
Interests: micro and nano process technologies; MEMS / NEMS; synchrotron radiation; X-ray lithography; UV lithography, sensors; micro and nano fluidics; X-ray optics; RF MEMS

Prof. Dr. Wenjun (Chris) Zhang

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Guest Editor

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada
Interests: design; manufacturing; MEMS; dynamic systems; biorobotics; biosensors; bioacutators
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Miniaturized sensors, which are increasingly deployed as parts of connected networks and smart systems, contribute indispensable roles for solving societal needs in, e.g., healthcare (including health monitoring and medical diagnosis), communication, infotainment, transportation, food processing, sustainable energy, and resource management. This development substantially increases the number of required sensors and their performance characteristics, and hence the requirements on sensing technologies, applied materials, and acceptable tolerances. Polymer-based sensors afford a range of advantages for such applications, including tunable material properties (thermal, mechanical, optical, electrical) and surface interaction. Most importantly, though, they are compatible with a broad variety of fabrication technologies from the macroscopic down to the nanometer domains, including classical subtractive patterning (e.g., precision cutting, lithographic techniques), emerging additive processes (e.g., 3D printing), and mass replication (e.g., embossing, molding, soft lithography approaches). For functional or auxiliary functions (e.g., seeding, electrodes, adhesion promoters, membranes, sensing components), polymers are often integrated into multi-material sandwiches or composites (e.g., with metals, ceramics, biological material). This breadth of processes and materials offers both outstanding opportunities for advanced sensing applications and challenges for technological implementation. The aim of this Special Issue of Sensors is to give readers an overview of innovative techniques in this rapidly evolving field.

Prof. Dr. Sven Achenbach
Prof. Dr. Wenjun (Chris) Zhang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

UV-, electron-, ion-, X-ray lithography
additive processing (printing, self-assembly)
replication
imprinting
soft lithography
polymer processing
polymer MEMS / NEMS
polymer-inorganics sandwiches and composites
advanced sensing applications
lab-on-a-chip, micro/nano fluidics

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 4671 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microfabrication Process Development for a Polymer-Based Lab-on-Chip Concept Applied in Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroelectrochemistry

by Noah Atkinson, Tyler A. Morhart, Garth Wells, Grace T. Flaman, Eric Petro, Stuart Read, Scott M. Rosendahl, Ian J. Burgess and Sven Achenbach

Sensors 2023, 23(14), 6251; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23146251 - 08 Jul 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1794

Abstract

Micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) combining sensing and microfluidics functionalities, as are common in Lab-on-Chip (LoC) devices, are increasingly based on polymers. Benefits of polymers include tunable material properties, the possibility of surface functionalization, compatibility with many micro and nano patterning techniques, and optical transparency. Often, additional materials, such as metals, ceramics, or silicon, are needed for functional or auxiliary purposes, e.g., as electrodes. Hybrid patterning and integration of material composites require an increasing range of fabrication approaches, which must often be newly developed or at least adapted and optimized. Here, a microfabrication process concept is developed that allows one to implement attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and electrochemistry on an LoC device. It is designed to spatially resolve chemical sensitivity and selectivity, which are instrumental for the detection of chemical distributions, e.g., during on-flow chemical and biological reaction chemistry. The processing sequence involves (i) direct-write and soft-contact UV lithography in SUEX dry resist and replication in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomers as the fluidic structure; (ii) surface functionalization of PDMS with oxygen plasma, 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (APTES), and a UV-curable glue (NOA 73) for bonding the fluidic structure to the substrate; (iii) double-sided patterning of silicon nitride-coated silicon wafers serving as the ATR-FTIR-active internal reflection element (IRE) on one side and the electrode-covered substrate for microfluidics on the back side with lift-off and sputter-based patterning of gold electrodes; and (iv) a custom-designed active vacuum positioning and alignment setup. Fluidic channels of 100 μm height and 600 μm width in 5 mm thick PDMS were fabricated on 2” and 4” demonstrators. Electrochemistry on-chip functionality was demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) of redox reactions involving iron cyanides in different oxidation states. Further, ATR-FTIR measurements of laminar co-flows of H₂O and D₂O demonstrated the chemical mapping capabilities of the modular fabrication concept of the LoC devices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Technologies for Polymer-Based Sensor Systems)

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Review

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56 pages, 13831 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Developments in Inertial and Centrifugal Microfluidic Systems along with the Involved Forces for Cancer Cell Separation: A Review

by Alireza Farahinia, Wenjun Zhang and Ildiko Badea

Sensors 2023, 23(11), 5300; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23115300 - 02 Jun 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2627

Abstract

The treatment of cancers is a significant challenge in the healthcare context today. Spreading circulating tumor cells (CTCs) throughout the body will eventually lead to cancer metastasis and produce new tumors near the healthy tissues. Therefore, separating these invading cells and extracting cues from them is extremely important for determining the rate of cancer progression inside the body and for the development of individualized treatments, especially at the beginning of the metastasis process. The continuous and fast separation of CTCs has recently been achieved using numerous separation techniques, some of which involve multiple high-level operational protocols. Although a simple blood test can detect the presence of CTCs in the blood circulation system, the detection is still restricted due to the scarcity and heterogeneity of CTCs. The development of more reliable and effective techniques is thus highly desired. The technology of microfluidic devices is promising among many other bio-chemical and bio-physical technologies. This paper reviews recent developments in the two types of microfluidic devices, which are based on the size and/or density of cells, for separating cancer cells. The goal of this review is to identify knowledge or technology gaps and to suggest future works. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Process Technologies for Polymer-Based Sensor Systems)

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