A “Soft Casting” PDMS Process Using Multi-Functional Cover for Fabrication of Precise Microfluidic Chips

Rapid prototyping of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chips is essential in iterative design processes, but many of the fabrication steps require handcrafting and haven't been adapted to automated manufacturing. This research proposes a novel method of manufacturing high-precision PDMS chips, named “soft casting”. A key component is a multifunctional removable cover that is non-adhesive, gas permeable, and semi-rigid. Using this method, PDMS chips with precise shape and thickness can be manufactured. In addition, the “soft casting” method can produce a large number of through holes and eliminate the need for chip cutting and drilling. This method greatly improved the quality of the PDMS chips, increased batch-to-batch reproducibility, reduced fabrication time, lowered PDMS consumption, and is expected to be useful for automated production.