We report on the design, modeling and fabrication by multi-photon polymerization of a complex medical fluidic device. The physical dimensions of the built micro-valve prototype are compared to those of its computer-designed model. Important fabrication issues such as achieving high dimensional resolution and ability to control distortion due to shrinkage are presented and discussed. The operati...

In this paper we present the design, fabrication and test of silicon-glass based PCR chips which amplify specified DNA strands. The design of the chip was optimized to ensure a fast PCR process in terms of thermal cycling speed, biocompatibility, size of reaction chamber and simplicity of fabrication. First tests using a conventional setup for thermocycling show successful DNA amplification in ...

One motivating application of this technology is the development of a tactile display interface, where discrete mechanical actuators apply vibratory excitation at discrete locations on the skin. Specifically, this paper describes the development fabrication and characterization of a 4 x 4 micro-actuator array of vibrating pixels for fingertip tactile communication. The vibrting pixels are gener...

We have designed, fabricated, and characterized a micro-optical beam-shaping device that is intended to optimize the coupling of an incoherent, linearly extended high-power diode laser into a multimode fiber. The device uses two aligned diffractive optical elements (DOEs) in combination with conventional optics. With a first prototype, we achieved an overall efficiency of 28%. Straightforward i...

There have been growing interests in direct patterning of metallic contents on the surface of the substrate without including complex steps of the micro fabrication lithography process. The direct fabrication process using ink-jet printing can be expected to be a powerful tool for both nanotechnology research and applications such as micro electronics. Inkjet printers operate by propelling vari...

Controlling the thermal radiation spectra of materials is one of the promising ways to advance energy system efficiency. It is well known that the thermal radiation spectrum can be controlled through the introduction of periodic surface microstructures. Herein, a method for the large-area fabrication of periodic microstructures based on multi-step wet etching is described. The method consists o...

Culturing cells at microscales allows control over microenvironmental cues, such as cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions; the potential to scale experiments; the use of small culture volumes; and the ability to integrate with microsystem technologies for on-chip experimentation. Microfluidic perfusion culture in particular allows controlled delivery and removal of soluble biochemical molecule...

Fabrication, characterization and application of micro-/nano-rods/wires are among the hottest topics in materials science and applied physics. Micro-/nano-rod-based structures and devices are developed for a wide-ranging use in various fields of micro-/nanoscience (e.g. biology, electronics, medicine, optics, optoelectronics, photonics and sensors). It is well known that the structure and prope...