Microfluidics

Microfabrication & Soft Lithography

Microfabrication and soft lithography provide the foundational techniques used to design and construct microfluidic devices with precise geometries and functional structures. Soft lithography using materials like PDMS offers flexibility, biocompatibility, and rapid prototyping capabilities, enabling researchers to create complex microchannel networks and integrated components. Photolithography, etching, and molding techniques support the development of high-resolution features essential for fluid manipulation and microscale control. Continuous advancements in materials science, including hybrid polymers, hydrogels, and elastomers, improve mechanical performance, chemical stability, and biological compatibility. Integration with 3D printing, nanoimprinting, and multi-layer bonding further expands design possibilities. Microfabrication techniques are central to producing devices for diagnostics, organ-on-chip systems, biosensing, and chemical analysis. As fabrication becomes more accessible and scalable, microfluidic technologies increasingly transition from research prototypes to commercially viable products used in clinics, laboratories, and industry.