Scalable Stamp Printing And Fabrication Of Hemiwicking Surfaces

Keywords

Engineering; Engineering; Experimental fluid dynamics; Hemiwicking; Issue 142; Microfluidics; Stamping; Thin-film deposition

Abstract

Hemiwicking is a process where a fluid wets a patterned surface beyond its normal wetting length due to a combination of capillary action and imbibition. This wetting phenomenon is important in many technical fields ranging from physiology to aerospace engineering. Currently, several different techniques exist for fabricating hemiwicking structures. These conventional methods, however, are often time consuming and are difficult to scale-up for large areas or are difficult to customize for specific, nonhomogeneous patterning geometries. The presented protocol provides researchers with a simple, scalable, and cost-effective method for fabricating micro-patterned hemiwicking surfaces. The method fabricates wicking structures through the use of stamp printing, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) molding, and thin-film surface coatings. The protocol is demonstrated for hemiwicking with ethanol on PDMS micropillar arrays coated with a 70 nm thick aluminum thin-film.

Publication Date

12-1-2018

Publication Title

Journal of Visualized Experiments

Volume

2018

Issue

142

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.3791/58546

Socpus ID

85059496402 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85059496402

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS