Rapid technique for UV-curable adhesive bonding of glass coverslips to polystyrene microdevices

David J. Guckenberger,*a Jake Kanack,*a Loren Stallcop,b David J. Beebea

aDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
bDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin
Madison, Madison, WI, USA
* Authors contributed equally


Why is this useful?


With several microfabrication techniques now available, including: 3D-printing,1 micromilling,2 and hot embossing,3 in-house fabrication of thermoplastic microdevices has become cheaper, faster, and easier. However, for many applications – such as cell culture and microscopy – these devices must be bonded to optically-transparent substrates such as glass. While bonding similar materials, such as Polystyrene (PS) to PS, is relatively simple, bonding dissimilar materials, such as PS to glass, presents a particular challenge. Current methods to circumvent these challenges include spin coating adhesives, such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), onto sacrificial substrates4 and injecting adhesive directly into the bond interface.5 However, equipment requirements, associate long cure times, heterogeneity in glue uniformity, and complexity limit acceptance of these techniques.

Here we present simple technique for applying uniform layers of adhesive to enable rapid – less than a minute – bonding of PS to glass. Using UV-curable adhesives, readily accessible materials, and a simple techniques, we demonstrate how to apply thin uniform layers of adhesive to a microchannel. We provide design suggestions that will improve bonding repeatability, and additional information that may help apply this technique to materials beyond PS and glass.


What do I need?


  • Polystyrene                                            (1.2 mm, #ST313120, Goodfellow)
  • Glass coverslip                                      (#260450, Ted Pella, Inc.)
  • UV curable adhesive                           (Ultra Light-Weld 3025, Dymax)
  • Silicone foam (Textured)                   (#31943970, MSC Industrial Supply Co.)
  • Isopropyl alcohol                                 (#190764, Sigma-Aldrich)
  • Low particulate wipers                       (#TX609, Texwipe)
  • Wooden flat stick                                 (#704, Brightwood)
  • UV lamp                                                 (OmniCure S1000, Exfo)
  • Adhesives are often material-specific. Consult the manufacturer to determine the best adhesive for your application.

Tip: Some adhesives may require post-treatment / aging to reach a full cure.

  • We have tested this protocol with Ultra Light-Weld 3025 (Dymax) and Norland Optical Adhesive 68 (Thor Labs, Inc.). These adhesives had similar performance, however the protocol may need to be tailored for other adhesives.
  • If the adhesive is too viscous or does not adequately wick around the rib, heat may be applied to achieve thinner adhesive layers, or to improve the wicking of the adhesive.
  • This protocol is amenable to wide variety of materials, including: cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), glass, metal, PS, and various rapid-prototyping materials.
  • Creating the rib and allowing the adhesive to wick eliminates excess adhesive and prevents adhesive from squeezing into the microchannel.


What do I do?

Fig.1 Channel border design

Step 1: Fabricate the microdevice. To improve bonding repeatability and adhesive distribution we recommend fabricating a groove (thickness > 0.5mm) around the channel – leaving a rib (0.5 mm < thickness < 1.5 mm) around the perimeter of the channel.

Tip: Rib thickness may need to be tuned for individual adhesives
Tip: Extra caution while applying the adhesive may be necessary for channels shallower than 0.1 mm

Step 2: Thoroughly clean the surface of the microdevice, silicone foam sheet, and coverslip using isopropyl alcohol and low-particulate wipers. Remaining particulates can be blown off with compressed air. Ensure PS and glass surfaces remain clean throughout the bonding process.

Step 3: Apply a dollop of UV curable adhesive to the foam sheet.

Step 4: Use a tongue depressor to spread the adhesive into a uniformly thin layer across the foam. The area of the adhesive should be larger than the microdevice – add more adhesive if necessary.

Step 5: Position the device onto the adhesive bonding surface down. Press down gently; avoid sliding the microdevice to prevent build-up of adhesive within the channels. Pick up the device and repeat this step two or three times to ensure the bonding surface is completely covered with adhesive.

Tip: Take care to ensure no adhesive is transferred from gloves to surfaces of the device not intended to be bonded.
Tip: Minimize the delay between step 4 and step 5 to help ensure a uniform thickness of adhesive

Step 6: Position the microdevice above the coverslip, and gently lower it until it makes contact. Once contact is made, release the device, taking extra caution to avoid sliding the microdevice.
Tip: The adhesive may have a yellow color after bonding. If necessary, allow 24 hours for adhesive to clear

Step 7: Allow a few seconds for the adhesive to wick along the ribs, then cure device for 20 seconds with ~350 nm UV light at [Intensity]

Fig. 2 Process workflow



What else should I know?

Fig. 3 Cross sectional image of a PS microchannel bonded to a glass coverslip. Scale bar represent 0.5 mm

•          Adhesives are often material-specific. Consult the manufacturer to determine the best adhesive for your application.

Tip: Some adhesives may require post-treatment / aging to reach a full cure.

•          We have tested this protocol with Ultra Light-Weld 3025 (Dymax) and Norland Optical Adhesive 68 (Thor Labs, Inc.). These adhesives had similar performance, however the protocol may need to be tailored for    other  adhesives.

•          If the adhesive is too viscous or does not adequately wick around the rib, heat may be applied to achieve thinner adhesive layers, or to improve the wicking of the adhesive.

•          This protocol is amenable to wide variety of materials, including: cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), glass, metal, PS, and various rapid-prototyping materials.

•          Creating the rib and allowing the adhesive to wick eliminates excess adhesive and prevents adhesive from squeezing into the microchannel.





References


1. Au, A. K., Lee, W., Folch, A., Lab Chip, 2014, 14(7), 1294-1301.
2. Guckenberger, D. J., de Groot, T., Wan, A. M.-D., Beebe, D., & Young, E., Lab Chip, 2015, 15(11), 2364–2378.
3. Young, E. W. K., Berthier, E., Guckenberger, D. J., Sackmann, E., Lamers, C., Meyvantsson, I., Beebe, D. J., Analytical Chemistry, 2011, 83(4), 1408–1417.
4. Gu, P., Liu, K., Chen, H., Nishida, T., Fan, Z. H., Anal. Chem., 2011, 83(1), 446-452
5. Lu, C., Lee, L. J., & Juang, Y. J., Electrophoresis, 2008, 29(7), 1407–1414.


Digg This
Reddit This
Stumble Now!
Share on Facebook
Bookmark this on Delicious
Share on LinkedIn
Bookmark this on Technorati
Post on Twitter
Google Buzz (aka. Google Reader)