Hybrid laser microfabrication of three-dimensional large-scale fused silica microfluidic chips

Ultrafast laser-assisted etching provides a simple and flexible method for the bonding-free manufacture of glass-based microchannels with three-dimensional (3D) configurations and multiple functionalities. However, when the lengths of the required microchannels reach several centimeters, this method often suffers from manufacturing controllability due to the limitation of etching selectivity. Herein, we demonstrate our progress in 3D manufacturing large-scale fused silica microfluidic chips based on a hybrid laser microfabrication approach, which combines the merits of ultrafast laserassisted etching and carbon dioxide laser-induced melting. In this approach, extra-access ports are introduced to enhance the homogeneity of laser-fabricated 3D microchannels and subsequently sealed using defocusing carbon dioxide laser irradiation to form all-glass closed microchannels with few inlets and outlets. Moreover, we introduce some important applications of fabricated microfluidic chips.

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