This work was partially supported by the General Research Fund of the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Award No. 17246116), the Young Scholar Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (61306123), the Basic Research Program-General Program from the Science and Technology Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality (JCYJ20140903112959959), and the Key Research and Development Program from the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Science and Technology (2017C01058). The authors would like to thank Y.-T. Huang and S. P. Feng for their help with the optical measurements.

CAUTION: Please pay attention to electron beam safety. Please wear the correct protective glasses and clothes. Also, handle the all flammable solvents and solutions carefully.
1. Photolithography-based Fabrication of the EMTE
<ol>
	<li>Photolithography for fabricating the mesh pattern.
	<ol>
		<li>Clean FTO glass substrates (3 cm x 3 cm) with liquid detergent using cotton swab. Rinse them thoroughly with deionized (DI) water using a clean cotton swab. Further clean them using ultra-sonication (frequency = 40 kHz, temperature = 25 &#176;C) in isopropyl alcohol (IPA) for 30 s before drying them with compressed air. 
		CAUTION: Handle compressed air carefully.</li>
		<li>Spincoat 100 &#181;L of the photoresist on the cleaned FTO glass for 60 s at 4,000 rpm (approximately 350 x g for samples with a 2 cm radius) to get a 1.8 &#181;m-thick, uniform film.</li>
		<li>Bake the photoresist film on a hotplate for 50 s at 100 &#176;C.</li>
		<li>Expose the photoresist film through a photomask with a mesh pattern (3 &#181;m linewidth, 50 &#181;m pitch) using a UV mask aligner for a dose of 20 mJ/cm2.</li>
		<li>Develop the photoresist by immersing the sample in the developer solution for 50 s.</li>
		<li>Rinse the sample in DI water and dry it with compressed air. 
		CAUTION: Handle compressed air carefully.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Electrodeposition of metals.
	<ol>
		<li>Pour 100 mL of copper aqueous plating solution in a 250 mL beaker. 
		NOTE: Other aqueous plating solutions (e.g., silver, gold, nickel, and zinc) can be used for the fabrication of EMTEs with the respective metals. 
		CAUTION: Pay attention to chemical safety.</li>
		<li>Connect the photoresist-covered FTO glass to the negative terminal of the two-electrode electrodeposition setup and immerse it in the plating solution as the working electrode.</li>
		<li>Connect the copper metal bar to the positive terminal of the two-electrode electrodeposition setup as the counter electrode.</li>
		<li>Supply a constant 5-mA current (current density: ~3 mA/cm2) using a voltage/current sourcing and measurement instrument (e.g. Sourcemeter) for 15 min to deposit the metal to a thickness of approximately 1.5 &#181;m.</li>
		<li>Thoroughly rinse the photoresist-coated FTO glass sample with DI water and dry it with compressed air. 
		CAUTION: Handle compressed air carefully.</li>
		<li>Place the photoresist-coated FTO glass sample in acetone for 5 min to dissolve the photoresist film, with the bare metal mesh on top of the FTO glass.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Thermal imprint transfer of the metal mesh to the flexible substrate.
	<ol>
		<li>Place the metal mesh-covered FTO glass sample onto the electrically heated platens of the thermal imprinter and put a 100 &#181;m-thick flexible cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) film on top of the sample, facing the metal mesh side.</li>
		<li>Heat the plates of the heated press to 100 &#176;C.</li>
		<li>Apply 15 MPa of imprint pressure and hold it for 5 min. 
		CAUTION: Pay attention to safety when using the heated press. 
		NOTE: The imprint transfer can be done at a lower pressure; the pressure value (15 MPa) reported here is relatively high. This high pressure was used to ensure that the metal mesh was fully embedded in the COC film.</li>
		<li>Cool the heated platens to the demolding temperature of 40 &#176;C.</li>
		<li>Release the imprint pressure.</li>
		<li>Peel off the COC film from the FTO glass, with the metal mesh entirely embedded in the COC film.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
2. Fabrication of Sub-micron EMTEs
<ol>
	<li>Fabrication of sub-micron EMTEs using electron beam lithography (EBL).
	<ol>
		<li>Spincoat 100 &#181;L of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) solution (15k M.W., 4 wt. % in anisole) on the cleaned FTO glass for 60 s at 2,500 rpm (approximately 140 x g for samples with a 2 cm radius) to achieve a 150 nm-thick, uniform film.</li>
		<li>Bake the PMMA film on a hotplate for 30 min at 170 &#176;C.</li>
		<li>Turn on the EBL system and design the mesh pattern (400-nm linewidth, 5 &#181;m pitch) using a pattern generator29.</li>
		<li>Place the sample in a scanning electron microscope connected to the pattern generator and execute the writing process29.</li>
		<li>Develop the resist for 60 s in a mixed solution of methyl isopropyl ketone and isopropanol at a 1:3 ratio.</li>
		<li>Rinse the sample with DI water and dry it with compressed air. 
		CAUTION: Handle compressed air carefully.</li>
		<li>Place 100 mL of the copper aqueous plating solution in a medium-size beaker. 
		NOTE: Other aqueous plating solutions (e.g., silver, gold, nickel, and zinc plating solutions) should be used for the fabrication of EMTEs with the respective metals.</li>
		<li>Attach the PMMA-coated FTO glass to the negative terminal of the two-electrode electrodeposition setup, dip it in the plating solution as the working electrode, and connect the copper metal bar to the positive terminal to complete the circuit. 
		NOTE: Other metals bars (i.e., silver, gold, nickel, and zinc) should be used for the respective metal electrodepositions.</li>
		<li>Apply a suitable current, corresponding with a current density of approximately 3 mA/cm2, to the mesh pattern region for 2 min to deposit metal to a thickness of approximately 200 nm (the actual thickness must be determined by SEM or AFM).</li>
		<li>Carefully wash the sample with DI water and place it in acetone for 5 min to dissolve the PMMA film.</li>
		<li>Put the metal mesh-covered FTO glass sample on the electrically heated platens of the thermal imprinter and place a COC film (100 &#181;m-thick) on top of the sample.</li>
		<li>Heat the plates to 100 &#176;C, apply a 15 MPa imprint pressure, and hold it for 5 min.</li>
		<li>Cool the heated platens to the demolding temperature of 40 &#176;C and release the imprint pressure.</li>
		<li>Peel off the COC film from the FTO glass, along with thesub-micron metal mesh completely embedded in the COC film.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
3. Performance Measurement of the EMTEs
<ol>
	<li>Sheet resistance measurement.
	<ol>
		<li>Spread silver paste on two opposite edges of the square sample and wait until it dries.</li>
		<li>Carefully place the four probes of the resistance measurement device on the silver pads, following the equipment instructions.</li>
		<li>Switch to the resistance measurement mode of the power source/measurement instrument and record the value on the display.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Optical transmission measurement.
	<ol>
		<li>Turn on the UV-Vis measurement setup and calibrate the spectrometer (i.e., correlate the readings with a standard sample to check the accuracy of the instrument).</li>
		<li>Place the EMTE sample on the spectrometer sample holder and properly align the optical direction.</li>
		<li>Adjust the spectrometer for 100% transmittance. 
		NOTE: All transmittance values presented here are normalized to the absolute transmittance through the bare COC film substrate.</li>
		<li>Measure the transmittance of the sample.</li>
		<li>Save the measurement and logout of the setup.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>

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The authors have nothing to disclose.

Our fabrication method can be further modified to allow for scalability of the feature sizes and areas of the sample and for the use of various materials. The successful fabrication of sub-micrometer-linewidth (Figure 3a-3c) copper EMTEs using EBL proves that EMTE structure and key steps in LEIT fabrication, including electroplating and imprint transfer, can be reliably scaled down to a sub-micrometer range. Similarly, other large-area lithography processes, such as phase-shift photolith...

Worldwide, studies are being conducted to look for replacements for rigid transparent conductive oxides (TCOs), such as indium tin oxide and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) &#64257;lms, in order to fabricate flexible/stretchable TEs to be used in future flexible/stretchable optoelectronic devices1. This necessitates novel materials with new fabrication methods.
Nanomaterials, such as graphene2, conducting polymers3,4, carbon nanotubes5, and random metal nanowire networks6,7,8,9,10,11, have been studied and have demonstrated their capabilities in flexible TEs, addressing the shortcomings of existing TCO-based TEs, including &#64257;lm fragility12, low infrared transmittance13, and low abundance14. Even with this potential, it is still challenging to attain high electrical and optical conductance without deterioration under continuous bending.
In this framework, regular metal meshes15,16,17,18,19,20 are evolving as a promising candidate and have accomplished remarkably high optical transparency and low sheet resistance, which can be tunable on demand. However, the extensive use of metal mesh-based TEs has been hindered due to numerous challenges. First, fabrication often involves the expensive, vacuum-based deposition of metals16,17,18,21. Second, the thickness may easily cause electrical short-circuiting22,23,24,25 in thin-film organic optoelectronic devices. Third, the weak adhesion with the substrate surface results in poor flexibility26,27. The abovementioned limitations have created a demand for novel metal mesh-based TE structures and scalable approaches for their fabrication.
In this study, we report a novel structure of flexible TEs that contains a metal mesh completely embedded in a polymer film. We also describe an innovative, solution-based, and low-cost fabrication approach that combines lithography, electrodeposition, and imprint transfer. FoM values as high as 15k have been achieved on sample EMTEs. Due to the embedded nature of EMTEs, remarkable chemical, mechanical, and environmental stability were observed. Furthermore, the solution-processed fabrication technique established in this work can potentially be used for the low-cost and high-throughput production of the proposed EMTEs. This fabrication technique is scalable to finer metal-mesh linewidths, larger areas, and a range of metals.

<table><tbody><tr><td>Acetone</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>W332615</td><td>Highly flammable</td></tr><tr><td>Isopropanol</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>190764</td><td>Highly flammable</td></tr><tr><td>FTO Glass Substrates</td><td>South China Xiang S&amp;amp;T, China</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Photoresist</td><td>Clariant, Switzerland</td><td>54611L11</td><td>AZ 1500 Positive tone resist (20cP)</td></tr><tr><td>UV Mask Aligner</td><td>Chinese Academy of Sciences, China</td><td>URE-2000/35</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Photoresist Developer</td><td>Clariant, Switzerland</td><td>184411</td><td>AZ 300 MIF Developer</td></tr><tr><td>Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, and Zn Electroplating solutions</td><td>Caswell, USA</td><td></td><td>Ready to use solutions (PLUG N&#039; PLATE)</td></tr><tr><td>Keithley 2400 SourceMeter</td><td>Keithley, USA</td><td>41J2103</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>COC Plastic Films</td><td>TOPAS, Germany</td><td>F13-19-1</td><td>Grade 8007 (Glass transition temperature: 78 &amp;deg;C)</td></tr><tr><td>Hydraulic Press</td><td>Specac Ltd., UK</td><td>GS15011</td><td>With low tonnage kit ( 0-1 ton guage)</td></tr><tr><td>Temperature Controller</td><td>Specac Ltd., UK</td><td>GS15515</td><td>Water cooled heated platens and controller</td></tr><tr><td>Chiller</td><td>Grant Instruments, UK</td><td>T100-ST5</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>200336</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Anisole</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>96109</td><td>Highly flammable</td></tr><tr><td>EBL Setup</td><td>Philips, Netherlands</td><td>FEI XL30</td><td>Scanning electron microscope equipped with a JC Nabity pattern generator&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Isopropyl Ketone</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>108-10-1</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Silver Paste</td><td>Ted Pella, Inc, USA</td><td>16031</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>UV&amp;ndash;Vis Spectrometer</td><td>Perkin Elmer, USA</td><td>L950</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

scalable solution-processed fabrication strategy for high-performance, flexible, transparent electrodes with embedded metal mesh

Here, the authors report the embedded metal-mesh transparent electrode (EMTE), a new transparent electrode (TE) with a metal mesh completely embedded in a polymer film. This paper also presents a low-cost, vacuum-free fabrication method for this novel TE; the approach combines lithography, electroplating, and imprint transfer (LEIT) processing. The embedded nature of the EMTEs offers many advantages, such as high surface smoothness, which is essential for organic electronic device production; superior mechanical stability during bending; favorable resistance to chemicals and moisture; and strong adhesion with plastic film. LEIT fabrication features an electroplating process for vacuum-free metal deposition and is favorable for industrial mass production. Furthermore, LEIT allows for the fabrication of metal mesh with a high aspect ratio (i.e., thickness to linewidth), significantly enhancing its electrical conductance without adversely losing optical transmittance. We demonstrate several prototypes of flexible EMTEs, with sheet resistances lower than 1 &#937;/sq and transmittances greater than 90%, resulting in very high figures of merit (FoM) &#8211; up to 1.5 x 104 &#8211; which are amongst the best values in the published literature.

Figure 1 displays the schematic and fabrication flowchart of the EMTE samples. As presented in Figure 1a, the EMTE consists of a metal mesh fully embedded in a polymer film. The upper face of the mesh is on the same level as the substrate, displaying a generally smooth platform for subsequent device production. The fabrication technique is schematically explained in Figure 1b-e. Afte...

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Scalable Solution-processed Fabrication Strategy for High-performance, Flexible, Transparent Electrodes with Embedded Metal Mesh

This protocol describes a solution-based fabrication strategy for high-performance, flexible, transparent electrodes with fully-embedded, thick metal mesh. Flexible transparent electrodes fabricated by this process demonstrate among the highest reported performances, including ultra-low sheet resistance, high optical transmittance, mechanical stability under bending, strong substrate adhesion, surface smoothness, and environmental stability.

Here, the authors report the embedded metal-mesh transparent electrode (EMTE), a new transparent electrode (TE) with a metal mesh completely embedded in a ...

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10.1K Views.  University of Hong Kong.  Dit protocol beschrijft een op oplossings gebaseerde fabricage-strategie voor high-performance, flexibele, transparante elektroden met volledig ingebed, dik metaalnetwerk. Flexibele transparante elektroden vervaardigd door dit proces tonen onder de hoogste gerapporteerde prestaties, waaronder ultra-lage velweerstand, hoge optische transmissie, mechanische stabiliteit onder buigen, sterke substraathechting, oppervlak gladheid en milieubestabiliteit. 

Video: Scalable Solution-processed Fabrication Strategy for High-performance, Flexible, Transparent Electrodes with Embedded Metal Mesh

Patterning Cells on Optically Transparent Indium Tin Oxide Electrodes

The ability to exercise precise spatial and temporal control over cell-surface interactions is an important prerequisite to the assembly of multi-cellular constructs serving as in vitro mimics of native tissues.  In this study, photolithography and wet etching techniques were used to fabricate individually addressable indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes on glass substrates.  The glass substrates containing ITO microelectrodes were modified with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) silane to make them protein and cell resistive.  Presence of insulating PEG molecules on the electrode surface was verified by cyclic voltammetry employing potassium ferricyanide as a redox reporter molecule.  Importantly, the application of reductive potential caused desorption of the PEG layer, resulting in regeneration of the conductive electrode surface and appearance of typical ferricyanide redox peaks.    Application of reductive potential also corresponded to switching of ITO electrode properties from cell non-adhesive to cell-adhesive. Electrochemical stripping of PEG-silane layer from ITO microelectrodes allowed for cell adhesion to take place in a spatially defined fashion, with cellular patterns corresponding closely to electrode patterns.  Micropatterning of several cell types was demonstrated on these substrates.   In the future, the control of the biointerfacial properties afforded by this method will allow to engineer cellular microenvironments through the assembly of three or more cell types into a precise geometric configuration on an optically transparent substrate.

Non-fouling PEG silane monolayer was desorbed from individually addressable ITO electrodes on glass by application of a reductive potential. Electrochemical stripping of PEG-silane layer from ITO microelectrodes allowed for cell adhesion to take place in a spatially defined fashion, with cellular patterns corresponding closely to electrode patterns.

The ability to exercise precise spatial and temporal control over cell-surface interactions is an important prerequisite to the assembly of multi-cellular ...

Biology

Fabrication Process of Silicone-based Dielectric Elastomer Actuators

This contribution demonstrates the fabrication process of dielectric elastomer transducers (DETs). DETs are stretchable capacitors consisting of an elastomeric dielectric membrane sandwiched between two compliant electrodes. The large actuation strains of these transducers when used as actuators (over 300% area strain) and their soft and compliant nature has been exploited for a wide range of applications, including electrically tunable optics, haptic feedback devices, wave-energy harvesting, deformable cell-culture devices, compliant grippers, and propulsion of a bio-inspired fish-like airship. In most cases, DETs are made with a commercial proprietary acrylic elastomer and with hand-applied electrodes of carbon powder or carbon grease. This combination leads to non-reproducible and slow actuators exhibiting viscoelastic creep and a short lifetime. We present here a complete process flow for the reproducible fabrication of DETs based on thin elastomeric silicone films, including casting of thin silicone membranes, membrane release and prestretching, patterning of robust compliant electrodes, assembly and testing. The membranes are cast on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates coated with a water-soluble sacrificial layer for ease of release. The electrodes consist of carbon black particles dispersed into a silicone matrix and patterned using a stamping technique, which leads to precisely-defined compliant electrodes that present a high adhesion to the dielectric membrane on which they are applied.

This manuscript shows the fabrication process for the manufacture of dielectric elastomer soft actuators based on silicone membranes. The three key stages of production are presented in detail: blade casting of thin silicone membranes; pad printing of compliant electrodes; and the assembly of all the components.

This contribution demonstrates the fabrication process of dielectric elastomer transducers (DETs). DETs are stretchable capacitors consisting of an ...

Microfabrication of Chip-sized Scaffolds for Three-dimensional Cell cultivation

Using microfabrication technologies is a prerequisite to create scaffolds of reproducible geometry and constant quality for three-dimensional cell cultivation. These technologies offer a wide spectrum of advantages not only for manufacturing but also for different applications. The size and shape of formed cell clusters can be influenced by the exact and reproducible architecture of the microfabricated scaffold and, therefore, the diffusion path length of nutrients and gases can be controlled.1 This is unquestionably a useful tool to prevent apoptosis and necrosis of cells due to an insufficient nutrient and gas supply or removal of cellular metabolites.
Our polymer chip, called CellChip, has the outer dimensions of 2 x 2 cm with a central microstructured area. This area is subdivided into an array of up to 1156 microcontainers with a typical dimension of 300 m edge length for the cubic design (cp- or cf-chip) or of 300 m diameter and depth for the round design (r-chip).2
So far, hot embossing or micro injection moulding (in combination with subsequent laborious machining of the parts) was used for the fabrication of the microstructured chips. Basically, micro injection moulding is one of the only polymer based replication techniques that, up to now, is capable for mass production of polymer microstructures.3 However, both techniques have certain unwanted limitations due to the processing of a viscous polymer melt with the generation of very thin walls or integrated through holes. In case of the CellChip, thin bottom layers are necessary to perforate the polymer and provide small pores of defined size to supply cells with culture medium e.g. by microfluidic perfusion of the containers.
In order to overcome these limitations and to reduce the manufacturing costs we have developed a new microtechnical approach on the basis of a down-scaled thermoforming process. For the manufacturing of highly porous and thin walled polymer chips, we use a combination of heavy ion irradiation, microthermoforming and track etching. In this so called "SMART" process (Substrate Modification And Replication by Thermoforming) thin polymer films are irradiated with energetic heavy projectiles of several hundred MeV introducing so-called "latent tracks" Subsequently, the film in a rubber elastic state is formed into three dimensional parts without modifying or annealing the tracks. After the forming process, selective chemical etching finally converts the tracks into cylindrical pores of adjustable diameter.

We present two processes for the microfabrication of porous polymer chips for three-dimensional cell cultivation. The first one is hot embossing combined with a solvent vapour welding process. The second one uses a recently developed microthermoforming process combined with ion track technology leading to a significant simplification of manufacture.

Using microfabrication technologies is a prerequisite to create scaffolds of reproducible geometry and constant quality for three-dimensional cell ...

Fabrication of Flexible Image Sensor Based on Lateral NIPIN Phototransistors

Flexible photodetectors have been intensely studied for the use of curved image sensors, which are a crucial component in bio-inspired imaging systems, but several challenging points remain, such as a low absorption efficiency due to a thin active layer and low flexibility. We present an advanced method to fabricate a flexible phototransistor array with an improved electrical performance. The outstanding electrical performance is driven by a low dark current owing to deep impurity doping. Stretchable and flexible metal interconnectors simultaneously offer electrical and mechanical stabilities in a highly deformed state. The protocol explicitly describes the fabrication process of the phototransistor using a thin silicon membrane. By measuring I-V characteristics of the completed device in deformed states, we demonstrate that this approach improves the mechanical and electrical stabilities of the phototransistor array. We expect that this approach to a flexible phototransistor can be widely used for the applications of not only next-generation imaging systems/optoelectronics but also wearable devices such as tactile/pressure/temperature sensors and health monitors.

We present a detailed method to fabricate a deformable lateral NIPIN phototransistor array for curved image sensors. The phototransistor array with an open mesh form, which is composed of thin silicon islands and stretchable metal interconnectors, provides flexibility and stretchability. The parameter analyzer characterizes the electrical property of the fabricated phototransistor.

Flexible photodetectors have been intensely studied for the use of curved image sensors, which are a crucial component in bio-inspired imaging systems, ...

Fabrication of Thin Film Silver/Silver Chloride Electrodes with Finely Controlled Single Layer Silver Chloride

This paper aims to present a protocol to form smooth and well-controlled films of silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) with designated coverage on top of thin film silver electrodes. Thin film silver electrodes sized 80 &#181;m x 80 &#181;m and 160 &#181;m x 160 &#181;m were sputtered on quartz wafers with a chromium/gold (Cr/Au) layer for adhesion. After passivation, polishing and cathodic cleaning processes, the electrodes underwent galvanostatic oxidation with consideration of Faraday&#39;s Law of Electrolysis to form smooth layers of AgCl with a designated degree of coverage on top of the silver electrode. This protocol is validated by inspection of scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the surface of the fabricated Ag/AgCl thin film electrodes, which highlights the functionality and performance of the protocol. Sub-optimally fabricated electrodes are fabricated as well for comparison. This protocol can be widely used to fabricate Ag/AgCl electrodes with specific impedance requirements (e.g., probing electrodes for impedance sensing applications like impedance flow cytometry and interdigitated electrode arrays).

This paper aims to present a method to form smooth and well-controlled films of silver chloride (AgCl) with designated coverage on top of thin film silver electrodes.

This paper aims to present a protocol to form smooth and well-controlled films of silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) with designated coverage on top of thin ...

Chemistry

Microfluidic Platform with Multiplexed Electronic Detection for Spatial Tracking of Particles

Microfluidic processing of biological samples typically involves differential manipulations of suspended particles under various force fields in order to spatially fractionate the sample based on a biological property of interest. For the resultant spatial distribution to be used as the assay readout, microfluidic devices are often subjected to microscopic analysis requiring complex instrumentation with higher cost and reduced portability. To address this limitation, we have developed an integrated electronic sensing technology for multiplexed detection of particles at different locations on a microfluidic chip. Our technology, called Microfluidic CODES, combines Resistive Pulse Sensing with Code Division Multiple Access to compress 2D spatial information into a 1D electrical signal. In this paper, we present a practical demonstration of the Microfluidic CODES technology to detect and size cultured cancer cells distributed over multiple microfluidic channels. As validated by the high-speed microscopy, our technology can accurately analyze dense cell populations all electronically without the need for an external instrument. As such, the Microfluidic CODES can potentially enable low-cost integrated lab-on-a-chip devices that are well suited for the point-of-care testing of biological samples.

We demonstrate a microfluidic platform with an integrated surface electrode network that combines resistive pulse sensing (RPS) with code division multiple access (CDMA), to multiplex detection and sizing of particles in multiple microfluidic channels.

Microfluidic processing of biological samples typically involves differential manipulations of suspended particles under various force fields in order to ...

Bioengineering

A Simple and Scalable Fabrication Method for Organic Electronic Devices on Textiles

Today, wearable electronics devices combine a large variety of functional, stretchable, and flexible technologies. However, in many cases, these devices cannot be worn under everyday conditions. Therefore, textiles are commonly considered the best substrate to accommodate electronic devices in wearable use. In this paper, we describe how to selectively pattern organic electroactive materials on textiles from a solution in an easy and scalable manner. This versatile deposition technique enables the fabrication of wearable organic electronic devices on clothes.

In this paper, we present a protocol to selectively deposit organic materials on textiles, which allows for the direct integration of organic electronic devices with wearables. The fabricated devices can be fully integrated in textiles, respecting their mechanical appearance and enabling sensing capabilities.

Today, wearable electronics devices combine a large variety of functional, stretchable, and flexible technologies. However, in many cases, these devices ...

Microfluidic Channel-Based Soft Electrodes for Capacitive Pressure Sensing

Microfluidic Channel-Based Soft Electrodes and Their Application in Capacitive Pressure Sensing

Flexible and stretchable electrodes are essential components in soft artificial sensory systems. Despite recent advances in flexible electronics, most electrodes are either restricted by the patterning resolution or the capability of inkjet printing with high-viscosity super-elastic materials. In this paper, we present a simple strategy to fabricate microchannel-based stretchable composite electrodes, which can be achieved by scraping elastic conductive polymer composites (ECPCs) into lithographically embossed microfluidic channels. The ECPCs were prepared by a volatile solvent evaporation method, which achieves a uniform dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix. Compared to conventional fabrication methods, the proposed technique can facilitate the rapid fabrication of well-defined stretchable electrodes with high-viscosity slurry. Since the electrodes in this work were made up of all-elastomeric materials, strong interlinks can be formed between the ECPCs-based electrodes and the PDMS-based substrate at the interfaces of the microchannel walls, which allows the electrodes to exhibit mechanical robustness under high tensile strains. In addition, the mechanical-electric response of the electrodes was also systematically studied. Finally, a soft pressure sensor was developed by combining a dielectric silicone foam and an interdigitated electrodes (IDE) layer, and this demonstrated great potential for pressure sensors in soft robotic tactile sensing applications.

Author Spotlight: Microfluidic Channel-Based Soft Electrodes and Their Application in Capacitive Pressure Sensing  

Flexible electrodes have a wide range of applications in soft robotics and wearable electronics. The present protocol demonstrates a new strategy to fabricate highly stretchable electrodes with high resolution via lithographically defined microfluidic channels, which paves the way for future high-performance soft pressure sensors.

Flexible and stretchable electrodes are essential components in soft artificial sensory systems. Despite recent advances in flexible electronics, most ...

Scalable Fabrication of Stretchable, Dual Channel, Microfluidic Organ Chips

A significant number of lead compounds fail in the pharmaceutical pipeline because animal studies often fail to predict clinical responses in human patients. Human Organ-on-a-Chip (Organ Chip) microfluidic cell culture devices, which provide an experimental in vitro platform to assess efficacy, toxicity, and pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles in humans, may be better predictors of therapeutic efficacy and safety in the clinic compared to animal studies. These devices may be used to model the function of virtually any organ type and can be fluidically linked through common endothelium-lined microchannels to perform in vitro studies on human organ-level and whole body-level physiology without having to conduct experiments on people. These Organ Chips consist of two perfused microfluidic channels separated by a permeable elastomeric membrane with organ-specific parenchymal cells on one side and microvascular endothelium on the other, which can be cyclically stretched to provide organ-specific mechanical cues (e.g., breathing motions in lung). This protocol details the fabrication of flexible, dual channel, Organ Chips through casting of parts using 3D printed molds, enabling combination of multiple casting and post-processing steps. Porous poly (dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) membranes are cast with micrometer sized through-holes using silicon pillar arrays under compression. Fabrication and assembly of Organ Chips involves equipment and steps that can be implemented outside of a traditional cleanroom. This protocol provides researchers with access to Organ Chip technology for in vitro organ- and body-level studies in drug discovery, safety and efficacy testing, as well as mechanistic studies of fundamental biological processes.

Here, we present a protocol that describes the fabrication of stretchable, dual channel, organ chip microfluidic cell culture devices for recapitulating organ-level functionality in vitro.

A significant number of lead compounds fail in the pharmaceutical pipeline because animal studies often fail to predict clinical responses in human ...

Fabrication of Fine Electrodes on the Tip of Hypodermic Needle Using Photoresist Spray Coating and Flexible Photomask for Biomedical Applications

We have introduced a fabrication method for electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)-on-a-needle (EoN: EIS-on-a-needle) to locate target tissues in the body by measuring and analyzing differences in the electrical impedance between dissimilar biotissues. This paper describes the fabrication method of fine interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) at the tip of a hypodermic needle using a photoresist spray coating and flexible film photomask in the photolithography process. A polyethylene terephthalate (PET) heat shrink tube (HST) with a wall thickness of 25 &#181;m is employed as the insulation and passivation layer. The PET HST shows a higher mechanical durability compared with poly(p-xylylene) polymers, which have been widely used as a dielectric coating material. Furthermore, the HST shows good chemical resistance to most acids and bases, which is advantageous for limiting chemical damage to the EoN. The use of the EoN is especially preferred for the characterization of chemicals/biomaterials or fabrication using acidic/basic chemicals. The fabricated gap and width of the IDEs are as small as 20 &#181;m, and the overall width and length of the IDEs are 400 &#181;m and 860 &#181;m, respectively. The fabrication margin from the tip (distance between the tip of hypodermic needle and starting point of the IDEs) of the hypodermic needle is as small as 680 &#181;m, which indicates that unnecessarily excessive invasion into biotissues can be avoided during the electrical impedance measurement. The EoN has a high potential for clinical use, such as for thyroid biopsies and anesthesia drug delivery in a spinal space. Further, even in surgery that involves the partial resection of tumors, the EoN can be employed to preserve as much normal tissue as possible by detecting the surgical margin (normal tissue that is removed with the surgical excision of a tumor) between the normal and lesion tissues.

The fabrication method for fine interdigitated electrodes (gap and width: 20 &#181;m) at the tip of a hypodermic needle (diameter: 720 &#181;m) is demonstrated using a spray coating and flexible film photomask in the photolithography process.

We have introduced a fabrication method for electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)-on-a-needle (EoN: EIS-on-a-needle) to locate target tissues in the ...

Scalable Solution-processed Fabrication Strategy for High-performance, Flexible, Transparent Electrodes with Embedded Metal Mesh

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