PDMS nanoslits without roof collapse

Abstract

Soft lithography of polydimethyl-siloxane (PDMS), an elastomeric polymer, has enabled rapid and inexpensive fabrications of microfluidic devices for various biochemical and bioanalytical applications. However, fabrications of nanostructured PDMS components such as nanoslits remain extremely challenging because of deformation of PDMS material. One of the well-known issues is the unwanted contact between the surfaces of PDMS roof and bottom substrate, called 'roof collapse'. Here we have developed a novel approach for the facile stabilization of PDMS nanoslits in the low height (130 nm)/width (100 μm) ratio without roof-collapse. Within 130 nm high nanoslits, we demonstrate the confinement of single DNA molecules. We believe that this approach will serve as a key to utilize PDMS as nanoslits for integrated microfluidic devices.