Realization and characterization of disposable polymer chips for the study of the filling of microchannels at low capillary numbers

A crucial aspect in the use of microfluidic systems is the filling of microchannels with the liquid. In order to better understand this phenomenon, systematic studies of the meniscus dynamics in model system microchannels are being carried out. A critical factor for the reliability of such a study is the capability to control the rounding radius of the micro features used as obstacles. For this purpose a dedicated process chain was developed for the realization of disposable polymer microfluidic chips integrating the desired features and allowing the generation of internal as well as external corners with controlled edge radius. Preliminary test results are presented.