Microstructures formed on a low fluorescent glass using glassy carbon molding

We report a pattern generation method on glass using hot embossing technology. Microstructures were formed on Borofloat, a low fluorescent glass, using a glassy carbon mold. A cubic block in the size of 100 um × 100 um × 50 um is the basic testing pattern. This block was repeated on a mirror polished glassy carbon wafer with a space in the pitch of 30 um. The whole pattern area is in 15 mm × 15 mm square on this carbon mold. Both the glass wafer and the mold were heated to 655°C and the embossing was processed at 2 MPa under vacuum (0.07 Pa). The state was held for 20 min, and then the embossed piece was cooling down to 200°C naturally in the vacuum chamber. The patterns on mold were transferred compensate to the glass. Each fabrication cycle is about 1.5 hours. This method shows great potential to fabricate bio-MEMS devices efficiently with a very low cost. The main target is to fabricate the devices for highly sensitive fluorescent detection applications, which is very difficult to be realized using plastic substrates. A multi-channel pattern (with 70 um line and 400 um space) has been generated on a 20 mm square glassy carbon using a laser machine. The pattern replicated on glass chips has been demonstrated.