In this work, we have successfully fabricated self-supporting polymer membrane microchannels with width of 50μm, depth of 50μm, and wall thickness of ～5μm. To fabricate this self-supporting polymer membrane microchannel, we have developed novel micro fabrication process named "membrane micro embossing (MeME)". In this process, a thin (～μm) thermoplastic polymer membrane set between a master mold and a deformable support substrate is heated to glass transition temperature, and pressed to fit the membrane onto the mold surface. By heat-sealing the embossed membrane with another planar membrane, we can fabricate sealed membrane microchannels. This membrane microchannel surrounded by only thin membrane walls will provide a powerful platform for micro-scale biological and chemical analysis.
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