Thanks to its unique features at the nanoscale, nanofluidics, the study and application of fluid flow in nanochannels/nanopores with at least one characteristic size smaller than 100 nm, has enabled the occurrence of many interesting transport phenomena and has shown great potential in both bio- and energy-related fields. The unprecedented growth of this research field is apparently attributed to the rapid development of micro/nanofabrication techniques. In this review, we summarize recent activities and achievements of nanofabrication for nanofluidic devices, especially those reported in the past four years. Three major nanofabrication strategies, including nanolithography, microelectromechanical system based techniques, and methods using various nanomaterials, are introduced with specific fabrication approaches. Other unconventional fabrication attempts which utilize special polymer properties, various microfabrication failure mechanisms, and macro/microscale machining techniques are also presented. Based on these fabrication techniques, an inclusive guideline for materials and processes selection in the preparation of nanofluidic devices is provided. Finally, technical challenges along with possible opportunities in the present nanofabrication for nanofluidic study are discussed.

No abstract

Polymerase chain reactions (PCR), thermally activated chemical reactions which are widely used for nucleic acid amplification, have recently received much attention in microelectromechanical systems and micro total analysis systems because a wide variety of DNA/RNA molecules can be enriched by PCR for further analyses. In the present work, a droplet-based micro oscillating-flow PCR chip was designed and fabricated by the silicon microfabrication technique. Three different temperature zones, which were stable at denaturation, extension and annealing temperatures and isolated from each other by a thin-wall linkage, were integrated with a single, simple and straight microchannel to form the chip's basic functional structure. The PCR mixture was injected into the chip as a single droplet and flowed through the three temperature zones in the main microchannel in an oscillating manner to achieve the temperature maintenance and transitions. The chip's thermal performance was theoretically analyzed and numerically simulated. The results indicated that the time needed for the temperature of the droplet to change to the target value is less than 1 s, and the root mean square error of temperature is less than 0.2 • C. A droplet of 1 µl PCR mixture with standard HPV (Human Papilloma Virus)-DNA sample inside was amplified by the present chip and the results were analyzed by slab gel electrophoresis with separation of DNA markers in parallel. The electrophoresis results demonstrated that the micro oscillating-flow PCR chip successfully amplified the HPV-DNA, with a processing time of about 15 min which is significantly reduced compared to that for the conventional PCR instrument.

No abstract