Chip-to-chip fluidic connectors via near-field electrospinning

Site-specific, chip-to-chip fluidic connectors have been demonstrated via near-field electrospinning (NFES) in a fashion similar to the wire bonding technique in IC manufacturing. Electrospun polymer fibers function as the sacrificial material with deposition control better than 10 m in the planar direction to connect two separated chips. A coating process and sacrificial layer etching process are followed to make micro/nano fluidic channels of 50 nm~5 mum in inner diameter. Preliminary parameter and flow characterizations have been conducted. As such, this fabrication/packaging technology could enable on-chip and off-chip fluidic transportations and networks in MEMS applications, including bioMEMS and microfluidics.