A micro-nano channel structure, a method for manufacturing the micro-nano channel structure, a sensor, a method for manufacturing the sensor, and a microfluidic device are provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure. The micro-nano channel structure includes: a base substrate; a base layer, on the base substrate and including a plurality of protrusions; and a channel wall layer, on a side of the plurality of the protrusions away from the base substrate, and the channel wall layer has a micro-nano channel; a recessed portion is provided between adjacent protrusions of the plurality of the protrusions, and an orthographic projection of the micro-nano channel on the base substrate is located within an orthographic projection of the recessed portion on the base substrate.

This work develops a novel microfluidic method to fabricate conductive graphene-based 3D micro-electronic circuits on any solid substrate including, Teflon, Delrin, silicon wafer, glass, metal or biodegradable/non-biodegradable polymer-based, 3D microstructured, flexible films. It was demonstrated that this novel method can be universally applied to many different natural or synthetic polymer-based films or any other solid substrates with proper pattern to create graphene-based conductive electronic circuits. This approach also enables fabrication of 3D circuits of flexible electronic films or solid substrates. It is a green process preventing the need for expensive and harsh postprocessing requirements for other fabrication methods such as ink-jet printing or photolithography. We reported that it is possible to fill the pattern channels with different dimensions as low as 10×10 μm. The graphene nanoplatelet solution with a concentration of 60 mg/mL in 70% ethanol, pre-annealed at 75° C. for 3 h, provided ˜0.5-2 kOhm resistance. The filling of the pattern channels with this solution at a flow rate of 100 μL/min created a continuous conductive graphene pattern on flexible polymeric films. The amount of graphene used to coat 1 cm.sup.2 of area is estimated as ˜10 μg. A second method regarding the transfer of graphene material-based circuits with small features size (5 μm depth, 10 μm width) from any solid surface to flexible polymeric films via polymer solvent casting approach was demonstrated. This method is applicable to any natural/synthetic polymer and their respective organic/inorganic solvents.

A method of fabricating a sensing device for DNA sequencing and biomolecule characterization including the steps of fabricating a microelectrode chip having a silicon substrate and a silicon nitride diaphragm, attaching a monolayer graphene sheet to the silicon nitride diaphragm, dicing a portion of the monolayer graphene sheet to form a graphene microribbon, converting the graphene microribbon to a graphene nanoribbon, and converting the graphene nanoribbon to a carbyne. A sensing device for DNA sequencing and biomolecule characterization is also disclosed. The sensing device includes a silicon substrate, a cavity in the silicon substrate covered by a silicon nitride layer, microelectrodes attached to the silicon nitride layer, graphene covering the microelectrodes, and carbyne attached to a portion of the silicon nitride layer covering said cavity.

A method for forming a flow channel in a MIO structure includes positioning a plurality of sacrificial spheres along a base substrate, heating a region of the plurality of sacrificial spheres above a melting point of the plurality of sacrificial spheres, thereby fusing the plurality of sacrificial spheres together and forming a solid channel, electrodepositing material between the plurality of sacrificial spheres and around the solid channel, removing the plurality of sacrificial spheres to form the MIO structure, and removing the solid channel to form the flow channel extending through the MIO structure.

The invention belongs to the technical field of metal micro-forming, and in particular relates to a method for inflating micro-channels. The present invention is aimed at the problems of low process flexibility, single product type, and non-closed structure of the micro-channel when preparing metal micro-channels by micro-plastic forming of ultra-thin metal strips. The present invention uses a method combining numerical simulation and bond rolling experiment to analyze the effect of the hydrogen pressure and bond strength of the metal composite ultra-thin strip after bond rolling on the pore diameter of the micro-channel, and the corresponding relationship between the micro-channel pore diameter and the titanium hydride content, heating temperature, and bond strength of the metal composite ultra-thin strip is obtained. The present invention has no special requirements on molds, wide selection of metal materials, low requirements for equipment capabilities; closed tubular micro-channel products with different pore diameters and different distributions can be prepared according to requirements, with rich product categories and high process flexibility.

Techniques for localized surface modification for microfluidic applications are provided. In one aspect, a method includes: contacting at least one portion of a surface with at least one tri(m)ethoxysilane-containing solution under conditions sufficient to form at least one silane monolayer having a given contact angle on the surface thereby modifying a flow rate over the surface. The silane monolayer can include a silane derivative selected from: trimethoxysilyl-propoxypolyethyleneoxide (TMS-PPEO), hexadecyl-triethoxysilane (HD-TES), tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl)triethoxysilane (TDF-THO-TES), and combinations thereof. A device modified in accordance with the present techniques is also provided.

Laminated microfluidic structures and methods for manufacturing the same are provided. In some instances, a laminated microfluidic structure is provided which includes a distended region having a sipper port at the bottom and an internal channel that fluidically connects the sipper port to a location outside of the distended region. Thermoforming and/or injection molding techniques for manufacturing such laminated microfluidic structures are provided. In other instances, a laminated microfluidic structure may be co-molded with a polymeric material to produce an integrated laminated microfluidic structure and housing.

The present invention provides a simple method for ablating a protective thin film on a bulk surface and roughening the underlying bulk. In an embodiment, silicon nitride thin films, which are useful as etch-stop masks in micro- and nano-fabrication, is removed from a silicon wafer's surface using a hand-held “flameless” Tesla-coil lighter. Vias created by a spatially localized electron beam from the lighter allow a practitioner to perform micro- and nano-fabrication without the conventional steps of needing a photoresist and photolithography. Patterning could be achieved with a hard mask or rastering of the spatially confined discharge, offering—with low barriers to rapid use—particular capabilities that might otherwise be out of reach to researchers without access to conventional, instrumentation-intensive micro- and nano-fabrication workflows.

A system and method for producing continuous channels within a transparent material is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the system and method includes forming a channel with a laser beam, such that the continuous channel has at least one vent from the channel to outside the transparent material.

Nanofluidic passages such as nanochannels and nanopores are closed or opened in a controlled manner through the use of a feedback system. An oxide layer is grown or removed within a passage in the presence of an electrolyte until the passage reaches selected dimensions or is closed. The change in dimensions of the nanofluidic passage is measured during fabrication. The ionic current level through the passage can be used to determine passage dimensions. Fluid flow through an array of fluidic elements can be controlled by selective oxidation of fluidic passages between elements.