Synchrotron-radiation-stimulated etching of polydimethylsiloxane using XeF2 as a reaction gas

摘要

The synchrotron radiation (SR) stimulated etching of silicon elastomer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using XeF2 as an etching gas has been demonstrated. An etching system with differential pumps and two parabolic focusing mirrors was constructed to perform the etching. The PDMS was found to be effectively etched by the SR irradiation under the XeF2 gas flow, and the etching process was area-selective and anisotropic. An extremely high etching rate of 40–50 µm (10 min)⁻¹ was easily obtained at an XeF2 gas pressure of 0.2–0.4 torr. This suggests that SR etching using XeF2 gas provides a new microfabrication technology for thick PDMS membranes, which can open new applications such as the formation of three-dimensional microfluidic circuits.