Polymers

Miniaturization through microfabrication and micromachining has revolutionized the world around us. From the modest start of the miniaturization of the meter-sized vacuum tube into a micron sized planar transistor, semiconductor microfabrication has brought about astounding changes to every technological facet of our lives. These microfabrication processes have evolved and been modified into advanced technologies that are pushing the boundaries of resolution, feature sizes and aspect ratios. Similarly polymers have also influenced our life in many ways. However, most of the microfabrication technologies employed in the semiconductor industry are not compatible with the microfabrication of polymers due to thermal, mechanical and chemical properties of polymers. To overcome this problem several modifications of existing microfabrication technologies have been developed to exploit the advantages of microfabricated polymers in various fields of science. This book chapter introduces the key microfabrication technologies that have been used for polymers. Process descriptions, compatibility parameters, microfabricated features and applications are discussed. Further, key polymers that are suitable for biomicrofluidics are introduced and discussed. Polymer properties, microfabrication compatibilities, integration into devices and recent trends in the specific polymer composites are discussed.