Pre-deformation-assisted cryogenic micromachining for fabrication of three-dimensional unique micro channels

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is difficult to machine by conventional cutting process because of its low elasticity and high adhesion. We proposed the cryogenic micromachining method assisted by liquid nitrogen cooling for direct fabrication of 3D micro channels on PDMS substrate in short time. In this paper, the cryogenic cutting mechanism is clarified through some verification experiments. Moreover, Pre-Deformation-assisted Cryogenic Micromachining (PDCM) method is also proposed for fabricating the unique shapes of channels and its validity is evaluated experimentally. The results of cutting tests show that 3D unique micro channels can be processed precisely and rapidly on PDMS.