Laser fabricated microchannels inside photostructurable glass-ceramic

Microchannels have been fabricated by laser direct-write in photostructurable glass-ceramic (Foturan) for their application in 3D-microfluidic systems. A Nd:YAG laser delivering 10 ns pulses at 355 nm wavelength has been used for irradiation. Afterwards, thermal treatment and chemical etching have been required for channel formation. The kinetics of channel formation and the channel morphology have been studied by optical and electron microscopy. A minimum accumulated energy (pulse energy multiplied by the number of pulses in a same site) is required to induce channel formation. Channels with symmetric round apertures at both ends can be obtained when using low pulse energies. On the contrary, irradiation with too high energetic pulses produces direct material damage in Foturan and provokes the formation of non-symmetric channels. One millimetre long channels with a minimum radius of 15 μm can be opened through Foturan slides after 15 min of chemical etching.