Fabrication of Microfluidic and Optofluidic molds with SPE- 60 Photoresist: Advantages and Challenges

One of the basic requirements in the fabrication of microfluidic (mf) and optofluidic (of) chips is a suitable initial mold, which is generally prepared with the help of a photoresist material. in this research, we investigate the spe-60 photoresist as a quality alternative to the conventional su-8 photoresist to achieve molds with thicknesses ranging from 25μm to 130μm and address the challenges of mold-making with this photoresist. the conventional photolithography method is used to assess the material's ability in mold making. the results show that spe-60 molds have vertical edges, clean facets, and edges, complete voids between different components, and demonstrate good pattern transfer from the photomask to the spe-60 film at various thicknesses. this article also suggests some ways to improve accuracy and reduce edge scattering. as a result, based on the experimental results, spe-60 can be considered a cost-effective and suitable alternative to su-8 photoresist in the fabrication of mf and of molds.