Fabrication polymeric channel structures

Only very few studies with alternative materials and fabrication methods have been published. Ekstrom et al. [35] demonstrated the feasibility of structuring inexpensive polymeric materials by means of a microfabricated master for the production of microchannel systems. The structured polymer film was mechanically clamped between two glass plates to form a closed channel system. Recently, a similar route for the fabrication of microchannel chips that relies on casting of an elastomeric polymer material against a microfabricated master has been presented by Effenhauser et al. [36] (see Sect. 3.4). 

As shown in Fig. 7.10A, the PLEC was fabricated with a simple sandwiched structure of ITO/polymer/Al. The active layer contained an alkoxyphenyl substituted poly(l,4-phenylene vinylene) (AP-PPV), trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TMPTMA), and lithium trifluoromethane sulfonate (LiTf). When a bias voltage was initially applied, the PIN junction was formed by electrochemical doping (Fig. 7.1 OB). At the same time, the ionic conduction channels would be cut off due to the polymerizing of small molecules... 

Template-based synthesis involves the fabrication of the desired material within the pores or channels of a nanoporous template. A template may be defined as a central structure within which a network forms in such a way that removal of the template creates a filled cavity with morphological and/or stereochemical features related to those of the template. Track-etch membranes, porous alumina, and other nanoporous structures have been characterized as templates. Electrochemical and electroless depositions, chemical polymerization, sol-gel deposition, and chemical vapor deposition have been presented as major template synthetic strategies. Template-based synthesis can be used to prepare nanostructures of conductive polymers, metals, metal oxides, semiconductors, carbons, and other solid matter... 

The large uniform-shaped cavities of mesoporous molecular sieves can provide many interesting possibilities for the fabrication and hosting of quantum-sized particles. An example is the fabrication of stable carbon wires in the pore structure of mesoporous materials by polymerizing acrylonitrile within the channels. It is also possible to fill the mesopores with a semiconductor such as germaiuum. This type of molecular and quantum wires may have many... 

We have carried out extensive investigations of the sources of poling induced optical loss and of losses associated with the fabrication of buried channel waveguide structures and the intergration of polymeric modulator waveguides with silica optical fibers. 

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