Nano- and Micro-Engineering for New Porous Thin Layers

1 Nano- and Micro-Engineering for New Porous Thin Layers 

When disposable filters are preferred (which may be the case for medical or microbiological analysis), it can be better to elaborate lower cost materials. A new and efficient way to prepare them is by deposition of polymers on patterned substrate structures (such as with phase separation micro-molding). 

Nanotechnology requires a different approach to fabrication from that of microtechnology. Whereas microscale structures are typically formed by top-down techniques (lithography, deposition, etc.), the practical formation of structures at nanoscale dimensions involves additional components, that is, bottom-up self assembly. 

Significant studies prove the interest in this kind of membrane. Among them we mention the work of Lambricht and Schubert [17] on emulsification with microchannels, and the study of Popat et al. [18] that proves that the bone cell response can be significantly improved using controlled nanoarchitecture (alumina membranes fabricated using a two-step anodization process and which present pore sizes of 30-80 nm). 

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