Advances in Microfluidic Materials, Functions, Integration, and Applications

The field of microfluidics has progressed with applications cutting across multiple fields and disciplines. Microfluidic device materials initially consisted of silicon and glass substrates. Low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) can be fabricated into complex three-dimensional devices where each layer can be inspected for quality control before inclusion in the stack. Polymers are organic-based, long-chain materials that have gained significant traction in microfluidics. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is the most common microfluidic substrate in use in academic laboratories due to its reasonable cost, rapid fabrication, and ease of implementation. The inertness of perfluorinated compounds makes this class of materials attractive for microfluidics. Paper-based microfluidics rely on the passive mechanism of capillary action to pull solutions through a device. Microfluidic systems are well suited for planetary probes.