IEM Distinguished Lecturers Seminar: Shrink Polymer Cancer Sensors: Manufacturing from Micro to Nano
Abstract
Polymer shrinkage has emerged as a powerful lithographic technique for miniaturizing pre-patterned microstructures down to the nanoscale. By combining polymer embossing with thermoplastic shrinkage, this method not only reduces feature sizes but also significantly enhances the aspect ratios of micro- and nanostructures. The process begins with low-temperature embossing to efficiently form initial patterns with minimal cycle time. High-temperature heating then activates the shrinkage, transforming the patterned polymer into finer, high-resolution structures. This approach extends the capabilities of conventional polymer micromanufacturing, offering a cost-effective and scalable solution for advanced microfabrication particularly in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). This talk will focus on the application of shrink-induced nanolithography and wrinkles with high-aspect-ratio nanostructures used in highly sensitive MEMS-based biosensors. Such biosensors hold strong potential for medical diagnostics, including early-stage cancer detection and therapeutic monitoring.
Bio
Dr. Tianhong Cui is currently a Distinguished McKnight University Professor at the University of Minnesota. He is a Professor in Mechanical Engineering and an Affiliate Senior Member of the graduate faculty in Electrical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. He is a Global Chair Visiting Professor at the University of Bath, a Visiting Fellow at the University of Cambridge, and an Adjunct Professor at Mayo Clinic. He is a Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) and a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. He was a Laureate of Blaise Pascal Chair for Excellence through École Normale Supérieure in France, and a Distinguished Visiting Fellow of Royal Academy of Engineering in the UK. He is serving as an Executive Editor-in-Chief for the first engineering journal of Nature, Microsystems & Nanoengineering, and is an Editor-in-Chief for the first AAAS/Science Partner Journal, Research. He was the founding Editor-in-Chief of another Nature journal, Light: Science & Applications
Polymer shrinkage has emerged as a powerful lithographic technique for miniaturizing pre-patterned microstructures down to the nanoscale. By combining polymer embossing with thermoplastic shrinkage, this method not only reduces feature sizes but also significantly enhances the aspect ratios of micro- and nanostructures. The process begins with low-temperature embossing to efficiently form initial patterns with minimal cycle time. High-temperature heating then activates the shrinkage, transforming the patterned polymer into finer, high-resolution structures. This approach extends the capabilities of conventional polymer micromanufacturing, offering a cost-effective and scalable solution for advanced microfabrication particularly in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). This talk will focus on the application of shrink-induced nanolithography and wrinkles with high-aspect-ratio nanostructures used in highly sensitive MEMS-based biosensors. Such biosensors hold strong potential for medical diagnostics, including early-stage cancer detection and therapeutic monitoring.
Bio
Dr. Tianhong Cui is currently a Distinguished McKnight University Professor at the University of Minnesota. He is a Professor in Mechanical Engineering and an Affiliate Senior Member of the graduate faculty in Electrical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. He is a Global Chair Visiting Professor at the University of Bath, a Visiting Fellow at the University of Cambridge, and an Adjunct Professor at Mayo Clinic. He is a Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) and a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. He was a Laureate of Blaise Pascal Chair for Excellence through École Normale Supérieure in France, and a Distinguished Visiting Fellow of Royal Academy of Engineering in the UK. He is serving as an Executive Editor-in-Chief for the first engineering journal of Nature, Microsystems & Nanoengineering, and is an Editor-in-Chief for the first AAAS/Science Partner Journal, Research. He was the founding Editor-in-Chief of another Nature journal, Light: Science & Applications
Practical information
- General public
- Free