Patterned Microstructure Array Fabrication by Using a Novel Standing Surface Acoustic Wave Device

This paper develops a novel standing surface acoustic wave (SAW) device with three pairs of interdigital transducers (IDTs) to fabricate the patterned microstructure arrays with the assistance of ultraviolet (UV) polymerization. The working principle, structural design, and fabrication of the SAW device are presented. Then, experimental setup was conducted to investigate the fabrication process and method of the patterned microstructure arrays on a thin photosensitive polymer surface. By adjusting the working wavelength and input voltage and selecting the pairs of IDTs, several types of patterned microstructure arrays, such as linear and latticed undulate with different surface morphologies, could be fabricated. For the application of the microstructure arrays, L929 mouse fibroblasts are cultured on the surface with linear undulate microstructure arrays. Preliminary results showed that the cells aligned well with the direction of the patterned surface and the array can enhance the cell culturing. Therefore, using the developed SAW device with the assistance of UV polymerization is an effective method to fabricate the patterned microstructure arrays, which may have great potential in the applications of biomedical and/or microelectronic fields.