Micrometer scale gel patterns

This paper describes a novel method to fabricate micrometer sized gel patterns. The method involves spin-coating a pre-gel solution on a surface that was chemically treated to modulate its surface energy, creating highly hydrophobic areas on a hydrophilic substrate. Following spin coating, the gel solution self organizes on the hydrophilic sites. This method offers the advantages of high resolution, self-alignment to pre-patterned electrodes, and a simple straightforward fabrication process. The gel features are incorporated into microfluidic channels. The overall purpose of this approach is to create a simple, affordable, microfluidic device, which incorporates "smart" hydrogel elements.