Polymer-based micro-wells for Mammalian cell isolation

We report a study of the surface properties of 2D and 3D micro-structures, for the purpose of fabrication of bio-chip array/wells for isolation of single cell or small group of cells. The components of the microstructure are polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and/or parylenes, which are the commonly used materials in biological researches. To fabricate micro-array/wells, five methods based on MEMS technology were conducted. An optimum fabrication method was successfully found and the 3D micro-well chip only consisting of PDMS was realized for cells isolation. To reveal the nature of cell adhesion and repellency on the substrate, atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) methods have been carried out to analyze the physical and chemical properties of the material surfaces.