Microchips fabricated by femtosecond laser micromachining in glass for observation of aquatic microorganisms

Abstract

We demonstrate the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) hollow microstructures embedded in photostructurable glass by a nonlinear multiphoton absorption process using a femtosecond (fs) laser. Fs laser direct writing followed by annealing and successive wet etching in dilute hydrofluoric (HF) acid solution resulted in the rapid manufacturing of microchips with 3-D hollow microstructures for the dynamic observation of living microorganisms in fresh water. The embedded microchannel structure enables us to analyze the continuous motion of Euglena gracilis and Dinoflagellate. Such microchips, referred to as nano-aquariums realize the efficient and highly functional observation of microorganisms.