Table 1.
Comparison of fabrication methods of paper microfluidics
| Fabrication Method | Required Equipment and Materials | Advantages | Disadvantages | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photolithography | UV light, hot plate, photomask, SU8 photoresist, propanol, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, oxygen plasma. | Provides a high resolution (about 200 μm) | Requires multiple steps and expensive equipment. Materials can cause the channels to be contaminated. | (Martinez et al., 2007; Martinez et al., 2008) |
| Wax Printing | Wax printer, hot plate, wax. | Cost-efficient, suitable for mass production, requires few steps. | Provides low resolution (550 μm), cannot withstand high temperatures. | (Lu et al., 2009) (Younas et al., 2019; Songjaroen et al., 2011) |
| Screen Printing | Laser printer, metallic mask, transparency film, hot plate, wax. | Cost-efficient, simple process. | Provides low resolution, requires the production of new screens for different patterns. | (Dungchai et al., 2011) |
| Plotting | Modified X-Y plotter, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) | Cost-efficient, rapid, allows formation of 3D structures due to flexibility. | Provides low resolution (about 1 mm) | (Bruzewicz et al., 2008) |
| Inkjet Printing | Modified inkjet printer, hot plate, alkyl ketene dimer (AKD), heptane. | Cost-efficient. | Requires multiple steps, uses hazardous organic solvents. | (Yang et al., 2017; Abe et al., 2010; Li et al., 2010; Wang et al., 2014; Manoharan et al., 2021; Henares et al., 2017) |
| Inkjet Etching | Modified inkjet printer, polystyrene, toluene. | Requires only one device to be fabricated. | Provides low resolution (550 μm), requires multiple steps, not suitable for mass production. | (Abe et al., 2008) |
| Plasma treatment | Metal mask, oven, Plasma, AKD, heptane | Cost-efficient. | Requires the production of new masks for different patterns. | (Li et al., 2008) |
| Flexographic Printing | Flexographic printer, toluene, or xylene. | High printing speed, suitable for mass production. | Printing quality is affected by the paper smoothness, printing should be repeated at least twice for the same paper. | (Olkkonen et al., 2010) |
| Knife Cutting | X-Y plotter, knife. | Provides sharp details. | Wastes raw materials as residues after cutting. | (Sadri et al., 2018; Fenton et al., 2008) |
| Laser Cutting | CO2 laser, micro silica particles. | Provides high resolution (62 μm). | Requires polymer films to protect the nitrocellulose from being damaged. | (Chitnis et al., 2011; Spicar-Mihalic et al., 2013) |