Direct fabrication of freely movable microplate inside photosensitive glass by femtosecond laser for lab-on-chip application

We demonstrate the fabrication of complicated three-dimensional (3D) microstructures embedded in a photosensitive glass by a high-order multiphoton process using a femtosecond (fs) laser. Direct writing of the fs laser followed by a post baking process and preferential etching in a dilute hydrofluoric (HF) acid solution results in a microplate that can freely move in hollow structures embedded in the glass. The fabricated structure functions as a microvalve that can control the flow direction of fluids in the microreactor.