California Institute of Technology

Yudan Pi

Yu-Chong Tai

Tzu-Chieh Chou

A parylene microcapillary is manufactured by drawing a polyethylene carbonate (PEC) fiber from a 0&#xb0; C. solution of 12-25% PEC in chloroform to create a PEC fiber that has a constant diameter over several centimeters. Parylene is deposited in a chamber over the PEC fiber, and then the coated PEC fiber is heated above 180&#xb0; C. This heating melts and decomposes the PEC fiber such that it self-expels from the coating, leaving a microcapillary. The self-expulsion allows for meters-long lengths of microcapillaries. Alternatively, a serpentine fiber channel of PEC is created by deposition, photolithography, and etching within a sandwich of parylene. It is heated above 180&#xb0; C. to expel the PEC leaving a hollow channel within a mass of parylene. The resulting microcapillaries may have residues of cyclic ethylene carbonate remaining from the decomposed PEC.

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Pasadena, CA, United States of America

Yudan Pi