Ultrashort Pulsed Laser Machining for Biomolecule Trapping

Ultrashort pulse laser drilling of polycarbonate track-etched membrane (pTEM) material was used to fabricate a mouse embryo cell trapping device. Holes with a diameter of $2{\mu}m$ to $5{\mu}m$ were fabricated on a $10{\mu}m$ thick membrane using a femtosecond laser with a 150 fs pulse width and 775 nm wavelength and multiple-pulse irradiation. In cell trapping tests, the overall cell occupancy of the machined holes in the fabricated pTEM was found to be more than 80%. The results of a single pulse and multiple pulse irradiation were compared in terms of the surface quality. It was generally found that a single pulse with high energy was less desirable than irradiation with multiple pulses of lower energy.