Application of pressurized hot water for etching of microfluidics

The subject of this study is a new method of glass etching and its application in microfluidics. Commonly, hydrofluoric acid is used for glass etching. In this study we have tested a new method of glass etching using pressurized hot water. Test motives were prepared using photolitography and metal sputtering on the glass substrate and the etching was performed in a newly developed device capable to compress and heat water to its critical point. Electron microscopy and profilometry have been used for analyzing the surface of the etched glass substrate