PDMS young's modulus calibration for micropillar force sensor application

This paper reports on the calibration of PDMS Young's Modulus device which is applied as force sensor to measure C. elegans locomotion. The Young's Modulus of the PDMS is determined using a piezoresistive silicon force sensor. Four sets of PDMS devices are prepared using similar fabrication method, as we want to ensure that the PDMS fabrication process used in this work is capable of producing consistent material properties. From each device, three different samples are produced and tested using the sensor. The Young's Modulus of the PDMS is determined to be 1.47 MPa. The results are also compared with Young's Modulus values obtained in other researches. We found that the two main factors that affect the PDMS Young's Modulus value are baking time and curing temperature, where higher and longer temperature and baking time lead to stiffer PDMS.

I. Introduction

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a two-component heat-curing silicone polymer system which consists of a base part and a curing agent. When both components are mixed and cured at a specified temperature, the viscous polymer liquid changes into a solid elastic structure.