Fabrication of fluorophore-doped xerogel microstructures for photonic applications

This work shows the design and fabrication of microstructures using an organic-inorganic polymer xerogel material doped with several fluorophores and micromolding in capillaries soft lithography technique (MIMIC). This technique enabled the development of a variety of microstructures with an aspect ratio of up to 1:10 (width:height) in turn showing an excellent periodicity and reproducibility. A thorough physico-chemical characterization of the doped xerogel polymer was carried out, which showed its interesting optical and mechanical properties. The developed microstructures have a potential application for the development of low-cost photonic components, such as emitters, which may be easily integrated in lab-on-chip systems. © Sociedad Española de Óptica.