Harrick PlasmaNews & ResearchNewsKloe

Kloe France and Harrick Plasma equipment have powered breakthroughs in microfabrication, biochips, and lab-on-chip development. Across leading research institutes worldwide, scientists rely on this complementary pairing:

Together, these tools form a seamless workflow — from patterning to bonding — enabling innovation in biology, medicine, and materials science.

Mask Aligners: From Patterning to Bonding

Kloe France’s UV-KUB series delivers advanced mask alignment and UV photolithography capabilities ideal for microfluidic and MEMS applications. Once microstructures are patterned, Harrick Plasma Cleaners provide the critical next step—activating and cleaning surfaces for strong, contamination-free bonding.

A common workflow involves oxygen plasma treatment of PDMS and glass substrates to achieve permanent, leak-proof seals. This process is foundational for creating microchannels and chip architectures used in organ-on-chip and biosensing applications.

In one study, researchers used Kloe’s UV-KUB 2 to define microchannel geometry and a Harrick Plasma High Power Expanded Plasma Cleaner to form robust PDMS-glass bonds for a lung-on-a-chip model—demonstrating how these tools complement one another in translating designs into durable microdevices.

Below you will find published articles citing the use of Kloe Mask Aligners with Harrick Plasma Cleaners

Harrick Plasma & Kloe UV-KUB Articles

Al-Hilal, T. A., Keshavarz, A., Kadry, H., Lahooti, B., Al-Obaida, A., Ding, Z., Li, W., Kamm, R., McMurtry, I. F., Lahm, T., Nozik-Grayck, E., Stenmark, K. R., & Ahsan, F. (2020). Pulmonary-arterial-hypertension (PAH)-on-a-chip: fabrication, validation and application. Lab on a Chip, 20(18), 3334–3345. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0lc00605j

Descamps, L., Garcia, J., Barthelemy, D., Laurenceau, E., Payen, L., Roy, D. L., & Deman, A. (2022). MagPure chip: an immunomagnetic-based microfluidic device for high purification of circulating tumor cells from liquid biopsies. Lab on a Chip, 22(21), 4151–4166. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2lc00443g

Mustapha, F., Sengupta, K., & Puech, P. (2022). Protocol for measuring weak cellular traction forces using well-controlled ultra-soft polyacrylamide gels. STAR Protocols, 3(1), 101133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101133

Nguyen, T., Sarkar, T., Tran, T., Moinuddin, S. M., Saha, D., & Ahsan, F. (2022). Multilayer soft photolithography fabrication of microfluidic devices using a Custom-Built Wafer-Scale PDMS slab aligner and Cost-Efficient equipment. Micromachines, 13(8), 1357. https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13081357

Osman, O., Toru, S., Dumas-Bouchiat, F., Dempsey, N. M., Haddour, N., Zanini, L., Buret, F., Reyne, G., & Frénéa-Robin, M. (2013). Microfluidic immunomagnetic cell separation using integrated permanent micromagnets. Biomicrofluidics, 7(5). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4825395

Samlali, K., Alves, C. L., Jezernik, M., & Shih, S. C. C. (2022). Droplet digital microfluidic system for screening filamentous fungi based on enzymatic activity. Microsystems & Nanoengineering, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41378-022-00456-1 

Dilase: Surface Preparation and Precision Structuring

The Dilase family of laser writers combines high-resolution patterning with flexible design capabilities, allowing researchers to fabricate complex master molds without masks.

Before depositing photoresist resin on wafers for patterning, a plasma surface treatment using a Harrick Plasma Cleaner can significantly improve coating uniformity and adhesion. This preparatory step ensures high-quality, defect-free layers for precise exposure with the Kloe Dilase.

Plasma activation can also tailor surface chemistry post-patterning to support selective cell growth or biomolecule attachment. Researchers have leveraged this synergy to create micropatterned polymer surfaces for cell culture and tissue engineering, showing how plasma modification and Dilase together enable next-generation biointerfaces.

Below you will find published articles citing the use of Kloe Dilase with Harrick Plasma Cleaners

Harrick Plasma & Kloe Dilase Articles

Abunahla, H. N., Zafar, H., Anjum, D. H., Alazzam, A., & Mohammad, B. (2022). Enhanced graphene oxide electrical properties for Thin-Film electronics using an Active/Shrinkable substrate. ACS Omega, 8(1), 1671–1676. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.2c07306 

Al-Azzam, N., & Alazzam, A. (2022). Micropatterning of cells via adjusting surface wettability using plasma treatment and graphene oxide deposition. PLoS ONE, 17(6), e0269914. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269914 

Bataineh, M. T. A., & Alazzam, A. (2023). Transforming medical device biofilm control with surface treatment using microfabrication techniques. PLoS ONE, 18(11), e0292647. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292647 

Dawaymeh, F., Ayoub, E., Alazzam, A., Khaleel, M., & Alamoodi, N. (2024). Passive destabilization of enhanced oil recovery nanofluid emulsions using wettability patterning of microfluidic platforms. Fuel, 381, 133369. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2024.133369 

Gheorghiu, A. A., Muguet, I., Chakiris, J., Chan, K. M., Priest, C., & Macgregor, M. (2021). Plasma deposited polyoxazoline films integration into spiral microfluidics for the targeted capture of size selected cells. Frontiers in Chemistry, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2021.690781 

McCormick, S., Smith, L. E., Holmes, A. M., Tong, Z., Lombi, E., Voelcker, N. H., & Priest, C. (2019). Multiparameter toxicity screening on a chip: Effects of UV radiation and titanium dioxide nanoparticles on HaCaT cells. Biomicrofluidics, 13(4). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5113729 

Samlali, K., Alves, C. L., Jezernik, M., & Shih, S. C. C. (2022). Droplet digital microfluidic system for screening filamentous fungi based on enzymatic activity. Microsystems & Nanoengineering, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41378-022-00456-1 

Taha, M., Agha, A., Anwer, S., Saleh, H., Pappa, A., Abu‐Nada, E., & Alazzam, A. (2025). Fabrication and optimization of TI3C2TX MXENE thin films for Next‐Generation Lab‐On‐Chip devices. Advanced Materials Interfaces. https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202500205 

Complementary Tools Driving Innovation

A growing number of scientific publications highlight projects where Kloe France’s lithography systems and Harrick Plasma Cleaners are used in tandem. This consistent pairing reflects their shared role in advancing reliable, scalable microfabrication across fields like biomedical engineering, diagnostics, and materials science.

By combining optical and laser-based structuring with plasma surface treatment, researchers can:

  • Fabricate and bond microfluidic devices quickly and reliably
  • Optimize resin coating and adhesion through plasma pre-treatment.
  • Tailor surface chemistry for biological and material interfaces.

Collaborate with Us

Harrick Plasma and Kloe France share a commitment to enabling high-quality research through precision and reliability. Interested in exploring these complementary tools for your work?

Contact a Kloe Representative: Contact@Kloe-France.com 

 

Harrick Plasma is a leading supplier of plasma equipment to the research community. We have been providing quality tabletop plasma devices specifically designed for laboratory and R&D use for over 30 years.