Lee, J. N., Park, C. & Whitesides, G. M. Solvent compatibility of
poly(dimethylsiloxane)-based microfluidic devices. Analytical Chemistry
75, 6544-6554 (2003).

Lee Pang
wpang@ucsd.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: Alik Widge
Subject: Re: [mems-talk] PDMS adhesion

Acetone and many other organic solvents cause silicones to swell. (The
physical mechanism has to do with changes in how the polymer chains pack

together depending on the polarity of the solvent.) As the PDMS changes
size, it will increase the strain at the PDMS/silicon interface, causing
the film to peel off.

Note that this is why you should never wash a device in acetone if PDMS
is part of that device.