Compact microfluidic probe system with self-aligned mounted heads for direct use on inverted microscopes

The microfluidic probe (MFP) is a scanning technology for local (bio)chemical processing of surfaces by hydrodynamically confining nanoliter volumes of liquids. To catalyze the broader use of this technology, we here present a compact MFP that can be placed on a standard inverted microscope. This system has self-aligned mounting heads for increased ease of use. We demonstrate the efficacy of the compact MFP by selectively etching thin films on macroscopic topographies.