Microelectromechanical system component or a microfluidic component comprising a free-hanging or free-standing microchannel

A method of manufacturing a non-permeable free-hanging or free-standing microchannel using an electroplating method comprising the steps of:

• manufacturing a non-permeable free-hanging or free-standing microchannel by:
• providing a conductive or non-conductive electroplating wire;
• when the electroplating wire is non-conductive:
• forming a conductive coating on the electroplating wire to form a cathode;
• electroplating a channel wall on the electroplating wire or the conductive coating;
• and
• removing the electroplating wire, thereby obtaining a free-hanging or free-standing, non-permeable microchannel.

A microfluidic density sensor comprising:

• a free-hanging or free-standing, non-permeable microchannel manufactured using an electroplating method comprising the steps of:
• manufacturing a free-hanging or free-standing, non-permeable microchannel by:
• providing a conductive or non-conductive electroplating wire;
• when the electroplating wire is non-conductive:
• forming a conductive coating on the electroplating wire to form a cathode;
• electroplating a channel wall on the electroplating wire or the conductive coating;
• and
• removing the electroplating wire, thereby obtaining a free-hanging or free-standing, non-permeable microchannel;
• actuating means for vibrating the free-hanging or free-standing microchannel at its resonance frequency;
• and
• readout means for measuring and comparing the resonance frequency.

A method of manufacturing a free-hanging microchannel, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a substrate of a first material;
• (b) depositing a trench-etch protective layer on at least one of a front side and a back side of the substrate;
• (c) etching a trench in the first material through the trench-etch protective layer;
• (d) creating a channel-etch protective layer in the trench, covering a bottom wall and side walls of the trench;
• (e) etching the first material of the substrate through the channel-etch protective layer and the bottom wall of the trench to form a channel outline centering around the location of the etched-away bottom wall of the trench;
• (f) removing the trench-etch and channel-etch protective layers from the substrate;
• (g) depositing a wall-forming layer on the substrate, wherein the wall-forming layer forms a microchannel wall on the channel outline and closes the trench;
• (h) etching the substrate to remove the first material surrounding the microchannel wall, such that the microchannel becomes free-hanging.