Planar Micromanipulation

Lead Division
Assembly & Packaging, Division 6

Other Divisions Participating
Metrology, Division 5
Micro-Sensors & Actuators, Division 11

Summary
Current industrial microfabrication methods produce microparts or microcomponents in batch quantities. These parts need to be properly distinguished, sorted and aligned for the next step of the assembly and packaging of the final MEMS product (e.g. wafer bonding). In many applications an alignment accuracy of below 1 micrometer is already required. Established solutions such as part-feeders and serial/automated-serial assembly with microgrippers are not efficient enough for the constantly increasing desire for mass production of MEMS devices. The main reasons are the lack of flexibility and the time-consuming and quite frequently costly sequential operation (for example optical tweezers can manipulate and assemble around 5 microparts per hour). The need for fast mass sorting, positioning and orienting of microparts, without the usage of robotic microgrippers, micromanipulators or part-feeders, is becoming more and more evident. Therefore, new, alternative suggestions are required for flexible, low cost microhandling of high yield.

Status of this Cross-Divisional Project
To be completed March 2008.