Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are one of the most promising materials for nanoelectronic applications. Before bringing CNTs into large-scale production, a reliable nanorobotic system for automated handling and characterization as well as prototyping of CNT-based components is essential. This paper presents the NanoLab setup, a nanorobotic system that combines specially developed key components such as electrothermal microgrippers and mobile microrobots inside a scanning electron microscope. The working principle and fabrication of mobile microrobots and electrothermal microgripper as well as their interaction and integration is described. Furthermore, the NanoLab is used to explore novel key strategies such as automated locating of CNTs for pick-and-place handling and methods for electrical characterization of CNTs. The results have been achieved within the framework of a European research project where the scientific knowledge will be transfered into an industrial system that will be commercially available for potential customers.

This paper analyzes the disturbance sources acting on nano-assembly systems inside the scanning electron microscope, which complicate the automation of assembly processes in the scanning electron microscope. The influence of intrinsic sources, i.e. thermal drift, actuator offset and end effector vibrations due to actuator movements are examined and approaches are suggested. The electron-beam interaction with the assembly system has been identified as another disturbance source and its impact on automated assembly processes is qualified and quantified. Solutions for disturbance-resistant assembly processes are suggested.

This paper describes the simulation, fabrication and evaluation of a mobile platform's actuator, which is the foundation for microrobots. The working principle is based on the mobile platform RollBot. The new feature is the combination of three rolling steel spheres driven by three laser structured piezoactuators, each containing three ruby hemispheres. Because of the piezoactuator's special design, the hemisphere's stick-slip displacements decrease and enable a more precise control. The platform's properties concerning rigidity, resolution and maximum velocity improve. After an introduction of RollBot's and the new actuation principle, a short description of the laser structuring process is given. Several finite-element (FE)-simulations are presented to understand the expected performance of the mobile platform. Finally, measurements of step sizes and maximum velocities are shown. The application of the actuator in a mobile platform proves the derived properties.

This paper presents the detailed design of a nanohandling robot cell that can work inside an SEM's vacuum chamber and incorporates miniature video microscopes in order to enable fully automated nanohandling and -assembly. The geometrical and mechanical requirements are defined and addressed in a modular implementation. Image processing techniques can be used to recognize and track objects and three dimensional information can be obtained by stereo vision as well as the microscope's focus. To control this highly heterogeneous system, different low-level controllers are used, challenges for cooperatively controlling the multi-robot system are outlined, and high-level automation is discussed.