Pick-place of single nanowires inside scanning electron microscopes (SEM) is useful for prototyping functional devices and characterizing nanowires's properties. Nanowire pick-place has been typically performed via teleoperation, which is time-consuming and highly skill-dependent. This paper presents an automated approach to the pick-place of single nanowires. Through SEM visual detection and vision-based motion control, the system automatically transferred individual silicon nanowires from their growth substrate to a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device that characterized the nanowires's electromechanical properties. The performance of the nanorobotic pick-up and placement procedures was experimentally quantified.

Pick-place of single nanowires inside scanning electron microscopes (SEM) is useful for prototyping functional devices and characterizing nanowires' properties. Nanowire pick-place has been typically performed via teleoperation, which is time-consuming and highly skill-dependent. This paper presents a robotic system capable of automated pickplace of single nanowires. Through SEM visual detection and vision-based motion control, the system transferred individual silicon nanowires from their growth substrate to a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device that characterized the nanowires' electromechanical properties. The performance of the nanorobotic pick-up and placement procedures was quantified by experiments. The system demonstrated automated nanowire pick-up and placement with high reliability.

Nanowire field-effect transistors (nano-FETs) are nano devices capable of highly sensitive, label-free sensing of molecules. However, significant variations in sensitivity across devices can result from poor control over device parameters, such as nanowire diameter and the number of electrode-bridging nanowires. This paper presents a fabrication approach that uses wafer-scale nanowire contact printing for throughput and uses automated nanomanipulation for precision control of nanowire number and diameter. The process requires only one photolithography mask. Using nanowire contact printing and post processing (i.e., nanomanipulation inside scanning electron microscope), we are able to produce devices all with a single nanowire and similar diameters at a speed of ∼1 min/device with a success rate of 95% (n=500). This technology represents a seamless integration of wafer-scale microfabrication and automated nanorobotic manipulation for producing nano-FET sensors with consistent response across devices.

This paper presents a nanomanipulation system for operation inside scanning electron microscopes (SEM). The system is small in size, capable of being mounted onto and demounted from an SEM through the specimen exchange chamber without breaking the high vacuum of the SEM. This advance eliminates frequent opening of the high-vacuum chamber, thus, incurs less contamination to the SEM, avoids lengthy pumping, and significantly eases the exchange of end-effectors (e.g., nano probes and grippers). The system consists of two independent 3-DOF Cartesian nanomanipulators based on piezo motors and piezo actuators. High-resolution optical encoders are integrated into the nanomanipulators to provide position feedback for closed-loop control. A look-then-move control system and a contact detection algorithm are implemented for horizontal and vertical nanopositioning. The system design, system characterization details, and system performance are described.

This paper presents a robotic system that is capable of both picking up and releasing microobjects with high accuracy, reliability, and speed. Due to force-scaling laws, large adhesion forces at the microscale make rapid, accurate release of microobjects a long-standing challenge in micromanipulation, thus representing a hurdle toward automated robotic pick-and-place of micrometer-sized objects. The system employs a novel microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microgripper with a controllable plunging structure to impact a microobject that gains sufficient momentum to overcome adhesion forces. The performance was experimentally quantified through the manipulation of 7.5-10.9 ¿m borosilicate glass spheres in an ambient environment. Experimental results demonstrate that the system, for the first time, achieves a 100% success rate in release (which is based on 700 trials) and a release accuracy of 0.45 ± 0.24 ¿m. High-speed, automated microrobotic pick-and-place was realized by visually recognizing the microgripper and microspheres, by visually detecting the contact of the microgripper with the substrate, and by vision-based control. Example patterns were constructed through automated microrobotic pick-and-place of microspheres, achieving a speed of 6 s/sphere, which is an order of magnitude faster than the highest speed that has been reported in the literature.

Due to force scaling laws, rapid, accurate release of micro objects has been a long-standing challenge for microrobotic manipulation. This paper presents an active release technique that for the first time, achieves 100% repeatability and a release accuracy of 0.70plusmn0.46mum, experimentally quantified through the manipulation of 10mum glass spheres under an optical microscope. Using a new MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) microgripper, this technique employs a controllable plunging mechanism for the micro object to gain sufficient momentum to overcome adhesion forces. Experimental results also confirmed that this technique is not substrate dependent. Theoretical analyses were conducted to understand the release principle. Based on this preliminary study, the technique may also prove to be an effective solution to active release of sub-micron objects in robotic pick-place.

This paper presents the use of a monolithic, force-feedback MEMS (microelectomechanical systems) microgripper for characterizing both elastic and viscoelastic properties of highly deformable hydrogel microcapsules (15–25µm) at wet state during micromanipulation. The single-chip microgripper integrates an electrothermal microactuator and two capacitive force sensors, one for contact detection (force resolution: 38.5nN) and the other for gripping force measurements (force resolution: 19.9nN). Through nanoNewton force measurements, closed-loop force control, and visual tracking, the system quantified Young's modulus values and viscoelastic parameters of alginate microcapsules, demonstrating an easy-to-operate, accurate compression testing technique for characterizing soft, micrometer-sized biomaterials.

This paper presents the first demonstration of force-controlled micrograsping at the microNewton force level. The system manipulates highly deformable biomaterials (hydrogel microcapsules and biological cells) in an aqueous environment using a MEMS-based microgripper with integrated force feedback along two axes. The microgripper integrates an electrothermal V-beam microactuator and two capacitive force sensors, one for contact detection (force resolution: 38.5 nN) and the other for gripping force measurements (force resolution: 19.9 nN). The MEMS-based microgripper and the force control system experimentally demonstrate the capability of rapid contact detection and reliable force-controlled micrograsping to accommodate variations in sizes and mechanical properties of objects with a high reproducibility. Cell viability testing validated that the temperature at gripping arm tips does not exceed 50degC.