Single - Crystal Silicon Actuator Arrays for Micro Manipulation

Arrays of electrostatic MEMS actuators have been fabricated using a modiied, multi-layer SCREAM (Single-Crystal Reactive Etching and Metallization) process. The devices consist of released, torsionally suspended grids with high aspect ratio single-crystal silicon (SCS) tips. They can be used to generate a force eld for the manipulation of small, at objects. Calculations and experiments show that the actuator array is strong enough to move macro-scopic parts. An individual actuator can generate a force of approximately 10 N and a displacement of 5 m. Mono-lithic arrays have been built reaching a size of up to 10 cm 2 , with up to 15,000 individual single-crystal silicon actuators on one chip. We investigate micro actuators for manipulation tasks, and discuss important issues and trade-oos in design, processing and fabrication. We describe manipulation experiments in which small, at objects where lifted and moved. We conclude with an outlook on applications of program-mable actuator arrays to more elaborate micro manipulation tasks and give an outline on how they can be used for transporting, positioning, sorting, and assembly of small parts.