Open-structure reconfigurable experimental workstation for fast and reliable microassembly

This paper reports on an experimentally microassembly workcell developed for efficient and reliable 3D assembly of large numbers of micromachined thin metal parts into DRIE2 etched holes in 8 inch silicon wafers. The major objective is to integrate techniques of microgripper design, microscopic imaging and high precision motion control to build a prototype system for industrial applications. The workcell consists of a multiple-view imaging system, a 4 DOF micromanipulator with high resolution rotation control, a large working space 4 DOF precision positioning system, a flexible microgripper, and control software system. A piezoelectric force sensing unit was integrated with the manipulator system to enhance pickup reliability. Each of these components is presented with analysis of design issues and related experimental results. Operations are partially guided by a human operator through a graphical user interface (GUI). This system provides a highly flexible testbed for wafer-level 3D microassembly.

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