Microrobotics And Microsystem Fabrication

Microsystem technology (MST) integrates very small (up to a few nanometers) mechanical, electronic, optical, and other components on a substrate to construct functional devices. These devices are used as intelligent sensors, actuators, and controllers for medical, automotive, household and many other purposes. This book is a basic introduction to MST for students, engineers, and scientists. It is the first of its kind to cover MST in its entirety. It gives a comprehensive treatment of all important parts of MST such as microfabrication technologies, microactuators, microsensors, development and testing of microsystems, and information processing in microsystems. It surveys products built to date and experimental products and gives a comprehensive view of all developments leading to MST devices and robots.

The first textbook on micron-scale mobile robotics, introducing the fundamentals of design, analysis, fabrication, and control, and drawing on case studies of existing approaches. Progress in micro- and nano-scale science and technology has created a demand for new microsystems for high-impact applications in healthcare, biotechnology, manufacturing, and mobile sensor networks. The new robotics field of microrobotics has emerged to extend our interactions and explorations to sub-millimeter scales. This is the first textbook on micron-scale mobile robotics, introducing the fundamentals of design, analysis, fabrication, and control, and drawing on case studies of existing approaches. The book covers the scaling laws that can be used to determine the dominant forces and effects at the micron scale; models forces acting on microrobots, including surface forces, friction, and viscous drag; and describes such possible microfabrication techniques as photo-lithography, bulk micromachining, and deep reactive ion etching. It presents on-board and remote sensing methods, noting that remote sensors are currently more feasible; studies possible on-board microactuators; discusses self-propulsion methods that use self-generated local gradients and fields or biological cells in liquid environments; and describes remote microrobot actuation methods for use in limited spaces such as inside the human body. It covers possible on-board powering methods, indispensable in future medical and other applications; locomotion methods for robots on surfaces, in liquids, in air, and on fluid-air interfaces; and the challenges of microrobot localization and control, in particular multi-robot control methods for magnetic microrobots. Finally, the book addresses current and future applications, including noninvasive medical diagnosis and treatment, environmental remediation, and scientific tools.

Microbiorobotics: Biologically Inspired Microscale Robotic Systems, Second Edition presents information on a new engineering discipline that takes a multidisciplinary approach to accomplish precise manipulation of microscale spaces. Microorganisms have evolved various mechanisms to thrive in microscale environments and are therefore a useful tool for use in many applications, ranging from micromanufacturing techniques, to cellular manipulation. In the context of microrobotics, biological microrobots can directly harness the microorganisms for propulsive and sensing power and synthetic microrobots can mimic the microorganisms’ motions for effective locomotion. This second edition covers new advances and insights that have emerged in recent years. Several new chapters have been added on important new research areas, with existing chapters thoroughly revised. In particular, increased coverage is given to fluid dynamics of microswimmers in nature. Gives the reader an understanding of the fundamental changes in dynamics and fabrication techniques in the microenvironment Offers a unique two-pronged approach to microrobotics from a biological perspective, i.e. bioinspired engineering design of biological systems to accomplish engineering tasks Introduces an interdisciplinary readership to the toolkit that micro-organisms offer to micro-engineering

Designed for science and engineering students, this text focuses on emerging trends in processes for fabricating MEMS and NEMS devices. The book reviews different forms of lithography, subtractive material removal processes, and additive technologies. Both top-down and bottom-up fabrication processes are exhaustively covered and the merits of the different approaches are compared. Students can use this color volume as a guide to help establish the appropriate fabrication technique for any type of micro- or nano-machine.

This book presents the design and manufacturing of microsystems as well as necessary key technologies developed within the Collaborative Research Center 516. The research efforts of this collaboration are focused on active micro systems which are based on the electromagnetic actuator principle. The travel of the investigated actuator systems is on the order of several millimeters. The total construction size of the actuator is on the range of several centimeters whereas essential structures being several micrometers. The methods and the production technologies that are investigated on the basis of various research models incorporate the fundamental process chains of microsystems.

This book provides in-depth theoretical and practical information on recent advances in micro-manufacturing technologies and processes, covering such topics as micro-injection moulding, micro-cutting, micro-EDM, micro-assembly, micro-additive manufacturing, moulded interconnected devices, and microscale metrology. It is designed to provide complementary material for the related e-learning platform on micro-manufacturing developed within the framework of the Leonardo da Vinci project 2013-3748/542424: MIMAN-T: Micro-Manufacturing Training System for SMEs. The book is mainly addressed to technicians and prospective professionals in the sector and will serve as an easily usable tool to facilitate the translation of micro-manufacturing technologies into tangible industrial benefits. Numerous examples are included to assist readers in learning and implementing the described technologies. In addition, an individual chapter is devoted to technological foresight, addressing market analysis and business models for micro-manufacturers.