This paper presents recent research progress in the manufacturing of MEMS based robotic positioning technology. The goal is to configure a nanofactory consisting of multiple microrobots that combine high precision with high throughput along with other application-specific requirements such as strength, dexterity, and work volume. This requires design to satisfy part mobility and dexterous manipulation with high precision. The first microrobot called the Articulated Four Axes Microrobot (AFAM) is a 3D dexterous micromanipulator robot, and we describe nano indentation experiments using AFM tips mounted on the microrobot. By combining positioning data obtained using laser interferometers and SEM imaging of nano indentation data, precision metrics such as accuracy, repeatability and resolution of the AFAM robot are determined. Preliminary reliability findings are presented. The second robot type is the ARRIpede microcrawler, and we present recent progress in microrobot precision evaluation including motion resolution and repeatability. Using these two microrobots as basic positioning and manipulation units, a nanoassembly module concept for hybrid nano assembly applications is proposed. In this paper we present recent progress in fabricating, assembling and evaluating the basic microfactory modules.
A high-precision, template-assisted, anisotropic wet etching method for fabricating perovskite microstructure arrays
