<title>Adhesion force modeling and measurement for micromanipulation</title>

Abstract

It is well known that surface effect forces such as van der Waals, electrostatic, and surface tension forces dominate part interactions as part dimensions fall below approximately 100 microns. Many researchers have suggested manipulation strategies that either diminish the effect of these forces or use these forces to advantage. There is little work, however, that comprehensively analyzes, both theoretically and experimentally, the exact contributions of such phenomena as surface roughness, material properties, environmental conditions, etc. to part interactions at microscales. This paper describes our work in developing a high resolution force sensor using optical beam deflection techniques for characterizing object interactions at the microscale. The interactions among a variety of micropart shapes and materials of varying surface roughness and conductivity were analyzed under various environmental conditions. Experimental results of this analysis are presented.