A new pick up and release method by heating for micromanipulation

Abstract

Micro manipulation is required for assembly and maintenance of micro machines and their parts. In this paper, we propose a new pick up and release method for micromanipulation. The proposed method utilizes the pressure change based on the temperature change inside micro holes made on an end-effector surface. In order to pick up the micro object, the end-effector temperature is increased to exceed room temperature before touching the object. After contact with the object, its temperature decreases and negative pressure is generated inside the micro holes to pick it up. To effect release, the end-effector temperature is increased again. This method realizes quick response due to its scale advantage. We made a prototype end-effector by Si surface micromachining. We analyzed the static performance of this end-effector and conducted experiments. The effectiveness of the proposed method is shown.