System and method for handling microcomponent parts for performing assembly of micro-devices

A system and method are disclosed in which a substrate includes a plurality of functional sites, wherein each site comprises a micro-device for handling microcomponent parts. For instance, in a preferred embodiment, functional sites are included on a substrate for at least performing rotational tasks. That is, in a preferred embodiment, a plurality of functional sites are included on a substrate, wherein each functional site comprises a micro-device for handling a microcomponent part presented thereto to perform rotation of the part in some manner. The plurality of micro-devices may be operable to rotate a microcomponent part about various different axes of rotation. For instance, in one embodiment, full rotational handling (rotation about all three axes of a three-dimensional coordinate system) may be provided by the micro-devices.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to the following and commonly assigned U.S. patent applications: Ser. No. 09/569,330, entitled “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SELF-REPLICATING MANUFACTURING STATIONS,” filed May 11, 2000, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,359; Ser. No. 09/570,170, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COUPLING MICROCOMPONENTS,” filed May 11, 2000, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,795; Ser. No. 09/569,329, entitled “GRIPPER AND COMPLEMENTARY HANDLE FOR USE WITH MICROCOMPONENTS,” filed May 11, 2000, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,280; Ser. No. 09/616,500, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONSTRAINING TOTALLY RELEASED MICROCOMPONENTS,” filed Jul. 14,2000, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,677,225; Ser. No. 09/643,011, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COUPLING MICROCOMPONENTS UTILIZING A PRESSURE FITTING RECEPTACLE,” filed Aug. 21, 2000, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,725; and Ser. No. 10/033,011, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR POSITIONAL MOVEMENT OF MICROCOMPONENTS,” filed Dec. 28, 2001, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,745,567; the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention is related to handling of microcomponent parts, and more particularly to a system and method for handling microcomponent parts with micro-devices to perform tasks, such as rotation of microcomponent parts.

Extraordinary advances are being made in micromechanical devices and microelectronic devices. Further, advances are being made in MicroElectroMechanical system (“MEMs”) devices, which comprise integrated micromechanical and microelectronic devices. The term “microcomponent” will be used herein generically to encompass microelectronic components, micromechanical components, as well as MEMs components. The advances in microcomponent technology have resulted in an increasing number of microcomponent applications. For instance, various microcomponent parts are being fabricated and then assembled together. That is, post-fabrication assembly operations may be performed on microcomponent parts to form devices that may have greater utility.

Accordingly, a need often arises for performing handling tasks for assembling microcomponent parts. For example, a microcomponent part may need to be translated from one position to another position such that the microcomponent part can be presented to another microcomponent part for assembly therewith. As another example, a microcomponent part may need to be rotated in some manner such that it is properly oriented for assembly with another microcomponent part. Because of the small size of microcomponents, handling of them to perform such assembly-related tasks is often complex. For instance, in microassembly the relative importance of the forces that operate is very different from that in the macro world. For example, gravity is usually negligible, while surface adhesion and electrostatic forces dominate. (See e.g., “A survey of sticking effects for micro parts handling,” by R. S. Fearing,IEEE/RSJInt. Workshop on Intelligent Robots and Systems,1995; “Hexsil tweezers for teleoperated microassembly,” by C. G. Keller and R. T. Howe,IEEE Micro Electro Mechanical Systems Workshop,1997, pp. 72–77; and “Microassembly Technologies for MEMS,” by Micheal B. Cohn, Karl F. Böhringer, J. Mark Noworolski, Angad Singh, Chris G. Keller, Ken Y. Goldberg, and Roger T. Howe). Due to scaling effects, forces that are insignificant at the macro scale become dominant at the micro scale (and vice versa). For example, when parts to be handled are less than one millimeter in size, adhesive forces can be significant compared to gravitational forces. These adhesive forces arise primarily from surface tension, van der Waals, and electrostatic attractions and can be a fundamental limitation to handling of microcomponents. Also, relatively precise movement (e.g., translational and/or rotational movement) of a microcomponent part is often required to perform assembly operations. Consider, for example, that in some cases mishandling of a part resulting in misalignment of only a few microns may be unacceptable as the size of the microcomponent part to which the part is to be coupled may be only a few microns in total size, and the portion of the microcomponent part that is to be engaged for coupling may be even smaller. Thus, microcomponent parts present particular difficulty in handling for performing assembly operations.

Traditionally, a high-precision, external robot is utilized for handling of microcomponent parts to perform assembly operations. For instance, a high-precision, external robot having three degrees of translational freedom (i.e., capable of translating along three orthogonal axes X, Y, and Z) and having three degrees of rotational freedom may be used for handling microcomponent parts to perform assembly operations. Linear and rotational stages that can be assembled to form such a high-precision external robot are available from NEWPORT CORPORATION, 1791 Deere Avenue, Irvine, Calif. 92606 (see also http://www.newport.com), including as an example NEWPORT's PM500 Series of stages. However, such external robots are generally very expensive. Additionally, external robots typically perform microcomponent assembly in a serial manner, thereby increasing the amount of time required for manufacturing micro-devices. That is, such robots typically handle one microcomponent part at a time, thereby requiring a serial process for assembling microcomponent parts together.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a system and method which provide a plurality of functional sites on a substrate, wherein each site comprises a micro-device for handling microcomponent parts for performing assembly tasks. For instance, in a preferred embodiment, functional sites are included on a substrate (e.g., a wafer) for at least performing rotational tasks. That is, in a preferred embodiment a plurality of functional sites are included on a substrate, wherein each functional site comprises a micro-device for handling a microcomponent part presented thereto to perform rotation of the part in some manner. In one embodiment, a plurality of functional sites are included on a substrate that are each operable to rotate a microcomponent part presented thereto. An external robot operable to provide linear translational movement may then be used to present a microcomponent part to the appropriate functional site to have a rotational task performed on such microcomponent part. Therefore, the external robot is not required to have the complexity of performing rotational operations on a microcomponent part.

According to one embodiment, a plurality of micro-stages (or “functional sites”) may be included on a common integrated micro-chip. Each of the micro-stages is operable to perform a particular handling task. For instance, one micro-stage may be operable to rotate a microcomponent part presented thereto any amount from 0 to 90 degrees parallel to the plane of the substrate. Another micro-stage may be operable to flip a microcomponent presented thereto up out of the plane of the substrate. Accordingly, a microcomponent part may be presented to one or more of the micro-stages to have a desired rotational operation performed for orienting the microcomponent part in a desired manner for assembling it with another part. That is, a microcomponent part may be presented to one or more of the micro-stages to have rotational operation(s) performed on such microcomponent part to result in a desired orientation of the microcomponent part for assembling the microcomponent part with another part.

In one embodiment, a system for handling microcomponent parts is disclosed that comprises a substrate comprising a plurality of micro-devices that are each operable to perform a distinct rotational operation for rotating a microcomponent part presented thereto. Further, according to one embodiment, at least one of the micro-devices is operable to perform a rotational operation about an axis of rotation that is different than an axis of rotation about which another of said plurality of micro-devices is operable to perform a rotational operation. As an example, a plane that is parallel to the substrate may be formed by an X axis and a Y axis, and a Z axis may be perpendicular to such plane. The plurality of micro-devices may include micro-devices that are each operable to perform a distinct rotational operation of at least one of the following types: rotation about the Z axis (θ rotation), rotation about the X axis (φ rotation), and rotation about the Y axis (ψ rotation). In one implementation, the plurality of micro-devices include micro-devices that (in combination with each other) are operable to perform rotation of a microcomponent part presented thereto about the Z axis (θ rotation), rotation of the microcomponent part presented thereto about the X axis (φ rotation), and rotation of the microcomponent part presented thereto about said Y axis (ψ rotation). Thus, in certain implementations, full rotational handling functionality may be provided by the micro-devices arranged on the substrate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Various embodiments of the present invention are now described herein with reference to the above Figs., wherein like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the several views. According to embodiments of the present invention, micro-devices are implemented for performing handling tasks for assembling microcomponent parts together. In performing assembly of microcomponent parts, such handling tasks as rotating a microcomponent part such that it is properly oriented for assembly with another part and/or translation of a microcomponent part, are generally needed. As described above, high-precision external robots (such as those available from NEWPORT CORPORATION) have traditionally been used for performing such handling tasks as rotating microcomponent parts and translating them for performing assembly. By utilizing micro-devices to perform at least some of the handling operations in embodiments of the present invention, less reliance is placed on such an external robot. Thus, in certain implementations, an external robot may not be needed at all for performing assembly. In other implementations, an external robot may be utilized that is less complex than traditional robots used for micro-assembly. For instance, in one embodiment, rotational operations may be performed by micro-devices, thereby alleviating the need for having an external robot perform such rotational operations. Implementing such handling functionality in micro-devices may not only allow for less complexity in an external robot, but may also result in greater efficiency in assembling micro-devices. For instance, many micro-devices may perform handling tasks in parallel, as opposed to the traditional serial handling of microcomponent parts by an external robot.

According to embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of micro-devices each operable to perform a particular handling task may be implemented on a substrate at distinct (or “separate”) functional sites. Accordingly, upon needing a particular handling task to be performed on a microcomponent part, the part may be presented to the appropriate functional site capable of performing the particular handling task. For instance, as described further below, one handling task may be to rotate the microcomponent part a given amount. More specifically, the microcomponent part may be rotated about a rotational axis that is orthogonal to the substrate. Thus, at least one functional site may be included on the substrate comprising a micro-device operable to perform such rotation of a microcomponent part presented thereto. Another handling task may be to at least partially “flip” the microcomponent part. More specifically, the microcomponent part may be rotated about a rotational axis that is parallel to the substrate. Thus, at least one functional site may be included on the substrate comprising a micro-device operable to perform such flipping of a microcomponent part presented thereto.

Further, a microcomponent part may be presented to a plurality of different functional sites in a particular sequence in order to achieve a desired handling task. For instance, suppose the above-described functional sites are available on a substrate for rotating a microcomponent part about a rotational axis that is orthogonal to the substrate and for flipping a microcomponent part (or rotating the part about a rotational axis that is parallel to the substrate). Further suppose that it is desired to have a microcomponent part rotated about the orthogonal rotational axis to a particular orientation and then flipped such that the microcomponent part is properly oriented for assembly with another part. The microcomponent part may, therefore, be presented to a first functional site that rotates it about the orthogonal rotational axis to the particular orientation, and it may then be presented to a second functional site that flips the part as desired. Thereafter, the part may be retrieved from the second functional site and assembled with another part.

Moreover, a microcomponent part may be presented to a common functional site (or to different functional sites that are operable to perform identical handling tasks) multiple times to achieve a desired handling task. For instance, suppose that multiple functional sites are available on a substrate that are each operable to rotate a microcomponent part 90 degrees about a rotational axis that is orthogonal to the substrate. Further suppose that it is desired to have a microcomponent part rotated 180 degrees so that it is properly oriented for assembly with another part. The microcomponent part may, therefore, be presented to a first functional site that rotates it 90 degrees, and it may then be presented to a second functional site (or re-presented to the first functional site) to be rotated an additional 90 degrees such that the desired 180 degree rotation is achieved. Thereafter, the part may be retrieved from the functional site in which it resides and assembled with another part.

Turning toFIG. 1, an exemplary substrate (e.g., wafer)150of a preferred embodiment is shown that comprises a plurality of functional sites10–19. Each of functional sites10–19comprise a micro-device operable to perform a particular handling task on a microcomponent part presented thereto to aid in an assembly process for assembling microcomponent parts into a micro-device, for example. For instance, functional sites10–19may include one or more sites comprising micro-devices for rotating a microcomponent part presented thereto in a particular manner. For example, functional sites10–19may include one or more sites comprising micro-devices operable to rotate a microcomponent part presented thereto about a particular axis of rotation.

In the example ofFIG. 1, substrate150includes functional sites10and15that each comprise a micro-device operable to rotate a microcomponent part presented thereto in ±ψ (which is described further hereafter). Substrate150also includes functional sites11and16that each comprise a micro-device operable to rotate a microcomponent part presented thereto in ±φ (which is described further hereafter). Additionally, substrate150includes function site12that comprises a micro-device operable to rotate a microcomponent part in ±θ (which is described further hereafter). Functional sites of substrate150need not be bi-directional. For instance, site13of substrate150comprises a micro-device operable to provide +θ rotation to a microcomponent part presented thereto, and site14comprises a micro-device operable to provide −θ rotation to a microcomponent part presented thereto. Further functional sites17,18, and19are included on exemplary substrate150to provide handling functionality A, B, and C, respectively. Such further handling functionality provided by the micro-devices of functional sites17,18, and19may comprise any desired rotational handling or translational handling of a microcomponent part.

As further shown inFIG. 1, substrate150may include assembly site20, which may be a site at which microcomponent parts may be assembled together. For instance, in a preferred embodiment, an external robot (not shown inFIG. 1) that is operable to provide linear translational movement may be used to present microcomponent parts to the appropriate functional sites10–19, which in turn rotate the parts to appropriate orientations for assembly together. The external robot may then retrieve the parts from the functional sites and assemble them at assembly site20to form an assembled micro-device. For example, once a microcomponent part is appropriately oriented by one or more of functional sites10–19, the external robot having translational movement may retrieve the part from the functional site in which it resides and couple the part with another part at the assembly site20. Any number of microcomponent parts may be handled in this manner to create a desired assembly of microcomponents. Additionally, an assembly of two or more microcomponents may be retrieved from assembly site20and presented to one or more of functional sites10–19to perform handling of such microcomponent assembly to, for example, orient the assembly as desired for assembly with further microcomponent parts. Thus, functional sites10–19are not limited to handling individual microcomponent parts, but may be utilized for performing handling tasks on an assembly comprising two or more microcomponent parts. Of course, in certain implementations, assembly site20may not be included on substrate150, and instead microcomponent parts may be assembled at a location off of substrate150.

As further shown inFIG. 1, control system151may be communicatively coupled to substrate150to control the operation of functional sites10–19. That is, control system151may be operable to communicate control signals to functional sites10–19to control the handling of a microcomponent presented thereto in a desired manner. For instance, a functional site may be operable to rotate a microcomponent part presented thereto 90 degrees, and upon a part being presented to such functional site control system151may communicate control signal(s) to such functional site to activate it to rotate the part 90 degrees. As another example, a functional site may be operable to rotate a microcomponent part presented thereto any desired amount between 0 and 90 degrees, and upon a part being presented to such functional site, control system151may communicate control signal(s) to such functional site to activate it to rotate the part a desired amount (e.g., the control signal(s) may control the amount of rotation to be performed by the micro-device at such functional site).

It should be understood that substrate150is intended solely as an example for illustrating aspects of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Various other implementations of such a substrate comprising a plurality of functional sites for handling microcomponent parts for performing handling operations, such as rotational operations, are intended to be within the scope of the present invention. For instance, while substrate150includes 10 functional sites (i.e.,10–19), substrate150is not limited to having 10 functional sites but may in other implementations have two or more functional sites included thereon. For instance, in an alternative implementation, substrate150may include two functional sites that each include a micro-device operable to rotate a microcomponent part presented thereto in a particular manner. Additionally, the two functional sites may be identical in functionality in certain implementations, wherein a common rotational operation may be performed on different microcomponent parts in parallel, for example. In other implementations, the two functional sites may provide different functionality. Also, while exemplary handling functions, such as particular rotational functions, are described hereafter as being provided by each functional site10–19, substrate150is not limited to implementing functional sites providing the exemplary handling tasks described herein. Further, the functional sites are not limited to comprising the exemplary micro-devices described herein for performing handling tasks, but may instead include any suitable micro-device now known or later discovered for performing a desired handling task.

In a preferred embodiment, substrate150includes a plurality of functional sites (such as sites10–19) that are operable to perform rotational handling tasks for a microcomponent part presented thereto. Various types of rotation may be desired in handling a microcomponent part for performing an assembly operation. For example,FIG. 2Ashows substrate150with three-dimensional axes X, Y, and Z to illustrate the various types of rotation that may be performed on a microcomponent part. As shown, axes X and Y are orthogonal axes that form (or are parallel to) the plane of substrate150, and axis Z is orthogonal to such plane. One type of rotation, shown as θ inFIG. 2A, that may be performed is rotation about the Z axis. That is, a microcomponent part may be rotated a certain amount between the X and Y axes. Another type of rotation, shown as ψ inFIG. 2A, that may be performed is rotation about the Y axis. That is, a microcomponent part may be rotated a certain amount between the X and Z axes. Still another type of rotation, which is shown as φ inFIG. 2A, is rotation about the X axis. That is, a microcomponent part may be rotated a certain amount between the Y and Z axes. Rotating a microcomponent in ψ or in φ may each be referred to herein as “flipping” the microcomponent. Any one or more of such types of rotation may be provided by the functional sites implemented on substrate150. Thus, any type of rotation that may be needed for orienting a microcomponent part for assembly with another part may be performed by one or more of the micro-devices implemented at the functional sites (such as sites10–19) of substrate150.

FIG. 2Bshows various rotational operations that micro-devices may be included on substrate150for performing on a microcomponent part presented thereto. As shown, a microcomponent part may be presented to a micro-device oriented in any manner. For instance, a particular portion of the microcomponent part that is to engage a micro-device may be oriented parallel to the X-Y plane, parallel to the X-Z plane, or parallel to the Y-Z plane. Additionally, as shown in the table ofFIG. 2B, it may be desirable to rotate such a microcomponent part in ±θ, ±φ, and/or ±ψ. Accordingly, it may be desirable to include micro-devices on the functional sites of substrate150that are operable to receive a microcomponent part in a particular orientation (e.g., capable of engaging a microcomponent part that is oriented parallel to the X-Y plane, parallel to the X-Z plane, or parallel to the Y-Z plane), and operable to perform a particular type of rotation ±θ, ±φ, and/or ±ψ on the received microcomponent part. Exemplary micro-devices that may be implemented for performing any of such desired types of rotation are described further below.

Turning toFIGS. 3A and 3B, an example of an assembly operation for assembling two microcomponent parts301and302is shown. In this example, microcomponent part302is arranged on assembly site20of substrate150. As shown, microcomponent part302includes apertures302A. Microcomponent part301is further shown that comprises coupling mechanism301A. To assemble microcomponent part301to part302in this example, coupling mechanism301A may penetrate apertures302A to achieve a coupling of parts301and302, as shown inFIG. 3B. Examples of coupling mechanism301A and apertures302A that may be implemented are further disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/570,170 entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COUPLING MICROCOMPONENTS” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/643,011 entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COUPLING MICROCOMPONENTS UTILIZING A PRESSURE FITTING RECEPTACLE,” the disclosures of which have been incorporated herein by reference.

As shown inFIG. 3A, microcomponent part301is not initially oriented properly for being assembled with microcomponent part302. That is, microcomponent part301is not oriented such that coupling mechanism301may engage apertures302A. Rather, microcomponent part301needs to be rotated in +θ and in +ψ in order for coupling mechanism301to be oriented for engaging apertures302A. Thus, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, microcomponent part301may be presented to one or more functional sites of substrate150to be properly oriented for assembly with microcomponent part302. For example, an external robot having translational movement may present microcomponent part301to site12of substrate150, whereat a micro-device rotates microcomponent part301an appropriate amount in +θ. The external robot may then retrieve microcomponent part301and present it to site10of substrate150, whereat a micro-device rotates microcomponent part301an appropriate amount in +ψ such that coupling mechanism301A is properly oriented for engaging apertures302A. Thereafter, the external robot may retrieve microcomponent part301, transport it to assembly site20, and couple coupling mechanism301A with apertures302A to assemble the microcomponent parts, resulting in assembly350ofFIG. 3B.

As described above, one type of rotational handling task that may be desired for orienting a microcomponent part for assembly with another part is rotating the microcomponent part about the Y axis in ±ψ (or “flipping” the microcomponent part). Accordingly, exemplary substrate150ofFIG. 1includes functional site10that comprises a micro-device operable to perform such ±φ rotation on a microcomponent part presented thereto. Examples of such a micro-device operable to perform ±ψ rotation on a microcomponent part are described further hereafter in conjunction withFIGS. 4 and 5.

Turning toFIGS. 4A and 4B, an exemplary micro-device400that is operable to provide ±ψ rotation (or “flipping”) of a microcomponent part is shown. Accordingly, micro-device400may be implemented at functional site10of wafer150, for example, to provide ±ψ rotation. Micro-device400comprises at least one microactuator401, which may be any suitable microactuator now known or later discovered, including well known thermal actuators (or “heatuators”) and linear microactuators, such as scratch drive actuators (SDAs). Microactuator401is coupled to plate402, which may be referred to as a hypotenuse plate402(for reasons described hereafter), via hinge(s)404. Hypotenuse plate402is similarly coupled to plate403via hinge(s)405, and plate403is coupled to the substrate via hinges406. Plate403comprises a micro-gripper407that is operable to grasp a microcomponent part presented thereto.

As shown inFIG. 4A, such micro-gripper407may be a micro-tweezer device comprising two arms407A and407B that are controllably contractable or separable for grasping a microcomponent part. Such a micro-tweezer device407that may be implemented is known in the art, an example of which is described in “Hexsil Tweezers for Teleoperated Microassembly” by C. G. Keller and R. T. Howe,IEEE Micro Electro Mechanical Systems Workshop,1997, pp. 72–77, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. Micro-gripper407may comprise any suitable micro-device for grasping a microcomponent part, including without limitation the devices disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/570,170 entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COUPLING MICROCOMPONENTS”, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/643,011 entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COUPLING MICROCOMPONENTS UTILIZING A PRESSURE FITTING RECEPTACLE,” and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/569,329 entitled “GRIPPER AND COMPLEMENTARY HANDLE FOR USE WITH MICROCOMPONENTS,” the disclosures of which have been incorporated herein by reference. In one implementation, a silicon-based spring may be coupled to micro-gripper device407to enable power to be supplied to such gripper device regardless of the orientation of plate403. That is, the spring may expand as plate403rotates upward, and it may contract as plate403rotates downward (in the manner described below). An example of such a silicon-based spring that may be implemented to power micro-gripper407is described further by P. Kladitis, et al. in “Prototype Microrobots for Micro Positioning in a Manufacturing Process and Micro Unmanned Vehicles”Proc. of IEEE12thInt. Conf. on MEMS, Orlando, U.S.A., 1999, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

Microactuator401preferably includes at least one SDA, such as the SDA described more fully by Ryan J. Lunderman and Victor M. Bright in “Optimized Scratch Drive Actuator for Tethered Nanometer Positioning of Chip-Sized Components”Proc. of2000Solid-State Sensor and Actuator Workshop, Hilton Head Island, S.C., U.S.A., pp. 214–217 (Jun. 4–8, 2000), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. In this example, microactuator401is oriented such that it provides translational movement along the X axis. As shown inFIG. 4B, microactuator401may be activated to advance in the +X direction, thereby effectively pushing plate403upward, which results in rotation of a microcomponent part being held by micro-gripper407to be rotated in +ψ. More specifically, as microactuator401advances in the +X direction, hypotenuse plate402pops upward in the +Z direction, thereby rotating plate403in +ψ. Preferably, microactuator401is operable to translate in the +X direction a sufficient distance to cause plate403to stand upright such that it is perpendicular to the X-Y plane (i.e., perpendicular to the substrate). When plate403is caused to stand upright in this manner, a right triangle is formed between the substrate (X-Y plane), plate403, and plate402, wherein plate403is at a 90 degree angle to the substrate and plate402forms the hypotenuse. Thus, plate402may be referred to as hypotenuse plate402.

As described above, micro-device400may be used to receive a microcomponent part and rotate the microcomponent part in +ψ. Further, micro-device400may be utilized to receive a microcomponent part and rotate the part in −ψ. For instance, microactuator401may be activated to advance in the +X direction, thereby effectively pushing plate403upward (e.g. to stand plate403upright). A microcomponent part may then be presented to micro-gripper407, and once micro-gripper407receives the microcomponent part, microactuator401may translate in the −X direction, thereby effectively lowering plate403downward (toward the orientation of plate403inFIG. 4A). Such operation results in rotation of the microcomponent part being held by micro-gripper407in −ψ.

The above-described technique for raising and lowering plate403is similar to existing techniques implemented for raising and lowering micro-mirrors for use in optical switching devices, for example. See e.g., J. Robert Reid, Victor M. Bright, and J. H. Comtois, “Automated Assembly of Flip-up Micromirrors,”TRANSDUCERS '97, 1997International Conference on Solid-State Sensors and Actuators, pgs. 347–350 (Jun. 16–19, 1997), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. However, such existing techniques do not allow for handling of a microcomponent part to perform rotation (or flipping) of such microcomponent part to, for example, orient the part for assembly with another part. As described above, plate403of exemplary micro-device400includes a micro-gripper that enables it to grasp a microcomponent part to be flipped up along with plate403. Thus, exemplary micro-device400is operable to handle a microcomponent part to rotate (or “flip”) such part in ±ψ.

While microactuator401is oriented to provide translational movement along the X axis to allow for ±ψ rotation in the example ofFIGS. 4A–4B, in other implementations microactuator401may be oriented in any other desired manner. For instance, microactuator401may be oriented to provide translation along the Y axis to allow for ±φ rotation (such as shown in the exemplary micro-device ofFIGS. 8A–8B). Thus, as described above, micro-device400may be implemented at a functional site to perform ±ψ rotation or ±φ rotation (either of which may be referred to as “flipping”) for a microcomponent part presented thereto.

Exemplary micro-device400ofFIGS. 4A–4Bincludes micro-gripper407that is oriented to allow for grasping of a microcomponent part by applying a force against the part in a direction that is parallel to plate403. For instance, micro-gripper407applies a force in a direction parallel to the X-Y plane when grasping a microcomponent part while plate403is parallel to such X-Y plane (as shown inFIG. 4A), and when plate403is oriented perpendicular to the X-Y plane, micro-gripper407is operable to grasp a microcomponent part by applying a force in the direction perpendicular to the X-Y plane against such part. In some instances, it may be desirable to apply a grasping force in a direction perpendicular to plate403. For instance, a microcomponent part may be oriented such that it is desirable to grasp the part by applying a force against the part in a direction that is perpendicular to plate403.

FIGS. 5A–5Bshow an exemplary micro-device500that is operable to provide ±ψ rotation (or “flipping”) of a microcomponent part. Micro-device500is similar to micro-device400described above, but rather than micro-gripper407, micro-device500includes micro-gripper501that is operable to grasp a microcomponent part by applying a force against the part in a direction perpendicular to plate403. Thus, micro-device500may, for example, be implemented at functional site15of wafer150(ofFIG. 1) to provide ±ψ rotation. As with micro-device400, micro-device500comprises at least one microactuator401, that is coupled to plate402, which may be referred to as a hypotenuse plate402, via hinge(s)404. Hypotenuse plate402is similarly coupled to plate403via hinge(s)405, and plate403is coupled to the substrate via hinges406.

As with micro-device400described above, microactuator401is oriented such that it provides translational movement along the X axis. Thus, as shown inFIG. 5B, microactuator401may be activated to advance in the +X direction, thereby effectively pushing plate403upward, which results in rotation of a microcomponent part being held by micro-gripper501to be rotated in +ψ. Further, as described with micro-device400, micro-device500may be utilized to receive a microcomponent part and rotate the part in −ψ. While microactuator401is oriented to provide translational movement along the X axis to allow for ±ψ rotation in this example, in other implementations microactuator401may be oriented in any other desired manner. For instance, microactuator401may be oriented to provide translation along the Y axis to allow for ±φ rotation (such as shown in the exemplary micro-device ofFIGS. 8A–8B). Thus, as described above, micro-device500may be implemented at a functional site to perform ±ψ rotation or ±φ rotation (either of which may be referred to as “flipping”) for a microcomponent part presented thereto.

In exemplary micro-device500, plate403comprises micro-gripper501that is operable to grasp a microcomponent part presented thereto by applying a force against the part in a direction perpendicular to plate403. Turning toFIGS. 6A–6B, an exemplary micro-gripper501that may be implemented is shown. In the example shown inFIGS. 6A–6B, micro-gripper501comprises three gripping members601,602, and603that include engaging members604,605, and606, respectively. Engaging members604–606may be implemented to engage a microcomponent part in order to grasp it. Such engaging members604–606may include features that are complementary to features of a microcomponent part to aid in grasping of such part, for example. Additionally, engaging members604–606may include dimples on their surfaces to reduce static friction (or “stiction”) to aid in allowing micro-gripper501to release a grasped microcomponent part, for example.

Gripping members601–603may each include arms. More specifically, member601includes arms601A–D, member602includes arms602A–D, and member603includes arms603A–D. Each of such arms may be of polysilicon material, for example. As shown, each of the arms may be anchored to plate403on one end and may be coupled to one of engaging members604–606on the other end. In operation, gripping members601and603may be operable to move their respective engaging members604and606toward plate403, and gripping member602may be operable to move its engaging member605away from plate403, thereby creating an opening (or separation) between the gripping members for receiving a microcomponent part. Once a part is received, the gripping members may operate to apply a force against such part in a direction that is perpendicular to plate403in order to grasp a microcomponent part in the manner shown inFIG. 6B. More specifically,FIG. 6Bshows an example of engaging members604–606grasping a microcomponent part610.

To illustrate operation of middle gripping member602, an electrical voltage is applied across the two outer arms602A and602D generating current flow. This current flow causes expansion in outer arms602A and602D. The inner arms602B and602C are arranged higher than the outer arms602A and602D and work to hold back the expansion of outer arms602A and602D. The result effect is that the arms cause engaging member605to pop upward (away from plate403) when operated in this manner.

As for gripping members601and603, an electrical voltage is applied across the two inner arms, thus generating current flow. This current flow causes expansion in their respective inner arms, thus causing their respective engaging members604and606to move downward toward plate403. For instance, considering gripping member601, an electrical voltage may be applied to inner arms601B and601C to generate current flow. This current flow causes inner arms601B and601C to expand, thereby forcing engaging member604downward (toward plate403) when operated in this manner.

In view of the above, micro-devices may be implemented at one or more functional sites on substrate150that are operable to rotate a microcomponent part presented thereto about the Y axis in ±ψ and/or about the X axis in ±φ. Another type of rotational handling task that may be desired for orienting a microcomponent part for assembly with another part is rotating the microcomponent part about the Z axis in ±θ. Accordingly, exemplary substrate150ofFIG. 1includes functional site12that comprises a micro-device operable to perform such ±θ rotation on a microcomponent part presented thereto.

Various micro-devices have been proposed in the existing art for performing θ rotation of a microcomponent part, any of which may be implemented at one or more functional sites of substrate150in certain embodiments of the present invention. As examples, U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,206 issued to Edward Hill and U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,801 issued to Vijayakumar Dhuler et al. each disclose exemplary micro-devices for performing θ rotation of a microcomponent part that may be implemented in certain embodiments of the present invention. Also, Karl-Friedrich Böhringer et al. propose an array of microactuators that may be used to perform θ rotation of a microcomponent part in an article titled “Single-Crystal Silicon Actuator Arrays for Micro Manipulation Tasks” published inIEEEpgs. 7–12, 0-7803-2985-6/96 (1996). See also, Karl-Friedrich Böhringer et al. “Vector Fields for Task-Level Distributed Manipulation: Experiments with Organic Micro Actuator Arrays,”IEEEpgs. 1779–1786, 0-7803-3612-7-4/97 (1997). As another example, John W. Suh et al. disclose a microactuator array for performing θ rotation of a microcomponent part presented to such array in “Organic thermal and electrostatic ciliary microactuator array for object manipulation,”Sensors and ActuatorsA 58 (1997) pgs. 51–60. As a further example, Jonathan Luntz et al. propose a microactuator array for performing θ rotation of a microcomponent part presented to such array in “Closed-Loop Operation of Actuator Arrays,”IEEEpgs. 3666–3672, 0-7803-5886-April 2000 (2000). As still a further example, Peter Will discloses that arrays of microactuators may be utilized to perform handling of microcomponent parts presented thereto in “MEMS and Robotics: Promises and Problems,”IEEEpgs. 938–946, 0-7803-5886-April 2000 (2000). As yet a further example, Wenheng Liu et al. propose using a dense array of individual manipulator mechanisms for performing handling tasks such as θ rotation of a microcomponent part presented to such array in “Parts Manipulation on an Intelligent Motion Surface,”IEEEpgs. 399–404, 0-8186-717-April 1995 (1995).

Any one or more of such micro-devices proposed in the existing art for handling microcomponent parts may be implemented at one or more functional sites included on substrate150. However, certain of the proposed micro-devices for handling microcomponent parts to perform θ rotation thereof may be unsatisfactory for some purposes. For example, traditional microactuator array implementations for rotating a microcomponent part placed on such microactuator array, such as the array implementation disclosed by Karl Friedrich Böhringer et al. in “Single-Crystal Silicon Actuator Arrays for Micro Manipulation Tasks,”IEEEpgs. 7–12, 0-7803-2985-June 1996 (1996), may be unsatisfactory for certain purposes. For instance, such traditional microactuator array implementations for rotating a microcomponent part generally provide relatively little control over such rotation. For example, it is generally difficult to control the axis of rotation about which a microcomponent part rotates on the microactuator array. Often, a microcomponent part may be translated a certain distance as it is rotated. That is, the axis of rotation is often not controllably positioned at the center of the microcomponent part. For certain applications, it may be desirable to have more control over the rotation than is provided by traditional microactuator array implementations. For instance, it may be desirable to control the axis of rotation about which a microcomponent part is to rotate.

Accordingly, to provide greater control over the rotation performed by a micro-device, in certain embodiments of the present invention, a micro-rotational-device that includes a linear microactuator (e.g., scratch drive actuator), such as the rotational device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,206 issued to Edward Hill, may be implemented at one or more functional sites of substrate150. Preferably, such micro-rotational-device is operable to provide bi-directional rotation of a microcomponent part presented thereto. Such a micro-rotational-device that utilizes a linear microactuator for generating rotation may provide great precision in the amount of rotation imparted to a microcomponent part presented to the micro-rotational-device, and it may further provide a known axis of rotation about which a part presented to the micro-rotational-device rotates.

Further examples of micro-devices operable to perform ±θ rotation on a microcomponent part, which may be implemented at functional sites of substrate150, are described hereafter in conjunction withFIGS. 7–9. Turning toFIG. 7A, an exemplary micro-device700that is operable to provide ±θ rotation of a microcomponent part is shown. Accordingly, micro-device700may be implemented at functional site12of wafer150to provide ±θ rotation, for example. Micro-device700comprises a support frame that includes spokes701A–D that are rotatable about electrically isolated rotational axis705. Linear microactuators702A–D may be included that, when activated, provide a force against spokes701A–D, respectively, to generate counter-clockwise rotation. Similarly, linear microactuators703A–D may be included that, when activated, provide a force against spokes701A–D, respectively to generate clockwise rotation.

Thus, linear microactuators702A–D and703A–D may be independently controllable to generate the direction of rotation desired. More specifically, linear microactuators702A–D may be electrically isolated from linear microactuators703A–D to enable each set of linear microactuators to be independently controlled (e.g., activated and de-activated). For example, in one implementation spokes701A–D may include an electrical insulator to electrically isolate linear microactuators702A–D from linear microactuators703A–D. Exemplary techniques for implementing linear microactuators that are electrically isolated from each other are further disclosed in concurrently filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/033,011 entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR POSITIONAL MOVEMENT OF MICROCOMPONENTS,” the disclosure of which has been incorporated herein by reference. Preferably, linear microactuators702A–D and703A–D are SDAs. A stage704may be arranged above spokes701A–D along the Z axis and may be coupled to such spokes701A–D such that rotation of spokes701A–D generated by microactuators702A–D or703A–D generates rotation of stage704about rotational axis705.

In operation, a microcomponent part desired to be rotated in ±θ is placed on stage704. Because rotational axis705is known for micro-rotational-device700, the microcomponent part may be placed on stage704in a manner to obtain a desired rotation. For instance, if it is desired to rotate the microcomponent part without any translation of the part in the X or Y directions, the part may be precisely placed on stage704such that it is centered on rotational axis705. Once the microcomponent part is placed on stage704, linear microactuators702A–D or703A–D may be activated to generate rotation of stage704, thereby rotating the microcomponent part placed on such stage704.

Turning toFIG. 7B, an exemplary micro-device750that is operable to provide ±θ rotation of a microcomponent part is shown. Accordingly, micro-device750may be implemented at functional site13of wafer150to provide ±θ rotation, for example. Micro-device750comprises rotational stage751that has members752A–D extending therefrom. Linear microactuators753A–D may be included that, when activated, provide a force against members752A–D, respectively, to generate counter-clockwise rotation. Similarly, linear microactuators754A–D may be included that, when activated, provide a force against members752A–D, respectively, to generate clockwise rotation. Preferably, linear microactuators753A–D and754A–D are SDAs. Rotational stage751is implemented such that it is rotatable responsive to microactuators753A–D and754A–D about rotational axis755.

In operation, a microcomponent part desired to be rotated in ±θ is placed on stage751. Because rotational axis755is known for micro-rotational-device750, the microcomponent part may be placed on stage751in a manner to obtain a desired rotation. For instance, if it is desired to rotate the microcomponent part without any translation of the part in the X or Y directions, the part may be precisely placed on stage751such that it is centered on rotational axis755. Once the microcomponent part is placed on stage751, linear microactuators753A–D or754A–D may be activated to generate rotation of stage751, thereby rotating the microcomponent part placed on such stage751about axis755.

Exemplary micro-devices700and750described above provide the capability of precisely rotating a microcomponent part placed on their respective rotational stages in ±θ. In certain applications, it may be desirable to have a microcomponent part held above the substrate (or a rotational stage) and rotated in ±θ, or it may be desirable to have a microcomponent part grasped in some manner to hold the part in place on a surface (such as the surface of a rotational stage) while rotated in ±θ. For instance, it may not be desirable to place certain microcomponent parts on a rotational stage to have the parts rotated in ±θ. For example, a microcomponent part may have a design such that it may not maintain the orientation in which it was presented to the stage. For instance, a microcomponent part may have a protruding member that causes it to tilt to one side when placed on a rotational stage, which may be undesirable for certain handling applications.FIGS. 8–9provide an exemplary micro-device that is operable to hold a microcomponent part presented thereto above the substrate (and rotational stage), such that the part is not required to be placed on a surface, and provide ±θ rotation to the part. Alternatively, the exemplary micro-device ofFIGS. 8–9may be utilized to grasp a microcomponent part placed on a surface to hold the part in place while it is rotated in ±θ.

Turning toFIG. 8A, an example of a fabricated microcomponent800is shown, which is operable to form a mechanism used in micro-device900ofFIGS. 9A and 9Bdescribed hereafter for providing ±θ rotation for a microcomponent part that is held above (or held in place on) a surface (e.g., rotational stage and substrate). Preferably, a fabrication process is utilized to create microcomponent800as shown inFIG. 8A, and microcomponent800may be operable to perform a post-fabrication self-assembly step to generate a three-dimensional micro-device900ofFIG. 9A(or three-dimensional micro-device950ofFIG. 9B) that is operable to hold a microcomponent part above (or hold in place on) a surface and provide ±θ rotation.

Microcomponent800is similar in operation to the micro-device400ofFIG. 4and micro-device500ofFIG. 5in that it is operable to provide +ψ rotation to plate403. As with micro-devices400and500described above, micro-device800comprises at least one microactuator401that is coupled to plate402, which may be referred to as a hypotenuse plate402, via hinge(s)404. However, in micro-device800, hypotenuse plate402is temporarily coupled to plate403via “one-time” (or “one-shot”) hinge(s)801. Such one-time hinge(s)801enable hypotenuse plate402to apply a pushing force against plate403(responsive to translation by microactuator401) to raise plate403in +ψ, but one-time hinge(s)801do not allow for hypotenuse plate402to apply a pulling force against plate403to lower plate403in −ψ. One-time hinge(s)801may, for example, comprise interlocking teeth between plates402and403such that the interlocking teeth enable plate402to engage plate403to apply force for raising plate403in +ψ and the interlocking teeth disengage when plate402is moved in the opposite direction.

Also, in this exemplary implementation, plate403is coupled to base901(which may be referred to as “paddle” or “rotational stage”901) via locking hinge(s) (or “snap hinges”)802, which are known in the existing art. Such locking hinge(s)802are operational to enable plate403to be raised upward to a desired position and then locked in place to support plate403in the desired position. For instance, plate403may be raised to a position such that it is perpendicular to base901, and locking hinge(s)802may lock plate403into place to support it in such perpendicular position.

As with micro-device400described above, plate403comprises micro-gripper407. However, in alternative implementations, plate403may comprise any micro-gripper device now known or later discovered, including without limitation micro-gripper501ofFIG. 5. In this example, microactuator401is oriented such that it provides translational movement along the Y axis. Thus, microactuator401may be activated to advance in the +Y direction, thereby effectively pushing plate403upward in +φ. While microactuator401is oriented to provide translational movement along the Y axis to allow for +φ rotation of plate403in this example, in other implementations microactuator401may be oriented in any other desired manner. For instance, microactuator may be oriented to provide translation along the X axis to allow for +ψ rotation. Once plate403is raised to a locking position (e.g., perpendicular to base901), locking hinge(s)802lock its position to support plate403. As shown inFIG. 8B, once plate403is locked in place, microactuator401may be caused to translate in the opposite direction (−Y direction). Microactuator401pulls plate402in the −Y direction causing one-time hinge(s)801to release, thereby resulting in plate403oriented in its locked position on base901as shown inFIG. 8B.

Turning now toFIG. 9A, an exemplary micro-device900is shown that is operable to hold a microcomponent part presented thereto such that it is held above a surface (e.g., above base901) and provide ±θ rotation to such part. More specifically, micro-device900is a three-dimensional device that includes base (or “paddle”)901having plate403extending upward therefrom in the Z direction. Plate403includes a micro-gripper, such as micro-gripper407. Base901is coupled to (or includes) extension member907, which may be referred to herein as “handle”907(as in this implementation extension member907resembles a handle of paddle901). One or more microactuators904A–D may be included that are operable to apply a force against extension member907in a first direction, and one or more microactuators905A–D may be included that are operable to apply a force against extension member907in an opposite direction. Preferably, microactuators904A–D and905A–D are linear microactuators, such as SDAs, that are capable of translating along track906.

Micro-device900further comprises pivot point902about which base901may rotate responsive to a force applied by microactuators904A–D or905A–D against extension member907. Rotational axis903forms the Z axis (or is parallel thereto) that intersects micro-device900at pivot point902. Thus, microactuators905A–D may be activated to cause base901to rotate about rotational axis903in +θ, and microactuators904A–D may be activated to cause base901to rotate about rotational axis903in −θ.

In operation, a microcomponent part may be presented to micro-gripper407, which grasps the part and holds it above the surface of base901. Thereafter, microactuators905A–D may be controllably activated to advance along track906and apply a force against extension member907to cause base901to rotate about rotational axis903in +θ. Because plate403is on base901, plate403rotates with base901. Accordingly, rotation of base901causes the microcomponent part being held by micro-gripper407to rotate about axis903in +θ. Alternatively, microactuators904A–D may be controllably activated to advance along track906and apply a force against extension member907in the opposite direction to cause base901to rotate about rotational axis903in −θ, thereby resulting in rotation of the microcomponent part being held by micro-gripper407to rotate about axis903in −θ.

In view of the above, exemplary micro-device900may be implemented at a functional site of substrate150to provide ±θ rotation to a microcomponent part held above (or held in place on) a surface (e.g., held above the surface of base901). An example of an alternative implementation of a micro-device that may be implemented to provide such functionality is shown inFIG. 9B. More specifically, micro-device950is shown that, as with micro-device900described above, is a three-dimensional device that includes base (or “paddle”)901having plate403extending upward therefrom in the Z direction. Plate403includes a micro-gripper, such as micro-gripper407. As with micro-device900, base901is coupled to (or includes) extension member907. In this implementation, extension member907includes (or has coupled thereto) toothed member951. Micro-device950further comprises micro-gear952that comprises teeth interlocking with the teeth of toothed member951such that micro-gear952may be activated to rotate to cause translation of toothed member951.

Micro-device950further comprises pivot point902about which base901may rotate responsive to a force applied by micro-gear952to toothed member951. Preferably, micro-gear952is bi-directional such that it may be controllably activated to rotate in a first direction or controllably activated to rotate in an opposite direction. Thus, micro-gear952may be activated to rotate in a first direction to cause base901to rotate about rotational axis903in +θ, and micro-gear952may be activated to rotate in an opposite direction to cause base901to rotate about rotational axis903in −θ. Accordingly, as described above with micro-device900, a microcomponent part being held by micro-gripper407may be rotated about axis903in ±θ.

In a preferred embodiment, one or more of various micro-devices, such as those described above in conjunction withFIGS. 4–9, may be implemented at distinct functional sites on substrate150to perform rotational handling tasks to microcomponent parts presented thereto. For instance, micro-devices may be implemented at functional sites to perform ±θ rotation, ±ψ rotation, and/or ±φ rotation to a microcomponent part presented thereto.

Turning toFIG. 10, an exemplary operational flow diagram of a preferred embodiment is shown for handling of microcomponent parts in performing assembly operations. In operational block1501, the rotational handling task(s) needed for an assembly process may be determined. That is, the rotational handling task(s) needed for assembling microcomponent parts together may be determined. Thereafter, in block1502, a substrate may be developed that includes a plurality of functional sites that each comprise a micro-device operable to perform at least one of the determined rotational handling task(s). For instance, it may be determined in block1501that an assembly process performs ±θ rotation of microcomponent part(s) and ±ψ rotation of microcomponent part(s). And, in block1502, distinct functional sites may be included on a substrate with at least one site comprising a micro-device operable to perform ±θ rotation of a microcomponent part presented thereto and at least one site comprising a micro-device operable to perform ±ψ rotation of a microcomponent part presented thereto.

In block1503, it is determined for a particular microcomponent part one or more of the functional sites on a substrate to which the microcomponent part is to be presented to be properly oriented for assembly with another part. For instance, it may be determined that the microcomponent part is to be rotated in +ψ to be properly oriented for assembly with another part, and therefore, a functional site of the substrate that comprises a micro-device operable to perform such +ψ rotation may be identified. As another example, it may be determined that the microcomponent part is to be rotated in −θ and in +ψ. In this case, a first functional site that comprises a micro-device operable to perform the −θ rotation may be identified, and a second functional site that comprises a micro-device operable to perform the +ψ rotation may be identified. In block1504, the particular microcomponent part is presented to the determined functional site(s) for the appropriate rotational handling by the micro-device(s) of such site(s) for properly orienting the microcomponent part for assembly with another part. For instance, an external robot operable to grasp a microcomponent part and provide translational movement thereto may be used to present a part to the determined functional site(s), whereat the part may be rotated for proper orientation for assembly with another part.

Once the microcomponent part is properly oriented, it may be retrieved from the functional site in which it resides and assembled with another part, in block1505. For instance, an external robot operable to grasp the microcomponent part and provide translational movement thereto may be utilized to retrieve the part and assemble the part with another part. In block1506, it may be determined whether another microcomponent part is to be rotationally handled. If it is determined that another microcomponent part is to be handled in the assembly process, operation returns to block1503to perform the appropriate rotational tasks on such microcomponent part. Once it is determined in block1506that no further microcomponent parts are to be rotationally handled in the assembly process, the process may end in block1507.

It should be recognized that the above process may enable at least a semi-parallel microcomponent handling process. For instance, a microcomponent part may be presented to a first functional site for rotational handling, and while it is being handled, a second microcomponent part may be presented to a second functional site for rotational handling. Once microcomponent parts are presented to the appropriate functional sites, their respective rotational handling tasks may be performed in parallel by the micro-devices at such functional sites.

In view of the above, in a preferred embodiment, substrate150comprises a plurality of functional sites capable of performing rotational handling operations on a microcomponent part presented thereto. In certain embodiments, substrate150may include further functional sites that provide further functionality in addition to rotational handling of a microcomponent part, such as one or more sites that provide translational handling of a microcomponent part. Any such embodiment is intended to be within the scope of the present invention.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, substrate150may be implemented within an integrated micro-chip. That is, a plurality of functional sites (or “micro-stages”) may be included on a common integrated micro-chip. Such an integrated micro-chip may be utilized to provide the handling functionality offered by its plurality of functional sites for a micro-assembly process.

Most preferably, one or more micro-devices implemented on substrate150may be fabricated such that components of a micro-device are electrically isolated from each other. For instance, micro-device400ofFIGS. 4A and 4Bis preferably fabricated such that micro-gripper407is electrically isolated from microactuator401, wherein micro-gripper407may be activated/deactivated independent of microactuator401. Similarly, micro-device500ofFIGS. 5A and 5Bis preferably fabricated such that micro-gripper501is electrically isolated from microactuator401, wherein micro-gripper501may be activated/deactivated independent of microactuator401. As a further example, micro-device700ofFIG. 7Ais preferably fabricated such that microactuators702A–D are electrically isolated from microactuators703A–D, wherein microactuators702A–D may be activated/deactivated independent of microactuators703A–D. Similarly, micro-device750ofFIG. 7Bis preferably fabricated such that microactuators753A–D are electrically isolated from microactuators754A–D, wherein microactuators753A–D may be activated/deactivated independent of microactuators754A–D. As still another example, micro-device900ofFIG. 9Ais preferably fabricated such that microactuators904A–D are electrically isolated from microactuators905A–D, wherein microactuators904A–D may be activated/deactivated independent of microactuators905A–D.

An example of a fabrication process that enables such electrical isolation of components within a micro-device is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/569,330 entitled “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SELF-REPLICATING MANUFACTURING STATIONS,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/616,500 entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONSTRAINING TOTALLY RELEASED MICROCOMPONENTS,” concurrently filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/033,011 entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR POSITIONAL MOVEMENT OF MICROCOMPONENTS,” the disclosures of which have been incorporated herein by reference. Further, an example of a plurality of linear microactuators (e.g., SDAs) that may be independently controllable to provide independent movement (e.g., in different directions) is provided in concurrently filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/033,011 entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR POSITIONAL MOVEMENT OF MICROCOMPONENTS.” Of course, any suitable fabrication process now known or later discovered for implementing micro-devices with parts electrically isolated from each other may be utilized in embodiments of the present invention. Further, any micro-devices now known or later discovered that provide functionality for handling microcomponent parts, such as rotational functionality, are intended to be within the scope of the present invention, irrespective of the fabrication process utilized in fabricating such micro-devices.

According to one embodiment, substrates comprising one or more functional sites, such as exemplary substrate150, may be implemented as pallets, such as the exemplary pallets described further in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/616,500 entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONSTRAIING TOTALLY RELEASED MICROCOMPONENTS,” the disclosure of which has been incorporated herein by reference. The pallets may then be arranged as needed for a particular assembly process. For instance, a first pallet may comprise certain functional handling tasks and a second pallet may comprise further functional handling tasks, and a user may implement those pallets that comprise functional handling tasks needed for a particular assembly process. Accordingly, in one embodiment substrates comprising functional sites (micro-devices operable for handling microcomponent parts presented thereto) may be implemented as pallets for easier handling and greater flexibility in selecting any of a plurality of various pallets to be utilized in a given assembly process.

According to one embodiment a plurality of substrates each comprising functional sites may be arranged with their functional surfaces facing each other such that a microcomponent part may be handled by a site on one of the substrates and then presented from such site to a site on the facing wafer for further handling. For instance, substrate150may be arranged such that it faces an opposing substrate comprising functional sites thereon. Substrate150and/or the opposing substrate that it faces may be translated and/or rotated relative to each other such that various different functional sites of the opposing substrates may be aligned. For instance the substrates may be coupled to an actuator (or external robotic device) for translating and/or rotating the substrates relative to each other. An example of such an assembly process utilizing opposing substrates is further described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/569,330 entitled “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SELF-REPLICATING MANUFACTURING STATIONS,” the disclosure of which has been incorporated herein by reference.