Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Magnetic Levitation Microrobotics has been successfully implemented at newly developed Maglev Microrobotics Laboratory in the University of Waterloo (UW). Levitated microrobots equipped with grippers have been developed that can be used for pick-and-place task in various applications. In this proposal, downscaling from microrobots to MEMS-Robots is considered. To the applicant's knowledge, the MEMS magnetic levitation will be investigated for the first time in the world by the applicant ["MEMS Magnetic Levitation", provisional US patent# 60/847934]. It is aimed to develop MEMS devices that can be magnetically levitated and moved in a 3D workspace. The MEMS-robots have potential applications in microassembly and micromanipulation in hazardous environments and portable clean rooms, microsurgery and cell manipulation, serial assembly of hybrid microsystems and testing of microelectronic circuits. Currently, design and fabrication of microscale devices based on the principles of magnetic levitation are completed. Micrometer scale magnetic layers have been levitated successfully. However, the current system operates with accuracies of only tens of micrometers which is not enough for MEMS levitation. The equipment requested in this RTI will enable the applicant to modify the current magnetic levitation setup for application in MEMS, by increasing the precision to nanoscale. This will enable ultra-precise positioning of MEMS devices over very large working distances with integration of high resolution laser sensors and micro-positioning stages into a new magnetic levitation setup. In addition, a 3D microscopic vision system will provide real-time operational data to the operator. Proper integration of the micro-positioning table, MEMS, and vision system will require advanced trajectory planning and complex control algorithms. MEMS design and fabrication will be mainly performed in the available laboratories in UW. All requested equipment will be housed in the Maglev Microrobotics Laboratory at UW. This will then establish a leading lab in the area at UW as well as a unique research lab of its kind in the country.