A flexible experimental workcell for efficient and reliable wafer-level 3D micro-assembly

This paper reports on an experimental micro-assembly workcell developed for efficient and reliable 3D assembly of large numbers of micro-machined thin metal parts into micromachined holes in 4 inch silicon wafers. The major objective is to integrate techniques of micro-gripper design, microscopic imaging and high precision motion control to build a prototype system for industrial applications. The workcell consists of a multiple-view imaging system, a 4-DOF micromanipulator with high resolution rotation control, a large working space 4-DOF precision positioning system, a flexible micro-gripper, and a control software system. A piezoelectric force sensing unit is developed to be integrated with the manipulator system to enhance pickup reliability. Operations are partially guided by a human operator through a graphical user interface. This system provides a highly flexible testbed for wafer-level 3D microassembly.