To fabricate 3D microstructures, the authors designed, constructed and evaluated a tabletop factory called 'nano manufacturing world (NMW).' We designed a compact, concentrated layout of fabricating/handling machines around a workpiece for an integrated production, and an image- assisted tele-operation system between the processing site and the operating site. Using various working processes developed in NMW, e.g. dry-etching with a fast atom beam or assembling with a concentrated motion manipulator under a scanning electron microscope, we demonstrated fabricating some 3D microstructures such as a micro-tower or a micro- airplane. In addition to fabricate functional film features on the 3D microstructures, we are producing a micro magnetic head or a micro optical circuit in NMW. Through the demonstration, we evaluate that NMW functions effectively as designed and will become a solution for micro manufacturing systems.

Date Published: 11 December 1996
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 2906, Microrobotics: Components and Applications, (11 December 1996); doi: 10.1117/12.260629

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2906:
Microrobotics: Components and Applications
Armin Sulzmann, Editor(s)