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Buzzin A, Giannini L, Bocchetta G, Notargiacomo A, Giovine E, Scorza A, Asquini R, de Cesare G, Belfiore NP. On the Dependency of the Electromechanical Response of Rotary MEMS/NEMS on Their Embedded Flexure Hinges' Geometry. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:2229. [PMID: 38138399 PMCID: PMC10745469 DOI: 10.3390/mi14122229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
This paper investigates how the electromechanical response of MEMS/NEMS devices changes when the geometrical characteristics of their embedded flexural hinges are modified. The research is dedicated particularly to MEMS/NEMS devices which are actuated by means of rotary comb-drives. The electromechanical behavior of a chosen rotary device is assessed by studying the rotation of the end effector, the motion of the comb-drive mobile fingers, the actuator's maximum operating voltage, and the stress sustained by the flexure when the flexure's shape, length, and width change. The results are compared with the behavior of a standard revolute joint. Outcomes demonstrate that a linear flexible beam cannot perfectly replace the revolute joint as it induces a translation that strongly facilitates the pull-in phenomenon and significantly increases the risk of ruptures of the comb-drives. On the other hand, results show how curved beams provide a motion that better resembles the revolute motion, preserving the structural integrity of the device and avoiding the pull-in phenomenon. Finally, results also show that the end effector motion approaches most precisely the revolute motion when a fine tuning of the beam's length and width is performed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Buzzin
- Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome, Italy; (L.G.); (R.A.); (G.d.C.)
| | - Lorenzo Giannini
- Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome, Italy; (L.G.); (R.A.); (G.d.C.)
| | - Gabriele Bocchetta
- Department of Industrial, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Roma Tre University, Via Della Vasca Navale 79, 00146 Rome, Italy; (G.B.); (A.S.); (N.P.B.)
| | - Andrea Notargiacomo
- Institute of Photonics and Nanotechnologies, National Research Council IFN-CNR, Via Del Fosso Del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.N.); (E.G.)
| | - Ennio Giovine
- Institute of Photonics and Nanotechnologies, National Research Council IFN-CNR, Via Del Fosso Del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.N.); (E.G.)
| | - Andrea Scorza
- Department of Industrial, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Roma Tre University, Via Della Vasca Navale 79, 00146 Rome, Italy; (G.B.); (A.S.); (N.P.B.)
| | - Rita Asquini
- Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome, Italy; (L.G.); (R.A.); (G.d.C.)
| | - Giampiero de Cesare
- Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome, Italy; (L.G.); (R.A.); (G.d.C.)
| | - Nicola Pio Belfiore
- Department of Industrial, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, Roma Tre University, Via Della Vasca Navale 79, 00146 Rome, Italy; (G.B.); (A.S.); (N.P.B.)
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Voicu RC, Tibeica C. An Aluminum Electro-Thermally Actuated Micro-Tweezer: Manufacturing and Characterization. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:797. [PMID: 37421032 DOI: 10.3390/mi14040797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we present the investigations of an aluminum micro-tweezer designed for micromanipulation applications. It includes design, simulation, fabrication, characterizations, and experimental measurements. Electro-thermo-mechanical FEM-based simulations using COMSOL Multiphysics were performed to describe the behavior of the micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device. The micro-tweezers were fabricated in aluminum, as structural material, by surface micromachining processes. Experimental measurements were performed and compared with the simulation results. A micromanipulation experiment was performed using titanium microbeads from 10-30 µm to confirm the performance of the micro-tweezer. This study serves as further research regarding the using of aluminum as structural material for MEMS devices designated for pick-and-place operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodica-Cristina Voicu
- National Institute for Research and Development in Microtechnologies-IMT Bucharest, 126A, Erou Iancu Nicolae Street, 077190 Voluntari, Ilfov, Romania
| | - Catalin Tibeica
- National Institute for Research and Development in Microtechnologies-IMT Bucharest, 126A, Erou Iancu Nicolae Street, 077190 Voluntari, Ilfov, Romania
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Ferrara-Bello CA, Tecpoyotl-Torres M, Rodriguez-Fuentes SF. Additive Manufactured Piezoelectric-Driven Miniature Gripper. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:727. [PMID: 37420961 DOI: 10.3390/mi14040727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
In several cases, it is desirable to have prototypes of low-cost fabrication and adequate performance. In academic laboratories and industries, miniature and microgrippers can be very useful for observations and the analysis of small objects. Piezoelectrically actuated microgrippers, commonly fabricated with aluminum, and with micrometer stroke or displacement, have been considered as Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS). Recently, additive manufacture using several polymers has also been used for the fabrication of miniature grippers. This work focuses on the design of a piezoelectric-driven miniature gripper, additive manufactured with polylactic acid (PLA), which was modeled using a pseudo rigid body model (PRBM). It was also numerically and experimentally characterized with an acceptable level of approximation. The piezoelectric stack is composed of widely available buzzers. The aperture between the jaws allows it to hold objects with diameters lower than 500 μm, and weights lower than 1.4 g, such as the strands of some plants, salt grains, metal wires, etc. The novelty of this work is given by the miniature gripper's simple design, as well as the low-cost of the materials and the fabrication process used. In addition, the initial aperture of the jaws can be adjusted, by adhering the metal tips in the required position.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Andres Ferrara-Bello
- Posgrado en Ingeniería y Ciencias Aplicadas del Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas-Centro de Investigación en Ingeniería y Ciencias Aplicadas (IICBA-CIICAp), Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM), Cuernavaca 62209, Mor., Mexico
| | - Margarita Tecpoyotl-Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Ingeniería y Ciencias Aplicadas (CIICAp), Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM), Cuernavaca 62209, Mor., Mexico
| | - S Fernanda Rodriguez-Fuentes
- Posgrado en Sustentabilidad Energética del Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas-Centro de Investigación en Ingeniería y Ciencias Aplicadas (IICBA-CIICAp), Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (UAEM), Cuernavaca 62209, Mor., Mexico
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Leveziel M, Haouas W, Laurent GJ, Gauthier M, Dahmouche R. MiGriBot: A miniature parallel robot with integrated gripping for high-throughput micromanipulation. Sci Robot 2022; 7:eabn4292. [PMID: 36001685 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.abn4292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Although robotic micromanipulation using microtweezers has been widely explored, the current manipulation throughput hardly exceeds one operation per second. Increasing the manipulation throughput is thus a key factor for the emergence of robotized microassembly industries. This article presents MiGriBot (Millimeter Gripper Robot), a miniaturized parallel robot with a configurable platform and soft joints, designed to perform pick-and-place operations at the microscale. MiGriBot combines in a single robot the benefits of a parallel kinematic architecture with a configurable platform and the use of soft joints at the millimeter scale. The configurable platform of the robot provides an internal degree of freedom that can be used to actuate microtweezers using piezoelectric bending actuators located at the base of the robot, which notably reduces the robot's inertia. The soft joints make it possible to miniaturize the mechanism and to avoid friction. These benefits enable MiGriBot to reach a throughput of 10 pick-and-place cycles per second of micrometer-sized objects, with a precision of 1 micrometer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxence Leveziel
- FEMTO-ST Institute, CNRS, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 24 rue Alain Savary, F-25000 Besançon, France
| | - Wissem Haouas
- FEMTO-ST Institute, CNRS, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 24 rue Alain Savary, F-25000 Besançon, France
| | - Guillaume J Laurent
- FEMTO-ST Institute, CNRS, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 24 rue Alain Savary, F-25000 Besançon, France
| | - Michaël Gauthier
- FEMTO-ST Institute, CNRS, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 24 rue Alain Savary, F-25000 Besançon, France
| | - Redwan Dahmouche
- FEMTO-ST Institute, CNRS, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 24 rue Alain Savary, F-25000 Besançon, France
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Microgripper Using Soft Microactuators for Manipulation of Living Cells. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:mi13050794. [PMID: 35630261 PMCID: PMC9146180 DOI: 10.3390/mi13050794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
We present a microgripper actuated by a soft microactuator for manipulating a single living cell. Soft actuators have attracted attention in recent years because their compliance which can adapt to soft targets. In this study, we propose a microgripper actuated by soft thermoresponsive hydrogels. The thermoresponsive gel swells in water when the temperature is low and shrinks when the temperature is high. Therefore, the microgripper can be driven by controlling the temperature of the thermoresponsive gel. The gels are actuated by irradiating with infrared (IR) laser to localize heating. The actuation characteristics of the gripper were theoretically analyzed and we designed a gripper that gripped a ≈10 µm size cell. Additionally, we succeeded in actuating the fabricated microgripper with laser irradiation and gripping a single living cell.
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Study of Microscale Meniscus Confined Electrodeposition Based on COMSOL. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:mi12121591. [PMID: 34945441 PMCID: PMC8709112 DOI: 10.3390/mi12121591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The rate and quality of microscale meniscus confined electrodeposition represent the key to micromanipulation based on electrochemistry and are extremely susceptible to the ambient relative humidity, electrolyte concentration, and applied voltage. To solve this problem, based on a neural network and genetic algorithm approach, this paper optimizes the process parameters of the microscale meniscus confined electrodeposition to achieve high-efficiency and -quality deposition. First, with the COMSOL Multiphysics, the influence factors of electrodeposition were analyzed and the range of high efficiency and quality electrodeposition parameters were discovered. Second, based on the back propagation (BP) neural network, the relationships between influence factors and the rate of microscale meniscus confined electrodeposition were established. Then, in order to achieve effective electrodeposition, the determined electrodeposition rate of 5 × 10−8 m/s was set as the target value, and the genetic algorithm was used to optimize each parameter. Finally, based on the optimization parameters obtained, we proceeded with simulations and experiments. The results indicate that the deposition rate maximum error is only 2.0% in experiments. The feasibility and accuracy of the method proposed in this paper were verified.
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Li D, Xu J, Rong W, Yang L. Simulation of Picking Up Metal Microcomponents Based on Electrochemistry. MICROMACHINES 2019; 11:mi11010033. [PMID: 31888003 PMCID: PMC7019775 DOI: 10.3390/mi11010033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The technology of picking up microcomponents plays a decisive role in the assembly of complex systems in micro- and nanoscale. The traditional method of picking up microcomponents with a mechanical manipulation tool can easily cause irreversible damage to the object, and only one object can be manipulated at a time. Furthermore, it is difficult to release the object with this method, and the release location is not accurate. With the aim of solving the above problems, the present study proposes an electrochemistry-based method for picking up metal microcomponents. First, the effect of ambient relative humidity on pickup was analyzed, and the effect of current density and electrolyte concentration on the deposition was examined. Then, a force analysis in the process of manipulation was carried out. Through the analysis of influence factors, the ideal experimental parameters were obtained theoretically. Finally, a simulation was carried out with COMSOL Multiphysics based on the above analysis. Copper microwires with a diameter of 60 μm and lengths of 300, 500, and 700 μm were successfully picked up and released using a pipette with a nozzle diameter of 15 μm. Compared with the traditional method, this method is simple to manipulate. Furthermore, it has a high success rate, causes less damage to the object, and good releasing accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongjie Li
- Institute of Mechatronic Control and Automatic Technology, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin 150000, China; (J.X.); (L.Y.)
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing and Intelligent Technology Ministry of Education, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin 150000, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-0451-86390608
| | - Jiyong Xu
- Institute of Mechatronic Control and Automatic Technology, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin 150000, China; (J.X.); (L.Y.)
| | - Weibin Rong
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150000, China;
| | - Liu Yang
- Institute of Mechatronic Control and Automatic Technology, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin 150000, China; (J.X.); (L.Y.)
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