Date of Award

12-1997

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering

Department

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

First Advisor

Victor M. Bright, PhD

Abstract

Four areas are investigated in this research: erecting microstructures normal to the substrate plane without direct human intervention (self-assembled), providing low resistance electrical connections to the erected microstructure, realizing circular motion normal to the substrate plane, and implementing a micro-robot. The designs in this research concentrate on erecting and providing power to a leg designed for use with the micro-robot. The leg and the attached low resistance electrical connectors were not self-assembled because the accompanying actuators were not powerful enough. However, the novel connectors provide the most practical, versatile, and lowest possible resistance connections for the MUMPs fabrication process. The micro-robot was a 1 cm by 1 cm by 0.125 mm thick silicon chip with 96 legs micro-machined on one side. The legs were able to support the weight of the chip but could not move the chip. The gold wires used to remotely power the legs, restricted the chip's movement. The chip was turned over, and used as a micro-position to transport a 1 cm by 1 cm by 0.023 mm piece of kapton film. A vertically deflecting actuator was used to bump the edge of a 222 mm diameter wheel, causing circular motion normal to the substrate.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-GE-ENG-97D-02

DTIC Accession Number

ADA336753

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