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A method of manipulating particles based on swirl was proposed in this article. The pressure and velocity distributions of swirling flow field were analyzed theoretically. The mechanism of particle trapping and controlling based on swirling flow was discussed, and the feasibility of the proposed method was verified by experiments. The results show that a swirling flow can be generated by placing two microtubules in parallel and jetting fluid in opposite directions. Particles with arbitrary size and shape can be trapped and controlled to rotate and move directionally and quantitatively with proper swirling flow parameters.

This paper describes the unique micro machining system performed by mutiple microrobots. These microrobots, which are composed of piezo elements and electromagnets, can move precisely with the manner of an inchworm on the steel plate. And these robots are equipped with the micro tools such micro drill and micro indentor to provide various micro works with much of flexible layout on the desktop.In this report, two typical applications are to be demonstrated. One of them is that two small robots can collaborate to make thin through-hole of 50 micron under the combination of global and local path control. Here the sample plate attached on the small robot can be positioned precisely to the other robot with micro drill tool, and the relative position between the sample and the tool can be controlled under the local navigation system to get such micro hole. The other application is that the small robot with micro hopping indentor can make array of micro indentation on the sample plate and automatically convery them under the microscope to inspect it.

In this report, a micro capillary capturing probe which is based on surface tension of water is described. This probe is composed of a capillary of glass, small solenoids and micro magnetic piston. Quick reciprocating motion of magnetic piston which is accelerated by solenoids current can push and pull the water in capillary. At the end of capillary, the water drop can grow to reach the small object on the surface, contain it with help of surface tension and retract into the capillary. Simple principle and design will be discussed and the experimental results of capturing small objects will be demonstrated. Also we successfully implement this active probe into our miniature precise robot for surface clearing operation.

In this paper, we describe the newly developed flexible micro processing system assisted by 1 inch size robots in the scanning electron microscope. After showing the overall system, the basic performances of the small robot that is composed of piezo elements and electromagnets are presented and then the magnetic shield property is considered to prevent the SEM image distortion due to magnetic flux.In order to handle some small objects, the electrostatic micro manipulator driven by the piezo bimorph is also incorporated on the robot . And the small sliding table on the robot can transport them at SEM focusing point accurately. This arrangement can allow the x-y accurate positioning at any location within the chamber. On the sample table, a micro manipulator from another small robot can pickup and down the small objects simultaneously. In addition, the fiber guided YAG-laser is also employed to provide the micro material abrasion. The operator can control each small robot easily with the help of the real time monitoring of SEM image and the PC assisted interface. This collaboration of small robots have interesting benefit for providing both flexible and accurate micro processing in the SEM with good operability.