Smallest microhouse in the world, assembled on the facet of an optical fiber by origami and welded in the μRobotex nanofactory

Abstract

In this study, the authors have demonstrated that it is possible to realize several three-dimensional (3D) micro-and nanostructures, by the fabrication of the smallest microhouse using a dual beam scanning electron microscope (SEM)/focused ion beam (FIB) Auriga 60 from Zeiss together with a six degree of freedom robot built with SmarAct components. In this new type of nanolab, cutting, etching, folding, assembling, and then welding thin membranes of silica on top of a cleaved optical fiber SMF28, or production of micro-and nanostructures, like the microhouse, are possible. The authors have experimentally shown that FIB can be used, in this new generation of micro/nanofactory, in combination with SEM, and gas injection system, in order to fabricate three-dimensional microstructures: a microhouse in this study, with ultrahigh accuracy assembly down to 10 nm. By using the theory of sputtering, the authors are able to propose a model of folding thin membranes of numerous materials such as metals, polymers, or crystals, i.e., silica, silicon, potassium tantalite, or lithium niobate. This method is usually described as origami in the literature [W. J. Aroa, H. I. Smith, and G. Barbastathis, Microelectron. Eng. 84, 1454; W. J. Aroa et al., J. Vac. Sci. Technol., B 25, 2184 and K. Chalapat et al., Adv. Mater. 25, 91 (2013)]. The experimental results indicate that the introduction of a microrobot inside the SEM vacuum chamber will provide the means to enlarge the scope of clean room facilities to build complex and smart 3D microsystems with heterogeneous materials, especially on the facet of an optical fiber in the lab on fiber new field. The authors propose a new way to easily manufacture many kinds of optical functions for light trapping based on nanoantennas, nanophotonic crystal, axicon or lattice, 3D biosensor with origami, and nanopatterning surfaces or carbon nanotubes, etc. Published by the AVS.

Toward Conductive Polymer-Based Soft Milli-Robots for Vacuum Applications

“…According to Wu et al ( 2006 ), Polypyrrole-based micro-actuators can generate forces superior to 1 mN, which is more than enough force to manipulate micro/nano-objects inside a SEM. The 3 mm long cantilever, with a width of 400 μ m and a thickness of 106 μ m was inserted into a SEM (The used microscope is an Auriga 60 microscope produced by Zeiss with a big vacuum chamber that has a volume of 60 × 60 × 60 cm 3 , more details are available in Rauch et al, 2018 ), tested, characterized, and controlled using visual servoing. The cantilever was first mounted on a small 3D printed support, which contains copper tape to provide electrical connections, as shown in Figure 5a .…”

Lab-On-Fiber Technology: A Roadmap toward Multifunctional Plug and Play Platforms

“…Robotic arms and micro/nanotechnologies were combined to provide unique capabilities for cutting, etching, folding, assembling, and welding thin membranes on fiber facets. The enormous potential of this completely new way to conceive LOF platforms with unparalleled spatial control was recently demonstrated by Rauch et al They demonstrated the surprising capability of their new “µ-Robotex nanofactory” approach by creating the “smallest microhouse” in the world; this microhouse was assembled on the facet of an optical fiber based on origami and welding, as shown in Figure 4 [ 35 ].…”

“… Microhouse assembled with origami and welded on top of the facet of an optical fiber. Reprinted with permission from [ 35 ]. Copyright 2019, American Vacuum Society.…”

Miniaturized Robotics: The Smallest Camera Operator Bot Pays Tribute to David Bowie

“…The pictures of the film have been made on an ad-hoc scientific equipment of FEMTO-ST institute named µRobotex platform [8]. This innovative powerful micro and nanofactory, is based on an Auriga 60 microscope produced by Zeiss.…”

“…The film has also provided new robotic capabilities by developing a complete software that enables to perform high precision positioning in a semi-automatic mode when the current SEM micromanipulators in the world is only teleoperated. This robotic control enables to perform various operations of robotic micro-assembly in various application frames [8].…”