Micro-material handling, employing e-beam coatings of copper and silver

Date
2012-05
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Van der Waals forces and other adhesive forces impose great challenges on micro-material handling. Mechanical grippers fail to release micro-parts reliably because of them. This paper explores how the problematic Van der Waals forces may be used for micro-material handling purposes using surface roughnesses generated by e-beam coatings of copper and silver on silicon. An atomic force microscope, model Asylum MFP 3 D-Bio with version 6.22A software, was used to measure the forces exerted by the surfaces. A silver coating of 1.41 nm rms surface roughness value is found to exert the highest Van der Waals force, followed by a copper coating of 2.72 nm rms; a copper coating of 217 nm rms exerts the least force. This implies that, in a reliable micro-material handling system, these coatings are suitable for the interactive surfaces of the placement position, micro-gripper, and the pick-up position respectively.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Van der Waalskragte en ander bindingskragte hou steeds groot uitdagings in vir mikromateriaalhantering. As gevolg van hierdie bindingskragte stel meganiese gryptoerusting nie die mikro-partikels vry nie. Hierdie artikel ondersoek hoe die Van der Waalskragte gebruik kan word vir die mikro-materiaalhanteringsproses deur die gebruik van oppervlakgrofheid gegenereer deur n e-straal-laagbedekking van koper en silwer op silikon. n Atoomkrag mikroskoop, model Asylum MFP 3 D-Bio met weergawe 6.22A programmatuur, is gebruik om die kragte deur die oppervlakke uitgeoefen te meet. Daar is gevind dat n silwer laagbedekking met n oppervlakgrofheid van 1.41nm wortel-gemiddelde-kwadraat (wgk) die hoogste Van der Waalskrag uitoefen, gevolg deur n koper laagbedekking met n oppervlakgrofheid van 2.72nm wgk; n koper laagbedekking met n grofheid van 217nm wgk het die kleinste krag uitgeoefen. Dit impliseer dat, vir n betroubare mikro-materiaalhanteringsisteem, hierdie laagbedekkings geskik is vir die interaktiewe oppervlakke van die plasingsposisie, die mikro-gryper en die optelposisie.
Description
CITATION: Matope, S., Van der Merwe, A. F. & Rabinovich, Y. I. 2012. Micro-material handling, employing e-beam coatings of copper and silver. South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 23(1):114-121, doi:10.7166/23-1-223.
The original publication is available at http://sajie.journals.ac.za
Keywords
Van der Waals forces, Polarization (Electricity), Electron beams -- Coatings, Copper, Silver
Citation
Matope, S., Van der Merwe, A. F. & Rabinovich, Y. I. 2012. Micro-material handling, employing e-beam coatings of copper and silver. South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 23(1):114-121, doi:10.7166/23-1-223.