Toward Smart Surfaces Using High-Density Arrays of Silicon-Based Mechanical Oscillators

Computer chips and other electronics have been getting faster and cheaper for a long time. But, often overlooked, they are also getting smaller and therefore allowing wearable high-technology to be developed on the near future. Current miniaturization and integration trends will result in the need to assemble ever-smaller systems and to handle smaller and smaller chips and other components that will be too small for humans to manipulate and assemble. As a consequence, the automation infrastructure of the future electronics assembly industry will have to scale with the technology, using fully and entirely automated micromachines such as manipulators and intelligent conveyance systems. The paper investigates, consequently, rapid and accurate positioning systems that will allow very small chips and components to be conveyed and automatically sorted. High-density arrays of silicon-based electrostatic actuators particularly are analyzed, according to their ability to move parts locally with high speed and sub-micrometer positioning accuracy. Actuator densities as high as 1000 actuators/mm are investigated, therefore allowing micrometer silicon based components to be manipulated. Lower densities involving larger actuation cells are also investigated in order to move millimeter size components on a few cm square motive surface. Very first design steps toward future smart surfaces are finally discussed. The paper shows how arrayed silicon based sensors, that can be easily distributed along with arrayed actuators, may provide tactile information from the external world, therefore allowing intelligent conveyance systems to be realized on the near future.