Magnetic Self-Assembly of Small Parts

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This project aims to overcome the current manufacturing bottlenecks associated with the serial manipulation and assembly of large numbers of small components. High-throughput part manipulation is of great importance for the continued miniaturization of the electronic devices that sustain and propel modern society. The objective of this research is to develop magnetically-directed, self-assembly approaches to enable complex, three-dimensional structures to be formed autonomously from a heterogeneous mixture of parts of arbitrary size and shape. To achieve this, arrays of tiny magnets will be integrated onto the surfaces of batch-fabricated microelectronic components using conventional, low-cost electroplating approaches. Through careful design, the size and number of magnets control the magnetic bonding forces, while the shape and distribution of the magnets form a lock and key pattern-matching mechanism. Thus, different magnetic patterns can be used to direct the assembly of a multiplicity of components in parallel. BROADER IMPACT: Magnetic self-assembly aims to reduce the size and overall cost of existing microelectronic systems and enable the extreme integration of unpackaged CMOS, MEMS, RF, and photonic devices for ultra-compact, multifunctional, hybrid microsystems. The micro-magnetic design, modeling, and fabrication in this project will also cross-pollinate other cutting-edge research areas, such as magnetic MEMS actuators and compact power systems. More broadly, this project will prepare students for engineering in the 21st century by incorporating interdisciplinary design and problem-solving techniques through both educational activities and applied research.