Chip-Level Self-Assembly: Tools and components that self-assemble and self-package to form desired microsystems

更广泛的影响：如果这项工作的研究部分证明是成功的，它可能会产生巨大的影响。在二维或三维空间中组装多个组件（集成电路、光学组件、传感器、致动器、流体设备）的能力将使改进的和全新的微系统的创建远远超出当前微加工和微组装的能力。此外，它将允许合并以不兼容材料为基础的技术。已知应用的例子包括柔性显示器，智能材料，用于可穿戴智能的塑料或织物上的集成电路，以及用于光学芯片外和跨芯片通信的合并的光学/电子结构。社会影响：微技术的进步，包括基于自组装的制造，有望在未来几十年对健康，财富和和平产生重大影响。这一领域的知识在世界范围内不断增长，导致了基础科学的进步。反过来，这将导致材料、设备和系统的理解和创造方式发生巨大变化。拟议的研究是推动这一领域知识的一个因素。第一个目标是开发一种基于定向自组装的并行工具，将芯片级尺寸的元件组装并电连接，形成二维和三维微系统。该研究包括（i）从实验和理论上研究影响组装的关键因素，（ii）论证具有最小缺陷的大面积组装，（iii）利用加速和流体流动的不同搅拌方案的研究，（iv）研究了表面张力驱动的自聚焦成像的分辨率极限;第二个目标是应用所获得的知识来设计经历自组装以形成期望的器件的智能部件。建议的例子是（i）用于微电子和光电子的自封装芯片，以及（ii）用于监视的半球形发射器/探测器阵列。该计划的第三个目标是促进我们学生的跨学科教育和向公众推广。

Broader Impact: If the research part of this work proves successful, it could have tremendous impact. The ability to assemble multiple components (integrated circuits, optical components, sensors, actuators, fluidic devices) in two or three dimensions will enable the creation of improved and entirely new microsystems that go far beyond the capacities of current micromachining and microassembly. Furthermore, it would allow the merging of technologies based on otherwise incompatible materials. Examples of known applications include flexible displays, smart materials, integrated circuits on plastics or fabrics for wearable intelligence, and merged optical/electronic structures for optical off-chip and cross-chip communication.Societal Implications: Advances in Microtechnology including Self-assembly Based Manufacturing promise to have major implications for health, wealth, and peace in the upcoming decades. Knowledge in this field is growing worldwide, leading to fundamental scientific advances. In turn, this will lead to dramatic changes in the ways that materials, devices, and systems are understood and created. The proposed research is one element to advance knowledge in this field. It suggests a dramatic change in the way that devices and systems are created.The first objective is to develop a parallel tool that is based on directed self-assembly to assemble, and electrically connect chip-level-sized components, to form two and three-dimensional microsystems. This research includes (i) the study of the key factors affecting the assembly in experiment and theory, (ii) the demonstration of large area assemblies with minimal defects, (iii) the investigation of different schemes of agitation using acceleration and fluid flow, (iv) and the study of the resolution limit of surface tension-driven self-assembly involving liquid solder.The second objective is to apply the gained knowledge to design intelligent components that undergo self- assembly to form a desired device. Proposed examples are (i) self-packaging chips for micro- and optoelectronics, and (ii) hemispherical emitter/detector arrays for surveillance.The third objective of this program is to foster a cross-disciplinary education of our students and outreach to the general public.