Two-dimensional fine particle positioning using a piezoresistive cantilever as a micro/nano-manipulator

In this paper, a fine particle positioning system using a piezoresistive cantilever, which is normally utilized in atomic force microscopy, as the manipulator is proposed. Modeling and control of the interaction forces among the manipulator, particle and surface have been realized for moving particles with sizes less than 3 /spl mu/m on a Si substrate in 2D. Optical microscope (OM) is utilized as the vision sensor, and the cantilever behaves also as a force sensor which enables contact detection and surface alignment sensing. A 2D OM real-time image feedback constitutes the main user interface, where the operator uses mouse cursor and keyboard for defining the task for the cantilever motion controller. Particle manipulation experiments are realized for 2.02 /spl mu/m goal-coated latex particles, and it is shown that the system can be utilized in 2D micro-particle assembling.