Self-assembly of MEMS components in air assisted by diaphragm agitation

We present a fast and high yield self assembly process in air for submillimeter components, including released MEMS chips. Components are agitated on a vibrating diaphragm and captured on a substrate with downward facing binding sites. Low drag force in air, high capillary force at the air/liquid interface, and fast recycling of components contribute to high performance. In addition, we investigate the quantitative relationship between process parameters and assembly performance. Energy transfer from agitation source to components is measured and characterized; yield ratios and self-correcting processes for various applied energies are obtained from experimental results. The assembly rate and yield ratio are controlled by the driving signal and reach up to 0.125 components/sec-site and 93%, respectively. The process has been applied successfully to the assembly of MEMS chips with released comb drives.