Improved Gecko Inspired Dry Adhesives Applied to the Packaging of MEMS

Abstract

An alternative method of manipulating fragile MEMS devices during fabrication has been developed. A specialized manual or robotic end effector utilizing a gecko inspired adhesive can replace the slow and costly manual tweezers used by the MEMS foundry Micralyne Inc. Improving the adhesive fabrication techniques greatly increased adhesion strength, which was tested with a custom programmed apparatus. An antistatic, nanoparticle-polymer composite was developed for the adhesive material to prevent static discharge. The improved adhesive was then used with a specially designed end effector that contacts only the bonding pads or perimeter of the MEMS device, preventing damage to sensitive central structures. Using special techniques that only rely on shearing motions, the adhesive is engaged and disengaged to move the MEMS device between common carriers such as tacky Gel-Paks. This is the first part of a project to implement such adhesives into commercial manufacturing of MEMS or other sensitive electronic devices.