Nanotechnology at Zyvex: Research Projects

Zyvex is making a significant investment in MEMS as an enabling technology for the top-down approach to nanotechnology. The following movies show progress to date in MEMS for microassembly, hybrid microassembly, and parallel microassembly. This effort is funded by our NIST-ATP.

We are actively recruiting staff for the top-down assembly group to carry this work forward. If you are interested in applying for a postion, please go to the Zyvex Jobs page.

(Click on the image to view the video.)

	This movie shows a rotational stepper moving at 1 step per second. Assembly efforts are motivated by the progress made in monolithic MEMS fabrication that enables devices such as this. The teeth measure 3 microns in width enabling the motor to take a 6 micron step.
	A rotational stepping motor moving at 3000 tooth steps per second, equivalent to 2000 RPM.
	A linear stepper similar to the above rotational stepper moving at 1 step per second.
	The same linear stepper (shown above) moving at 100 steps per second.
	Single crystal silicon MEMS grippers, 50 microns thick with an opening of 100 microns. These grippers are used for automated microassembly.
	Single crystal silicon MEMS grippers with closing action and 125 micron opening.
	An automated pick and place process for MEMS components. (Movie coming soon)
	Another automated pick and place process for MEMS components showing self-aligning connectors.
	Movie shows the assembly of a microfabricated Nickel-Iron block to a silicon stepping stage.
	Movie shows the assembly of another Nickel-Iron block to a stepping stage and the stage in operation afterwards.
	Movie shows the first 2 by 1 parallel assembly of microcompoents. This is the pick of the two components using microgrippers.
	This movie shows the parallel assembly insertion of two components.

MEMS at Zyvex