Magnetic Levitation as a Micromanipulation Technique for MEMS

A new micromanipulation technique is demonstrated using magnetic levitation. Millimeter-size microrobots are levitated and controlled in a volume of 3 x 3 x 2 cm(3). A photothermal SU-8 microgripper was attached to the microrobot for manipulation operations. The motion of the microrobot is tested for automatic and manual trajectories and an rms accuracy of 13.2 mu m is obtained. The microrobot is used for pick-andplace of a 125 mu m diameter fiber optic cable. This non-contact positioning technique eliminates the problems associated with complex surface forces, thus provides repeatable operation. The use of magnetic fields allows dust-free operation which can be applied for manipulation of micro-mechanical and biological samples.