# US 10,308,504 B2 · Hierarchical micro assembler system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,308,504 B2 - Document ID: US10308504B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/476,843 - Filed: 2017-03-31 - Published: 2018-10-04 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-31 - Assignees: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated - Applicants: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated - Inventors: Jeng Ping Lu; Eugene M. Chow; David K. Biegelsen; Sourobh Raychaudhuri - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308504B2 ## CPC - B81C 1/00031: {Regular or irregular arrays of nanoscale structures, e.g. etch mask layer (photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces G03F7/00; lithographic processes for making patterned surfaces using printing and stamping G03F7/0002)} - B81C 3/005: {Passive alignment, i.e. without a detection of the position of the elements or using only structural arrangements or thermodynamic forces} - B82Y 30/00: Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites - B82Y 40/00: Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures - H10D 48/04: of devices having bodies comprising selenium or tellurium in uncombined form - H10D 62/118: {Nanostructure semiconductor bodies} - H10P 76/00: Manufacture or treatment of masks on semiconductor bodies, e.g. by lithography or photolithography - B01J 2219/00648: by the use of solid beads - B01J 2219/00653: the compounds being bound to electrodes embedded in or on the solid supports - B81B 2203/04: Electrodes - B81B 2207/05: Arrays - B81B 2207/056: of static structures - B81C 1/00015: {for manufacturing microsystems} - B81C 2201/0149: Forming nanoscale microstructures using auto-arranging or self-assembling material - Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy - B81C: PROCESSES OR APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS (making microcapsules or microballoons B01J13/02; processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/01) - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - B81B: MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES (piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/00, H10N35/00) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A method of manufacturing and using micro assembler systems are described. A method of manufacturing includes disposing a first plurality of electrodes above a first zone of the substrate, wherein the first plurality of electrodes has a first range of spacing. The method further includes disposing a second plurality of electrodes above a second zone of the substrate, wherein the second plurality of electrodes has a second range of spacing that is less than the first range of spacing. A method of using micro assembler systems includes disposing a mobile particle at least partially submersed in an assembly medium above a substrate, a first plurality of electrodes and a second plurality of electrodes. The method further includes conducting a field through individual electrodes of the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes to generate electrophoretic forces or dielectrophoretic forces on the mobile particle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: providing a substrate; disposing a first plurality of electrostatic potential presenting electrodes above a first zone of the substrate, wherein the first plurality of electrodes has a first range of spacing; disposing a second plurality of electrostatic potential presenting electrodes above a second zone of the substrate, wherein the second plurality of electrodes has a second range of spacing that is less than the first range of spacing; and disposing a transfer film above the first plurality of electrostatic potential presenting electrodes and the second plurality of electrostatic potential presenting electrodes, wherein the transfer film is detachable from the first plurality of electrostatic potential presenting electrodes and the second plurality of electrostatic potential presenting electrodes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: disposing a dielectric layer above the first plurality of electrostatic potential presenting electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a top surface of the substrate is comprised of non-planar features. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein disposing at least one of the first plurality of electrostatic potential presenting electrodes or the second plurality of electrostatic potential presenting electrodes comprises a soft lithography process. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein disposing at least one of the first plurality of electrostatic potential presenting electrodes or the second plurality of electrostatic potential presenting electrodes comprises a high resolution patterning process. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein disposing at least one of the first plurality of electrostatic potential presenting electrodes or the second plurality of electrostatic potential presenting electrodes comprises a photolithography process. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein disposing at least one of the first plurality of electrostatic potential presenting electrodes or the second plurality of electrostatic potential presenting electrodes comprises forming a multi-phase electrode assembly. ### Claim 8 A method of manipulating a mobile particle comprising: disposing an electrode array at least partially submersed in an assembly medium; disposing the mobile particle, separate from the electrode array, at least partially submersed in the assembly medium above the electrode array, the electrode array comprising a substrate having a first plurality of electrodes above a first zone of the substrate and a second plurality of electrodes above a second zone of the substrate; and conducting a field through individual electrodes of the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes to generate electrophoretic forces or dielectrophoretic forces on the mobile particle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein conducting the field through the individual electrodes of the first plurality of electrodes coarsely registers the mobile particle above the first zone. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein conducting the field through the individual electrodes of the second plurality of electrodes precisely registers the mobile particle above the second zone. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: disposing a plurality of first mobile particles at least partially submersed in the assembly medium in a first area above the first zone; disposing a plurality of second mobile particles at least partially submersed in the assembly medium in a second area above the first zone; conducting the field through the individual electrodes of the first plurality of electrodes to store the plurality of first mobile particles in the first area and the plurality of second mobile particles in the second area. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: disposing a plurality of first mobile particles at least partially submersed in the assembly medium above the first zone, wherein the plurality of first mobile particles has an associated first charge; disposing a plurality of second mobile particles at least partially submersed in the assembly medium above the first zone, wherein the plurality of second mobile particles has an associated second charge; conducting the field through the individual electrodes of the first plurality of electrodes to arrange the plurality of first mobile particles and the plurality of second mobile particles into separate areas above the first zone based on the associated first charge and the associated second charge. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: disposing a plurality of first mobile particles and a plurality of second mobile particles at least partially submersed in the assembly medium above the first zone; conducting the field through the individual electrodes of the first plurality of electrodes to arrange a first particle of the plurality of first mobile particles and a second particle of the plurality of second mobile particles to form a coarse intermediate assembly; conducting the field through the individual electrodes of the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes to position the coarse intermediate assembly above the second zone of the substrate; and conducting the field through the individual electrodes of the second plurality of electrodes to precisely arrange the coarse intermediate assembly to form an intermediate assembly. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: conducting the field through the individual electrodes of the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes to position the intermediate assembly above the first zone, the intermediate assembled to be stored above the first zone. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein conducting the field through the individual electrodes further comprises: sequentially changing a voltage provided to a first, a second, a third and a fourth electrode of at least one of the first plurality of electrodes or the second plurality of electrodes to generate a potential wave. ### Claim 16 A method of manipulating a mobile particle comprising: disposing the mobile particle at least partially submersed in an assembly medium above a substrate comprising a first plurality of electrodes above a first zone of the substrate and a second plurality of electrodes above a second zone of the substrate; and conducting a field through individual electrodes of the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes to generate electrophoretic forces or dielectrophoretic forces on the mobile particle, wherein conducting the field through the individual electrodes further comprises: illuminating, by a light source, the individual electrodes of at least one of the first plurality of electrodes or the second plurality of electrodes, wherein the individual electrodes of the first plurality of electrodes or the second plurality of electrodes generate the field in response to being illuminated by the light source. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the light source illuminates the individual electrodes of the first plurality of electrodes further comprising: illuminating, by a second light source, the individual electrodes of the second plurality of electrodes, wherein the individual electrodes of the second plurality of electrodes generate the field in response to being illuminated by the second light source. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein a resolution of the second light source is greater than or equal to the resolution of the light source. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein conducting the field through the individual electrodes further comprises: selectively energizing, by a controller operatively coupled to a power source, the individual electrodes of at least one of the first plurality of electrodes or the second plurality of electrodes to generate the field.