Device for grasping and active release of micro and nano objects

A method of manufacturing a device for manipulating micrometer sized objects, said device comprising structural elements, said structural elements including gripping arms for grasping the objects, a release plunger for actively releasing the objects from gripping arms, and microactuation means connected to the gripping arms and the release plunger and operable to actuate the gripping arms and said release plunger to grasp and actively release the objects from the gripping arms, characterized in that said method comprises the following steps:

• (a) providing a wafer having a top side and a bottom side, said wafer comprising a top layer, a middle layer and a bottom layer, wherein said layers are made of materials having a suitable etch selectivity;
• (b) etching the bottom layer, thereby exposing selected areas of the middle layer;
• (c) etching the top layer into a desired final pattern of the top layer corresponding to the device, thereby exposing selected areas of the middle layer around the desired final pattern;
• and
• (d) etching from the top side the exposed areas of the middle layer,
• thereby providing the device for micromanipulating objects.

A method of manufacturing a device for manipulating nanometer-sized objects, said device comprising high-aspect-ratio structures and gripping tips having a low-aspect-ratio, characterized in that said method comprises:

• (a) providing a wafer having a top side and a bottom side, said wafer comprising a top layer, a middle layer and a bottom layer, wherein each of said layers is made of materials having a suitable etch selectivity;
• (b) depositing an additional layer of material on the top layer, the added material layer having substantially similar etch selectivity as the middle layer;
• (c) patterning the deposited additional layer into a first etch mask, which defines a final desired pattern of the gripping tips;
• (d) depositing and patterning a mask photoresist on the top side of the wafer into a second etch mask, which defines a final desired pattern of the high-aspect-ratio structures of the device thereby leaving exposed areas of the top layer and the first etch mask;
• (e) etching from the top side the exposed areas of the top layer, thereby exposing areas of the middle layer;
• (f) etching from the top side the exposed areas of the middle layer and the exposed first etch mask, thereby leaving exposed areas of the top layer which were covered by the first mask;
• and
• (g) etching from the top side the exposed areas of top layer which were covered by the first mask thereby exposing the middle layer, said exposed middle layer corresponding to the gripping tips of the device having the low-aspect-ratio and the area covered by the second mask corresponding to the high-aspect-ratio structures of the device.

A method for grasping and placing an object to a desired target area with the use of a device capable of manipulating nanometer-sized objects or micrometer sized objects, said device comprising gripping arms capable of opening and closing around the object, a release plunger for actively releasing the object from the gripping arms, and microactuation means connected to the gripping arms and the plunger and operable to actuate said gripping arms and release plunger, characterized in that said method comprises the following steps:

• (a) closing the gripping arms around the object to grasp;
• (b) moving the device to lift the object up and transport the object to the desired target area;
• (c) opening the gripping arms;
• and
• (d) activating the plunger to actively release the object attached by adhesion forces to an arm of the gripping arms thereby placing the object on the target area.