Methods, apparatuses, and systems for micromanipulation with adhesive fibrillar structures

A method for fabricating a single micro- and/or nano-scale fiber or a plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fiber with a round tip comprising the steps of:

• providing a positive mold with a plurality of angled holes patterned in photoresist material disposed on a silicon substrate that form a plurality of angled round tip micro- and/or nanoscale pillars;
• pouring a first liquid polymer into the positive mold to fill the plurality of angled holes;
• curing the first liquid polymer in the positive mold to form a negative mold;
• delaminating the negative mold from the positive mold;
• pouring a second liquid polymer into the negative mold;
• curing the second liquid polymer in the negative mold;
• and
• delaminating the cured second liquid polymer from the negative mold to form the micro- and/or nano-scale fiber with the round tip.

A method of using micro- and/or nano-scale fibers to manipulate a first part relative to a second part, comprising the steps of:

• providing a manipulation device with a plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers, wherein each micro- and/or nano-scale fiber has a tip;
• contacting the first part with one or more tips of the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers to form contacted tips;
• picking up the first part and maneuvering it in position of the second part;
• contacting the second part with the first part;
• reducing a contact area of each contacted tip of the contacted tips with the first part by compressing the contacted tips of the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers;
• and
• retracting the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers away from the first part to release the first part from the manipulation device.

A method of using micro- and/or nano-scale fibers to manipulate a first part relative to a second part, comprising the steps of:

• providing a manipulation device with a plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers, wherein each micro- and/or nano-scale fiber has a tip;
• contacting the first part with one or more tips of the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers to form contacted tips;
• picking up the first part and maneuvering it in position of the second part;
• contacting the second part with the first part;
• reducing a contact area of each contacted tip of the contacted tips with the first part by laterally shearing the contacted tips of the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers;
• and
• retracting the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers away from the first part to release the first part from the manipulation device.

A method of using micro- and/or nano-scale fibers to manipulate a first part and a second part, comprising the steps of:

• providing a manipulation device with a plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers, wherein each micro- and/or nano-scale fiber has a tip;
• contacting the first part with one or more tips of the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers to form a first set of contacted tips;
• picking up the first part and maneuvering it in position of the second part;
• contacting the second part with one or more non-contacted tips of the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers to form a second set of contacted tips;
• picking up the second part and simultaneously maneuvering the first and second parts in position of a release location;
• reducing a contact area of each contacted tip of the first and second sets of contacted tips with the first and second parts by compressing the first and second sets of contacted tips of the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers;
• and
• retracting the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers away from the first and second parts to release the first and second parts from the manipulation device.

A method of using micro- and/or nano-scale fibers to manipulate a first part and a second part, comprising the steps of:

• providing a manipulation device with a plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers, wherein each micro- and/or nano-scale fiber has a tip;
• contacting the first part with one or more tips of the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers to form a first set of contacted tips;
• picking up the first part and maneuvering it in position of the second part;
• contacting the second part with one or more non-contacted tips of the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers to form a second set of contacted tips;
• picking up the second part and simultaneously maneuvering the first and second parts in position of a release location;
• reducing a contact area of each contacted tip of the first and second sets of contacted tips with the first and second parts by laterally shearing the first and second sets of contacted tips of the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers;
• and
• retracting the plurality of micro- and/or nano-scale fibers away from the first and the second parts to release the first and second parts from the manipulation device.

A method to form micro- and/or nano-scale fiber tips comprising the steps of:

• dipping an array of angled fiber tips into a liquid polymer, wherein each angled fiber has a pre-set angle θ relative to a backing layer;
• removing the angled fiber tips from the liquid polymer;
• applying a downward force onto a backing layer of the array to contact the array of angled fiber tips with liquid polymer onto a substrate without causing the angled fibers to bend or deflect beyond the pre-set angle θ;
• curing the liquid polymer;
• and
• removing the array of angled fiber tips from the substrate after the liquid polymer cures to form symmetrical flat tips that are parallel with the backing layer.

A method to form micro- and/or nano-scale fiber tips comprising the steps of:

• dipping an array of angled fiber tips into a liquid polymer, wherein each angled fiber has a pre-set angle θ relative to a backing layer;
• removing the angled fiber tips from the liquid polymer;
• applying a downward force onto a backing layer of the array to contact the array of angled fiber tips with liquid polymer onto a substrate causing the angled fibers to bend or deflect by an angle β beyond the pre-set angle θ;
• curing the liquid polymer;
• and
• removing the array of angled fiber tips from the substrate after the liquid polymer cures to form symmetrical flat tips that are not parallel with the backing layer at an angle β-θ.

A method to form micro- and/or nano-scale fiber tips comprising the steps of:

• dipping an array of angled fiber tips into a liquid polymer, wherein each angled fiber has a pre-set angle θ relative to a backing layer;
• removing the angled fiber tips from the liquid polymer;
• applying a downward force onto a backing layer of the array to contact the array of angled fiber tips with liquid polymer onto a substrate without causing the angled fibers to bend or deflect beyond the pre-set angle θ;
• applying a lateral force onto the backing layer of the array curing the liquid polymer;
• and
• removing the array of angled fiber tips from the substrate after the liquid polymer cures to form asymmetrical flat tips that are parallel with the backing layer.

A method to form micro- and/or nano-scale fiber tips comprising the steps of:

• dipping an array of angled fiber tips into a liquid polymer, wherein each angled fiber has a pre-set angle θ relative to a backing layer;
• removing the angled fiber tips from the liquid polymer;
• applying a downward force onto a backing layer of the array to contact the array of angled fiber tips with liquid polymer onto a substrate causing the angled fibers to bend or deflect by an angle 13 beyond the pre-set angle θ;
• applying a lateral force onto the backing layer of the array curing the liquid polymer;
• and
• removing the array of angled fiber tips from the substrate after the liquid polymer cures to form asymmetrical flat tips that are not parallel with the backing layer at an angle β-θ.