Adhesive microstructure and method of forming same
First Claim
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1. A fabricated microstructure comprising:
- a plurality of protrusions, each protrusion capable of providing a substantially parallel adhesive force at a surface of between about 60 and 2,000 nano-Newtons;
a flexible shaft to support said protrusions; and
a flexible beam to which said shaft is attached.
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Abstract
A fabricated microstructure includes a plurality of protrusions. The protrusions are capable of providing substantially parallel adhesive force at a surface of between about 60 and 2000 nano-Newtons. A flexible shaft supports the protrusions, and a flexible member or beam is attached to the shaft to form a manipulator or gripper device.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A fabricated microstructure comprising:
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a plurality of protrusions, each protrusion capable of providing a substantially parallel adhesive force at a surface of between about 60 and 2,000 nano-Newtons;
a flexible shaft to support said protrusions; and
a flexible beam to which said shaft is attached. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A fabricated microstructure comprising:
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an array of protrusions, said array having a width less than about ten microns and each protrusion of said array capable of providing an adhesive force at a surface by intermolecular forces;
a shaft to support said array of protrusions; and
a flexible beam to which said shaft is attached.
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10. A fabricated grip comprising:
a lamella from a specimen attached to a flexible beam and configured to engage an item to be manipulated. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A fabricated microstructure comprising:
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a shaft with a length of less than about 500 microns, said shaft having a diameter of between about 0.01 and 0.1 times the length of said shaft;
an array of spatulae formed at an end of said shaft, said array of spatulae having a width of less than about ten microns, individual spatula of said array having a terminal end to provide an adhesive force at a surface; and
a flexible beam to which said shaft is attached. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of forming an adhesive force, said method comprising the steps of:
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attaching a seta from a specimen to a flexible beam; and
applying said seta to a surface so as to establish an adhesive force at said surface so the flexible beam can be used to manipulate an object. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of establishing an adhesive force, said method comprising the steps of:
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using a flexible beam to apply a seta to a surface with a force perpendicular to said surface so as to preload an adhesive force of said seta;
using the flexible beam to orient said seta parallel to said surface; and
using the flexible beam to pull said setae with a force parallel to said surface. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of fabricating an adhesive microstructure, said method comprising the steps of:
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fabricating an array of shafts;
forming spatulae on said array of shafts; and
attaching said array of shafts to a flexible member. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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33. A method of fabricating an adhesive microstructure comprising:
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contacting a seta of a specimen with a semiconductor substrate and causing relative motion between the seta and the semiconductor substrate to remove the seta from the specimen; and
attaching the removed seta to a flexible beam so the flexible beam can be used to manipulate an object. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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36. A method of establishing an adhesive force, said method comprising the steps of:
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using a flexible beam to apply a seta to a surface with a force perpendicular to said surface so as to preload an adhesive force of said seta;
using the flexible beam to orient said seta parallel to said surface; and
using the flexible beam to pull said seta at a velocity to increase an adhesive force exerted by said setae on said surface.
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Specification