Alignment and Latching for Assembling 3D MEMS
In this project, we are creating, modeling, and demonstrating techniques to align and latch together 2D components in order to form fully 3D MEMS devices. Creating 3D MEMS for 2D structures requires actuation, alignment, and latching. Alignment is particularly important for devices that rely on precise angles, such as corner cube reflectors; latching is necessary to maintain the components' positions during operation.
This project employs a cascaded mechanical alignment scheme that allows alignment of surfaces at arbitrary matching angles. The cascaded alignment approach is also capable of bringing the components into the desired final position from a large initially misaligned angle. The corner cube shown here was automatically aligned to within 1 degree from an initial misalignment of 11 degrees using the cascaded alignment mechanism. We are also modeling, creating, and demonstrating a range of latches for folded 3D structures, including glues that are activated by the local application of heat and mechanical latch structures that engage automatically during the mechanical alignment process.
Current Team Members: Nader Shaar and Carol Livermore, in collaboration with George Barbastathis.