Robotic pick-place of nanowires for electromechanical characterization

Abstract

Pick-place of single nanowires inside scanning electron microscopes (SEM) is useful for prototyping functional devices and characterizing nanowires' properties. Nanowire pick-place has been typically performed via teleoperation, which is time-consuming and highly skill-dependent. This paper presents a robotic system capable of automated pickplace of single nanowires. Through SEM visual detection and vision-based motion control, the system transferred individual silicon nanowires from their growth substrate to a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device that characterized the nanowires' electromechanical properties. The performance of the nanorobotic pick-up and placement procedures was quantified by experiments. The system demonstrated automated nanowire pick-up and placement with high reliability.