Broader Impact: If the research part of this work proves successful, it could have tremendous impact. The ability to assemble multiple components (integrated circuits, optical components, sensors, actuators, fluidic devices) in two or three dimensions will enable the creation of improved and entirely new microsystems that go far beyond the capacities of current micromachining and microassembly. Furthermore, it would allow the merging of technologies based on otherwise incompatible materials. Examples of known applications include flexible displays, smart materials, integrated circuits on plastics or fabrics for wearable intelligence, and merged optical/electronic structures for optical off-chip and cross-chip communication.
Societal Implications: Advances in Microtechnology including Self-assembly Based Manufacturing promise to have major implications for health, wealth, and peace in the upcoming decades. Knowledge in this field is growing worldwide, leading to fundamental scientific advances. In turn, this will lead to dramatic changes in the ways that materials, devices, and systems are understood and created. The proposed research is one element to advance knowledge in this field. It suggests a dramatic change in the way that devices and systems are created.
The first objective is to develop a parallel tool that is based on directed self-assembly to assemble, and electrically connect chip-level-sized components, to form two and three-dimensional microsystems. This research includes (i) the study of the key factors affecting the assembly in experiment and theory, (ii) the demonstration of large area assemblies with minimal defects, (iii) the investigation of different schemes of agitation using acceleration and fluid flow, (iv) and the study of the resolution limit of surface tension-driven self-assembly involving liquid solder.
The second objective is to apply the gained knowledge to design intelligent components that undergo self- assembly to form a desired device. Proposed examples are (i) self-packaging chips for micro- and optoelectronics, and (ii) hemispherical emitter/detector arrays for surveillance.
The third objective of this program is to foster a cross-disciplinary education of our students and outreach to the general public.
