A three-dimensional (3D) untethered mobile actuator having the following parts: (a) a substrate having two or more magnetized panels, and (b) a frame that connects the magnetized panels, the magnetized panels being made of a polymer with embedded permanent magnetic particles, each magnetized panel of the 3D untethered mobile actuator having a magnetic moment in a different direction than a next neighboring panel, and the 3D untethered mobile actuator having a structural configuration that changes between a substantially flat structural configuration in the absence of a magnetic field, and an actuated structural configuration when under influence of a magnetic field. Methods of manufacturing and using the 3D mobile actuator and a system that includes the 3D mobile actuator are provided.

An assembly surface has an array of electrodes arranged such that each of a plurality of chiplets can be positioned to cover at least one of the electrodes. A field generator applies a rotation field that is orthogonal to the clamping force field applied by the electrodes. A processor is operable to determine a desired orientation angle of a first subset of the chiplets and activate one or more of the electrodes so that a second subset of the chiplets different than the first subset is kept from rotating by a clamping force field applied by the one or more of the electrodes. While the clamping force field is being applied, the processor applies the rotation field at the selected angle to cause the first subset of the chiplets to be oriented at the desired orientation angle.

A transfer system for transferring multiple microelements to a receiving substrate includes a main pick-up device, a testing device, and first and second carrier plates. The testing device includes a testing platform, a testing circuit, and multiple testing electrodes electrically connected to the testing circuit. The main pick-up device is operable to releasably pick up the microelements from the first carrier plate and position the microelements on the testing electrodes. The testing device is operable to test the microelements to distinguish unqualified ones of the microelements from qualified ones. The main pick-up device is operable to release the qualified ones of the microelements to the receiving substrate.

Disclosed are methods and systems of controlling the placement of micro-objects on the surface of a micro-assembler. Control patterns may be used to cause phototransistors or electrodes of the micro-assembler to generate dielectrophoretic (DEP) and electrophoretic (EP) forces which may be used to manipulate, move, position, or orient one or more micro-objects on the surface of the micro-assembler.

A method of transferring a micro device using a micro device transfer head is provided. The micro device transfer head includes a base arm, a first side arm and a second side arm, and the micro device is fabricated on a substrate. The method includes moving the first side arm within a sensing range of the micro device, charging the first side arm for drawing the micro device away from the substrate to move towards a space between the first side arm and the second side arm, and shortening a distance between the first side arm and the second side arm for clamping the micro device.

The transfer of devices or device components from a carrier substrate to a further carrier substrate or to a plurality of further carrier substrates can be performed with little effort (few transfer steps) to the at least one further carrier substrate. The method comprises producing first devices on the first carrier substrate in a two-dimensional grid. It comprises defining positions on the second carrier substrate on the basis of the two-dimensional grid for at least some of the first devices. It comprises releasing a plurality of the first devices from the first carrier substrate while maintaining the two-dimensional grid. Finally, the plurality of first devices are applied to the second carrier substrate in the defined positions while maintaining the two-dimensional grid or a multiple thereof in at least one of the two directions.

A method for assembling heterogeneous components. The assembly process includes using a vacuum based pickup mechanism in conjunction with sub-nm precise more alignment techniques resulting in highly accurate, parallel assembly of feedstocks.

A method of assembling a group of devices, the method comprising the steps of: evacuating a space between each component of a first group of two or more components on a source device and a transfer device thereby to create a temporary bond between each component of the first group of two or more components and the transfer device; selectively removing the first group of two or more components from the source device whilst the transfer device is temporarily bonded to each component of the first group of two or more components on the source device; positioning the first group of two or more components on a host device; and decoupling the first group of two or more components from the transfer device, thereby to form a first group of assembled devices.

A micro device transfer head includes a base arm, a first side arm, a second side arm, and an isolation layer. The first side arm, including one or multiple first electrodes, is disposed on a first surface of the base arm and located on a first end of the base arm. The second side arm, including one or multiple second electrodes, is disposed on the first surface of the base arm and located on a second end of the base arm. The isolation later is disposed on the first surface of the base arm and covers the surface of the first side arm and the second side arm.

A micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) includes a flexible membrane that creates a suction force by flexing to permit manipulation of a microscale object. The MEMS element includes a casing structure; a flexible membrane attached to the casing structure; and an electrode structure, wherein a voltage applied to the electrode structure causes the flexible membrane to flex relative to the casing structure. The flexible membrane and the casing structure define a gap into which the flexible membrane may flex, and a foot extending from the flexible membrane in a direction away from the casing structure, wherein the foot and the flexible membrane define a clearance region on an opposite side of the flexible membrane from the gap. When the MEMS element interacts with an object to be manipulated the foot spaces the membrane apart from the object, and flexing of the membrane generates the suction force for manipulating the object.