Assembly and manipulation of micro devices—A state of the art survey

This paper provides a comprehensive review of research efforts in the emerging field of micro devices assembly (MDA) as well as identifies future directions for research. The general domain dealing with both manual and automated assembly of micro devices can be referred to as MDA. The study of computer-based methods to accomplish the assembly of micron-sized parts can be described as Automated MDA (AMDA). The primary focus of this paper is to provide an overview of concepts related to MDA as well as a review of various segments of MDA research including study of the role of interactive forces at the micro level, the design of innovative gripping and assembly techniques as well as the use of information technology (IT) based approaches.