Microelectromechanical (MEMS) manipulators for control of nanoparticle coupling interactions

Title: Microelectromechanical (MEMS) manipulators for control of nanoparticle coupling interactions

A nanopositioning system for producing a coupling interaction between a first nanoparticle and a second nanoparticle. A first MEMS positioning assembly includes an electrostatic comb drive actuator configured to selectively displace a first nanoparticle in a first dimension and an electrode configured to selectively displace the first nanoparticle in a second dimensions. Accordingly, the first nanoparticle may be selectively positioned in two dimensions to modulate the distance between the first nanoparticle and a second nanoparticle that may be coupled to a second MEMS positioning assembly. Modulating the distance between the first and second nanoparticles obtains a coupling interaction between the nanoparticles that alters at least one material property of the nanoparticles applicable to a variety of sensing and control applications.

Inventors:: Lopez, Daniel; Wiederrecht, Gary; Gosztola, David J.; Mancini, Derrick C.

Issue Date:: 2017-01-17

OSTI Identifier:: 1339530

Assignee:: UChicago Argonne, LLC (Chicago, IL) ANL

Patent Number(s):: 9,548,677

Application Number:: 14/565,737

Contract Number:: AC02-06CH11357

Resource Relation:: Patent File Date: 2014 Dec 10

Research Org:: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Org:: USDOE

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 42 ENGINEERING; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

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Other works cited in this record:

Electrostatic actuator, probe using the actuator, scanning probe microscope, processing apparatus, and recording/reproducing apparatus
patent, May 1998

Yasuda, Susumu; Yagi, Takayuki
US Patent Document 5,753,911
URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect2=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&d=PALL&RefSrch=yes&Query=PN/5753911

Multistable tunable micromechanical resonators
patent, June 1999

Adams, Scott; Wang, Yongmei; Macdonald, Noel
US Patent Document 5,914,553
URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect2=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&d=PALL&RefSrch=yes&Query=PN/5914553

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