Method of controlling the placement of micro-objects on a micro-assembler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11242244-B2
Application number	US-201816237419-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2018
Priority date	Dec 31, 2018
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

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 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. The control patterns may be part of a library of control patterns.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
detecting a set of micro-objects on a surface of a micro-assembler comprising an array of force generating pixels;
determining a set of positions of the set of micro-objects;
determining a second set of positions of the set of micro-objects;
identifying one or more types of the set of micro-objects;
identifying a set of control patterns from a control pattern library based on the set of positions and the one or more types of the set of micro-objects;
identifying a second set of control patterns from the control pattern library based on the second set of positions and the one or more types of the set of micro-objects;
manipulating the set of micro-objects using the set of control patterns, wherein each control pattern of the set of control patterns indicates a force pattern on a portion of the array of force generating pixels; and
manipulating the set of micro-objects using the second set of control patterns.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a set of orientations of the set of micro-objects, wherein the set of control patterns is identified further based on the set of orientations of the set of micro-objects.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control pattern library comprises control patterns that cause one or more of electrophoretic forces or dielectrophoretic forces to be exerted on the set of micro-objects.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more of electrophoretic forces or dielectrophoretic forces one or more of:
move the set of micro-objects;
hold the set of micro-objects in an area;
rotate the set of micro-objects; and
change a set of orientations of the set of micro-objects.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining a set of positions of the set of micro-objects comprises:
obtaining an image of the set of micro-objects; and
analyzing the image to determine the set of positions of the set of micro-objects.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of positions of the set of micro-objects is determined by determining a set of boundaries of the set of micro-objects.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of control patterns are one or more of:
automatically generated by a computing device;
based on user input; and
based on previous testing of the set of control patterns.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of control patterns indicate voltages with different polarity.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of control patterns indicates at least one refresh rate for a first control pattern of the set of control patterns.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein each control pattern of the set of control patterns further indicates a center position and an orientation for a respective voltage pattern.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein manipulating the set of micro-objects on the surface of the micro-assembler comprises:
controlling orientations of the set of micro-objects in three dimensions relative to the surface of the micro-assembler.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein different control patterns of the set of control patterns are used at different time periods.

Assignees

• Palo Alto Res Ct Inc

Inventors

• Plochowietz Anne
• Rupp Bradley
• Lu Jengping
• Bert Julie A
• Crawford Lara S
• Raychaudhuri Sourobh
• Chow Eugene M
• Shreve Matthew
• Butylkov Sergey

Classifications

• H10P72/0618

  using identification means, e.g. labels on substrates or labels on containers · CPC title

• H10P72/0611

  Sorting devices · CPC title

• H10W72/0198

  batch processes · CPC title

• Y10T29/5313

  Means to assemble electrical device · CPC title

• Y10T29/49131

  by utilizing optical sighting device · CPC title