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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11772964-B2
Application number	US-202217665305-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2022
Priority date	Dec 31, 2018
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

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 current state of a set of micro-objects located on a surface of a micro-assembler comprising a plurality of force generating pixels;
determining a next mode for a control component based on the current state of the set of micro-objects, wherein the control component is in a current mode;
identifying a set of control patterns based on the next mode; and
manipulate the set of micro-objects using the set of control patterns, wherein each control pattern of the set of control patterns indicates a voltage pattern on a portion of the plurality of force generating pixels;
wherein a second set of control patterns is used to manipulate the set of micro-objects when the control component is in the current mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the current mode of the control component comprises one or more of:
a rotating mode;
an unsticking mode;
an anchoring mode;
a translating mode;
a pulling down mode;
a transferring mode; and
an unassigned mode.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the next mode is determined further based on a desired state for the set of micro-objects.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the current state of the set of micro-objects is determined when the control component is in a translation mode.

5. 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.

6. 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.

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

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein manipulating the set of micro-objects comprises:
identifying a set of target areas;
associating the set of micro-objects with the set of target areas; and
moving the set of micro-objects to the set of target areas.

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

Assignees

• Palo Alto Res Ct Inc
• Xerox Corp

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