Dynamic Simulation of MEMS Self-Assembly Using Capillary Force

This paper presents a simulation of fluidic self-assembly using capillary force. The strong, close range attractive forces that govern the fluidic self-assembly technique are approximated by a model, which allows the application of efficient algorithms to predict system behavior. For a given volume of lubricant and binding sites design, the model predicts the assembled micro-parts self-assembly dynamic process by determining minimum energy configurations and the resistances, then estimating the self-assembly time and the results are compared with experimental observations. The behaviors of assembling microparts with different mass are analyzed. These results may be employed to the design of more efficient self-assembly systems