Towards automated handling on the nano-scale

Automated robot-based nanomanipulation is one of the key challenges of microsystem technology and nano-technology. Controlled, reproducible operation on the nano-scale will enable high-throughput manufacturing of revolutionary products and open up new application fields. The ultimate goal of these research activities is the development of automated nanomanipulation processes to build a bridge between existing precise handling strategies for micro- and nano-scale objects and aspired high-throughput fabrication of micro- and nanosystems. This paper describes our current work on different problems of nanohandling automation, both by nanorobots inside a scanning electron microscope and by an atomic force microscope applied as a nanorobot.