Motivation
Reproducible manufacturing of micro- and nano-enabled devices in series is the most essential enabler for translating devices that are explored in early-stage research into products that will impact industry and society.
Research in the micro and nano-scale domain has led to great advancement in the understanding of a wide variety of basic phenomena and material building blocks at the small length scale. For experimental validation of the functionalities these phenomena and building blocks provide, often high-end machines are used and dedicated experimental procedures are developed. The number of samples produced is usually very limited, and establishing a manufacturing procedure for sample build is part of the research efforts.
While this is a common and acceptable situation in device-oriented research at early stages of maturity, i.e. at low TRL (Technology Readiness Level), the translation into products with complete functionality and meeting relevant specifications asks for applying another design and manufacturing paradigm.
Research program
My research program aims to establish the knowledge and technologies for scale-up manufacture of micro- and nano-enabled products. This includes the definition of suitable, series manufacturing-oriented manufacturing strategies, the development of robust enabling technologies, and the establishment of designer knowledge for both the product designer (Design for micro-Manufacturing and Assembly) and the manufacturing process designer.
My current activities focus on (1) micro-assembly and specifically ultra-fast micro-chip assembly; (2) the manufacturing of mechanical metamaterials; and (3) the small-series manufacture of miniaturized medical devices.
Micro-assembly, ultra-fast chip assembly
When component sizes decrease and precision demands get higher, assembly becomes a challenge. In past work I focused on extreme precision photonic alignment, self-assembly of discrete devices, and micro-part gripping and handling.
A major current research program is the X.AL project (eXtreme Assembly Lab), for which I am the scientific lead. This project is a direct collaboration with the Dutch company ITEC. A team of five PhD’s and 3 Postdocs, together with R&D staff both from TU Delft and ITEC, collaborate on establishing the technologies for next generation very precise micro-chip assembly processes. We aim to replace the current mechanical assembly process by field-based, non/soft-contact processes. This significantly increases the throughput and reduces cost per placement.
PhD researchers: Ahmed Abdelwahab, Vincent Bos, Filippo Maria Conte Capodacqua, Frederike Wörtche, Ruibo Yu.
Postdoc researchers: Zohreh Farmani
TU Delft staff involved: Dr. Nandini Bhattacharya, Dr. Massimo Mastrangeli, Prof. Dr. Peter Steeneken, Dr. Gerard Verbiest.
Manufacture of mechanical metamaterials
Mechanical metamaterials are architected materials with a rationally designed internal structure to achieve unique properties and functionalities, beyond the bulk properties of the constituent materials. Significant progress has been made in the research domain, exploring a variety of properties. Often, metamaterial demonstrators are made using 3D printing, in materials and at a length-scale that is available to the research team.
We research manufacturing procedures for the robust manufacturing of mechanical metamaterials. I lead the NWO/OTP-funded MECOMOS (Mechanical metamaterials for compact motion systems) project, in which we work with 2PhD’s and 1 Postdoc on metamaterials that will be used to precisely align optical components in high-tech machines. The core manufacturing challenges we address are: miniaturization at the metamaterial’s unit cell level, multi-material manufacturing (e.g. for actuated metamaterials), manufacturing in application-relevant materials, precise and series-oriented manufacturing.
PhD researchers: Hava Bilyalova, Pierre Roberjot
Postdoc researcher: Tanveer ul Islam
Co-PI's: Dr. Ir. Hans Goosen, Prof. Dr. Ir. Just Herder
User committee: Airbus Netherlands, ITEC, Demcon Focal, Morphotonics
Small-series manufacturing of miniaturized medical devices
Minimally invasive interventions are essential in the clinical treatment of patients. The availability of sophisticated instruments is the key enabler for this type of health care. Many new diagnostic and treatment modalities are being explored in instrument research laboratories.
We aim to accelerate and increase the success-rate of the innovation process of advanced medical instruments. We set out to establish systematic design methods and to develop technologies for the integration of multi-functional miniaturized instruments in small series. This will enable the translation of research prototypes to small series of reproducible instruments that can be used in first in-human clinical tests.
Co-PI: Prof. Dr. Gijs van Soest (ErasmusMC and Medical Delta professor at TU Delft/PME)
Past projects
Nanoparticles: deposition and functional structures.
PhD researcher: Saleh Aghajani. Co-PI: Dr. Angelo Accardo.
PhD thesis: Dry Aerosol Direct Writing for Selective Nanoparticle Deposition (2023).
iMicrofluidics (Integrated Microfluidic Sensors and Actuators Platform).
Funding: Bronkhorst High-Tech & TKI.
PhD researcher Gürhan Özkayar. Lead PI: Dr. Murali Ghatkesar.
Key publications: Portable and integrated microfluidic flow control system using off-the-shelf components towards organs-on-chip applications (2023), Flow Ripple Reduction in Reciprocating Pumps by Multi-Phase Rectification (2023)
Multi-stable mechanical metastructures.
PhD researcher: Yong Zhang. Lead PI: Prof. Dr. Ir. Fred van Keulen.
PhD thesis: Design, modeling and characterization of multi-stable metastructures for shape reconfiguration and energy absorption (2022).
PHASTFLex: Photonic Hybrid ASsembly Through FLEXible waveguides.
Funding: EU FP7 (co-PI).
PhD researcher: Kai Wu.
Key publications: Post-Release Deformation and Motion Control of Photonic Waveguide Beams by Tuneable Electrothermal Actuators in Thick SiO2 (2018), In-plane positioning of flexible silicon-dioxide photonic waveguides (2017)
Flex‐O‐Guides, On‐chip alignment of flexible optical waveguide structures.
Funding: STW Perspectief programme Generic Technologies for Integrated Photonics (GTIP). 11355.
PhD researcher: Tjitte-Jelte Peters.
PhD thesis: Silicon dioxide photonic mems: Chip-to-chip alignment with positionable waveguides (2019)
Chip2Foil – Ultra‐thin chip integration process for low-cost communicative polymer foils. Funding: EU FP7 (lead PI).
PhD researcher: Emine Eda Kuran.
PhD thesis: Magnetic Self-Assembly with Unique Rotational Alignment (2015)
Photonic chip-to-chip alignment.
Funding: Smart Mix Programme MEMPHIS (Merging Electronics and Micro & nano PHotonics in Integrated Systems).
PhD researcher: Hans van Gurp.
PhD thesis: Sub-micrometer accurate passive alignment of photonic chips - Submicrometer nauwkeurige passieve uitlijning van fotonische chips (2013)
Gripper with force sensing capabilities for haptic assembly.
Postdoc researcher: Marcello Porta.
Funding: MicroNed program.
Key publications: 6 DOF force and torque sensor for micro-manipulation applications (2012); Integrated piezoresistive force and position detection sensors for micro-handling applications (2013)
Haptic teleoperated micro-assembly.
Funding: MicroNed program.
PhD researcher: Pablo Estevez Castillo. Lead PI: Prof. Ir. Rob Munnig-Schmidt.
PhD thesis: Slave-side devices for micromanipulation in a haptic teleoperation scenario (2012).
DIVAN (Discrete Volume Assembly at Nano-Scale).
Personal fellowship. Marie Curie Research fellow.
Location: Imperial College London. Host: Prof. De. RIchard Syms.
Funding: FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF – 253731.
Key publication: Nanospray Dielectrophoresis
Batch assembly of hybrid microsystems.
Funding: MicroNed, Point-One/MEMSLand.
PhD researcher: Iwan Kurniawan.
PhD thesis: Dry self-alignment for discrete components: Exploiting combinations of electrostatic fields and mechanical features (2010)
Technologies for in-package optical fibre-chip coupling.
Funding: IOP Precision Engineering programme (IPT02310).
PhD researcher: Vincent Henneken.
PhD thesis: Product-internal assembly functions: A novel micro-assembly concept applied to optical interconnects (2008)
Micro-part handling.
PhD researcher: Defeng Lang.
PhD thesis: A study on micro-gripping technologies (2008)
Research leader Marcel Tichem, Associate Professor Mechanical Engineering/Micro and Nano Engineering