Microgrippers realized by LIGA techniques

Development of new methods and techniques derived from microelectronics technology and devoted to the fabrication of small mechanical objects has yield the realization of micromechanical devices for actuating or sensing operations. However, among the devices built using these techniques, microgrippers have not received a great deal of interest. Most of the devices realized until now were generally composed of two thin cantilever beams electrostatically actuated. The efficiency of such devices for very precise microhandling application appears to be rather low. Also, their integration in a more complicated handling machine remains very difficult. A general study devoted to the design and realization of microgrippers for precision handling of very small objects is proposed and developed in this paper.