Hisayuki Aoyama

Desktop flexible manufacturing system by movable miniature robots-miniature robots with micro tool and sensor

This paper describes the basic structure and performance of miniature robots which incorporate micro-tool and micro-probe to perform practical precise operation. In the experiment, typical results in the microscopic level such as fine grating, micro indenting are demonstrated and it is discussed that strategy of a combination of centralized and distributed manner might be useful to achieve both productivity and flexibility in manufacturing and the architecture based on production process including capability recognition, initial planning, grouping and dispatching to the working area will be described to control multiple miniature robots under graphical simulation for the desktop precise flexible manufacturing system.

Miniature robot with micro capillary capturing probe

A micro capillary capturing probe which is based on surface tension of water is described. This probe is composed of a capillary of glass, small solenoids and a micro magnetic piston. The quick reciprocating motion of the magnetic piston, which is accelerated by the solenoid current, can push and pull the water in the capillary. At the end of the capillary, the water drop can grow to reach the small object on the surface, contain it with help of surface tension and retract it into the capillary. The simple principle and design are discussed and the experimental results of capturing small objects are demonstrated. This active probe has been successfully implemented into our miniature precise robot for surface clearing operation.

Scanning shearing‐stress microscope

A new scanning probe microscope based on a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and a frequency shift of an AT cut quartz resonator has been developed. The quartz resonator coupled to a STM sample is oscillated at its resonance frequency. The shift of the resonance frequency corresponds to the strength of the shearing stress in the sample, and is caused by the shearing force interaction between the STM tip and the sample under the tip scanning. The preliminary images presented show simultaneously STM surface topographies and the changes of subsurface shearing stresses in gold thin films. The sensitivity of our microscope is 0.30 N/m for a 0.2‐Hz frequency shift of the quartz crystal resonance frequency.

Ultrasonic micromachining on Al thin film using atomic force microscopy combined quartz crystal resonator

Abstract We have developed a novel micro-mechanical modification by combining a quartz crystal resonator and an atomic force microscope which has a very sharp diamond tip mounted on the end of a cantilever. The sample is deposited on the surface of AT-cut quartz crystal resonator which is able to oscillate the surface laterally at its resonance frequency of 5 MHz. The surfaces of the evaporated Al thin films were scratched with x—y scanning of 3 × 3 μm 2 with the loading force of 0.3–18.9 μN, and the topographies of the scratched areas were observed. The hollow areas which were scratched with the surface oscillation were several times deeper than the areas which were scratched without the surface oscillation. The depths of scratched hollows were dependent on the loading force, the repetition numbers of scanning scratches and scanning speed.

Miniature robots for a desktop flexible micro manufacturing system

This article describes the basic structure and performance of miniature robots which incorporate micro-tools and microprobes to produce micro-devices such as LSI materials. In the experiment, typical results at the microscopic level, such as fine grating and micro indenting, are demonstrated. It is suggested that a strategy of combining aspects in a centralized and distributed manner might be useful to increase both productivity and flexibility in manufacturing. The architecture, based on a production process including capability recognition, initial planning, grouping, and dispatching to the working area, is described to control multiple miniature robots under graphical simulation for the desktop precise flexible micro manufacturing system.

Fraunhofer diffraction of a slit aperture between a knife-edge and a metal cylinder

The Fraunhofer diffraction pattern of a slit aperture formed between a reference knife-edge and a metal-cylinder surface is different from that of an ideal slit aperture. This pattern should include reflected light coming from both the front and rear sides of a cylinder surface. To investigate the influence of light reflected from the cylinder surface, we discuss the theoretical consideration based on the simple model of the reflected light on the surface. The experimental setup is designed and constructed to measure the actual diffraction pattern produced by the slit between the knife-edge and the cylinder surface. As a result it is obvious that the reflection of diffracted light on the rear side is dominant in both the simulation and the experiment.

Origin and elimination of dynamic instability in a self-pumped phase-conjugate mirror.

The origin and the elimination of dynamic instability have been experimentally studied in a self-pumped phase-conjugate mirror (SPPCM) of a Cu:KNSBN crystal. Experimental results show that the dynamic instability of the SPPCM arises from the competition between the self-generated fanning effect and SPPCM formation. The ordinary-polarized component of a partially extraordinary-polarized incident light beam can act to decrease the self-generated fanning effect of the photorefractive crystal. We can eliminate the dynamic instability of the SPPCM by restraining the self-generated fanning effect with a partially extraordinary-polarized incident light beam.

Navigation and formation control for distributed miniature robots with micro tool and sensor

Multiple miniature robots with simple micro tool and sensor can provide great cost saving benefits particularly with an ultra precise manufacturing process. In our project, several miniature robots with reliable performance even in microscopic ranging are to be employed and managed for giving collaborative operation applicable to microfabrication. Graphical on-line simulation with a parallel processing facility is developed to check out the feasibility of initial plan and decision making for navigation and formation control of multiple miniature robots.

Scanning tunneling microscopy combined quartz crystal microbalance for study of NH3 adsorption on Ag thin film

Abstract Scanning tunneling microscopy for the observation of the surface topography and quartz crystal microbalance for the micro mass measurement of the thin film have been combined to investigate the morphology change of the surface of Ag thin film. Ag is evaporated on the surface of the AT-cut quartz crystal which is oscillated at the resonance frequency. The mass change for the adsorption or the desorption results in a shift in the resonance frequency. Thus the mass of the adsorption or the desorption can be measured by detecting the frequency shift of the quartz crystal oscillator. In situ morphology and mass changes as little as 320 ng cm−2 in the NH3 adsorbed process on Ag surface are observed by the combined system of the scanning tunneling microscopy and the quartz crystal microbalance.

High-performance double phase-conjugate mirror in KNSBN:Cu crystal

Abstract How to form a high-performance double phase-conjugate mirror in a KNSBN: Cu crystal is described. Based on great diffraction efficiency of four-wave mixing and low light losses, a high-performance KNSBN: Cu double phase-conjugate mirror was formed with modified-bridge geometry. A phase-conjugate transmissivity as high as 63% with 97% relative stability was observed, using a low power Ar + laser of 514 nm wavelength in Brewster angle incidence.