In precision assembly, the cost of machine technology increases significantly when high assembly accuracy
is required (<15 µm). One reason is that higher accuracy with conventional automation technology requires
much more precise and expensive machine components, such as bearings and actuators. Electrostatic selfassembly is a technique for the automatic alignment of micro-components without the need for precise
machines and thus has the potential to reduce fabrication costs significantly. With this technique, electrodes
are placed on the micro-components and the substrate. A low viscosity fluid is applied to the substrate and
the components are roughly positioned. One pair of electrodes on the component faces one pair of electrodes
on the substrate, equivalent to plate capacitors connected in series. If an alternating voltage is applied to the
substrate electrodes, an electric field is formed. This results in electrostatic attraction in the transversal and
lateral direction, which leads to an alignment of the components on the substrate. In this paper, we describe
the structure design process for electrostatic self-assembly. Instead of micro-components, we use a
rectangular glass wafer with a length of 125 mm. Within two test series, we prove that the existing technique
is also suitable for a larger scale.
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