| 摘要 |
<p>A method and apparatus for transporting an object (22) from one workstation (24) to another (26), or for manipulating an object within the workstation, where the object or workstations may be contaminated with unwanted dirt or dust particles, are disclosed. The object is gripped at one work station with a movable transfer arm (28) having an end effect (30) composed of an array (40) of nanoscale projections (42,44), where each projection provides one or more distal contact ends, the density of contact ends is such as to grip a surface of the object with an intermolecular force sufficient to hold the object for movement, where the relative sizes of the object and particles are such that the object makes contact with severalfold times of the number of contact ends than contacted by such particles. After moving the gripped object to the other workstation, the end effector is manipulated to release the gripped object at the other workstation. Before, during or after transport of the object, the arm's end effector is brought into contact with a cleansing surface (32) having a surface energy interaction with particles carried on said effector as great or greater than the surface energy interaction between particles and effector, thereby to transfer such particles to the cleaning surface. Also disclosed is an apparatus for transporting small elements or objects in a nano- or microfabrication assembly or in printing.</p> |
