| 摘要 |
A system and method which provide a non-biological self replicating manufacturing system ("SRMS") are disclosed. A preferred embodiment provides an SRMS that enables assembly stations to replicate. In a preferred embodiment, positional assembly is utilized by one or more assembly stations to construct like assembly stations. Furthermore, in a most preferred embodiment, such assembly stations are small scale devices that are capable of working with small scale parts, such as micron-scale, nanometer-scale or even molecular-scale parts, in order to construct like assembly devices. The SRMS of a preferred embodiment performs surface-to-surface assembly. For example, an assembly station on a first surface (e.g., wafer), Surface A, constructs a like assembly station on another surface (e.g., wafer), Surface B. The SRMS is preferably implemented such that the construction of assembly stations is accomplished efficiently. For example, such construction may be performed in a ping-pong manner between the two surfaces, or such construction may be performed in parallel between the two surfaces. Most preferably, the assembly stations replicate at an exponential rate. The SRMS of a preferred embodiment may be implemented to enable multi-generational growth of assembly stations, in which a first generation of assembly station(s) assemble a second (or "later") generation of assembly stations. Thereafter, such later generation of assembly stations may further assemble even later generation of assembly stations, and so on. It should be understood that the assembly stations of each generation may be identical, or assembly stations of one generation may differ from those of another generation. |
