A one-finger adhesive type probe was constructed to assemble objects tens to hundreds of microns in size by utilizing adhesion forces in a humid environment. The interactive forces and the influencing factors during the assembly operation were analyzed with a theoretical contact model. Micro-objects with different surface conditions and materials were tested. Experimental results achieved in a humid environment (relative humidity=60%) of lifting polymer spheres are presented here. The success rate of picking up polymer spheres with sizes from 90 to 190μm from a gold coated substrate was about 0.7. Using this method, microgears with a size of 54μm and their shafts fabricated by two-photon stereo lithography technology were assembled successfully. Our experimental results demonstrate that an adhesive type probe is competent for small batch microdevice assembly tasks in humid environments.

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