Silicon Electrostatic Motors

Magnetic forces are the dominant motive sources for large-scale actuators and hence, essentially all electric motors are electromagnetic motors. However, since magnetic forces scale poorly into the micro domain, useful electromagnetic motors less than 500 mm in volume do not exist. Automation of tasks requiring manipulation of small, delicate objects must currently be performed with relatively large actuators and mechanical systems. As an example, consider a robotic system that one of us built to handle small semiconductor chips with ten-micron accuracy. The system weighs a hundred pounds and occupies over thirty square feet of floor space.