A Numerical Study on a Pincette-like Device using Thermally Induced Knudsen Forces

Abstract

In this study, we demonstrate that thermally induced Knudsen forces in a rarefied gas can be exploited to achieve a tweezer-like mechanism to trap and grasp a micro-object without physical contact. Using the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method, we showed that a heated thin plate, mounted perpendicularly on a flat substrate, can act as the tweezer-like mechanism. Specifically, it is found that the pressure differences induced by the thermal edge flows around the corners of the beam and the tip of the thin plate, generate a force that attracts the beam to the plate horizontally and vertically.