Rebecca Kate Banner 
Advisor: Dr. Michael Filler Dr. Eric Vogel

will propose a doctoral thesis entitled,

Fluidic Release and Adaptive Interconnection for Distributed Micromodular Manufacturing

On

Thursday, August 27 at 11 am.
Love Building Room 210

and/or

 Virtually via MS Teams

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/2544541598578?p=fO1Hkfy2luTTnpDsv7

Meeting ID: 254 454 159 857 8

Passcode: BX26Mq2n

Committee
Dr. Michael Filler- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (Advisor)

Dr. Eric Vogel - School of Materials Science and Engineering (Co-advisor)

Dr. Victor Breedveld - School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Dr. Anju Toor - School of Materials Science and Engineering

Dr. Juan-Pablo Correa-Baen - School of Materials Science and Engineering

Abstract

The semiconductor industry has achieved extraordinary control over device performance at the wafer scale, but no existing route reconciles that performance with the substrate flexibility, accessibility, speed, and heterogeneous integration needed for on-demand fabrication of application-specific microelectronics. Fluidic release and adaptive interconnection enable microchiplets, individually fabricated semiconductor devices, to be released into suspension, deposited stochastically, identified by computer vision, and interconnected according to their realized position. However, widespread implementation is limited by challenges in substrate-dependent electrical performance, microchiplet misalignment, scalable release, and control over microchiplet design across the integrated process. Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive approach spanning substrate compatibility, adaptive interconnection, scalable release and transport, and integrated process design, pursued through four research aims. The first determines which interfacial properties govern adhesion after transfer, establishing design rules for microchiplet transfer across substrate classes. The second addresses microchiplet misalignment through automated, computer-vision-based detection and adaptive routing that wires microchiplets into functional circuits. The third establishes scalable microchiplet release and transport, identifying process conditions that balance release completeness against mechanical integrity. The fourth applies design-space variation across microchiplet size, shape, and process conditions, controlling release, placement, and orientation within the now-integrated flow. By integrating substrate characterization, adaptive interconnection, scalable release, and integrated process design, this work establishes a systematic framework for distributed, fluidic microelectronic manufacturing. The outcomes will provide practical design rules for microchiplet transfer, release, and deposition, enabling scalable, application-matched heterogeneous electronics.