Metal plated spring structure

A method for fabricating a spring structure on a substrate, the method comprising:

• forming a spring metal island on a release material layer, wherein the spring metal island has internal stress variations in the growth direction;
• selectively removing a first portion of the release material layer from beneath a free portion of the spring metal island using a release mask that covers an anchor portion of the spring metal island and a portion of the release material layer, where upon removing the first portion of the release material layer, the internal stress variations cause the free portion of the spring metal island to bend relative to the substrate, thereby forming a spring metal finger;
• and
• forming a plated metal layer on the free portion of the spring metal finger.

A method for fabricating a spring structure on a substrate, the method comprising:

• etching a spring metal island from a stress-engineered metal film using a first mask, wherein the spring metal island is formed on a release material layer;
• removing the first mask;
• forming a second mask over a first portion of the spring metal island, wherein a second portion of the spring metal island is exposed through a window formed in the second mask;
• selectively removing a portion of the release material layer from beneath the second portion of the spring metal island, where upon removing the portion of the release material layer, the internal stress variations cause the second portion of the spring metal island to bend relative to the substrate, thereby forming a spring metal finger;
• and
• forming a plated metal layer on the bent portion of the spring metal finger;
• and
• removing the second mask.