US 5,627,112 AGranted

Method of making suspended microstructures

AssigneeRockwell International Corporation

InventorsWilliam E. Tennant, Isoris S. Gergis, Charles W. Seabury

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Abstract

A suspended microstructure process assembly includes a first microstructure assembly, with a temporary substrate having a first surface and a first microstructure fabricated on the first surface; a second microstructure assembly, including a final substrate having a second surface and a second microstructure fabricated on the second surface; connecting elements for joining the first microstructure assembly to the second microstructure assembly with a predetermined separation and alignment; and a removable bond temporarily securing the first microstructure assembly to the second microstructure assembly until the temporary substrate is removed. The connecting elements may be electrically conductive contacts or electrically nonconductive spacers. Electrically conductive contacts may be supplied to the first microstructure from a back side of the first microstructure assembly. The first microstructure fabricated on the first surface may incorporate a removable layer to enable multiple level suspended structures.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A method of making a suspended microstructure, comprising the steps of:

providing a temporary substrate having a first surface;
fabricating a first microstructure on the first surface to form a first microstructure assembly;
providing a final substrate having a second surface;
fabricating a second microstructure on the second surface to form a second microstructure assembly;
forming at least one connecting element joining the first microstructure assembly and the second microstructure assembly such that the first and second surfaces are opposed with a predetermined separation and alignment between the first and second microstructures;
introducing a removable bonding medium into the separation between the first and second microstructures to temporarily secure the first microstructure assembly to the second microstructure assembly;
removing the temporary substrate after introducing the removable bonding medium;
and
removing the bonding medium, thereby leaving;
the first micro, structure affixed to the final substrate while preserving the separation and alignment between the first and second microstructures.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.