Method for forming a spring contact
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsDonald Leonard Smith, Andrew Sebastian Alimonda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A photolithographically patterned spring contact is formed on a substrate and electrically connects contact pads on two devices. The spring contact also compensates for thermal and mechanical variations and other environmental factors. An inherent stress gradient in the spring contact causes a free portion of the spring contact to bend up and away from the substrate. An anchor portion remains fixed to the substrate and is electrically connected to a first contact pad on the substrate. The spring contact is made of an elastic material and the free portion compliantly contacts a second contact pad, thereby electrically interconnecting the two contact pads.
Claims19
A method for forming a spring contact, comprising the steps of
- depositing a layer of an elastic material on a substrate, the elastic material having an inherent stress gradient, the inherent stress gradient biasing the elastic material away from the substrate;
- photolithographically patterning the layer of elastic material to form at least one spring contact having a free portion and an anchor portion;
- and
- under-cut etching a portion of the substrate under the at least one spring contact to release the free portion of the at least one spring contact from the substrate, and the anchor portion of the at least one spring contact remaining fixed to the substrate wherein the free portion is biased to move away from the substrate when released to contact a surface which is positioned opposite the substrate.
A method for forming a contact, comprising the steps of:
- fixing a first layer of an elastic material to a substrate
- fixing at least one additional layer of an elastic material to the first layer so the at least one additional layer has a different level of inherent stress than the first layer;
- photolithographically patterning the elastic material into at least one spring contact;
- and
- releasing a portion of the first layer from the substrate;
- wherein the released portion of the first layer is forced by an inherent stress gradient in the layers to move away from the substrate.
A method of forming a contact, comprising the steps of:
- fixing an elastic material having an inherent stress gradient to a substrate;
- photolithographically patterning the elastic material into at least one spring contact;
- and
- releasing a portion of the elastic material from the substrate so that the inherent stress gradient forces the portion of the elastic material to bend away from the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.