Method of producing a contact structure

A method of producing a contact structure having a contactor for achieving an electrical connection with a contact target, comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate having a planar surface thereon;
• forming a groove on the planar surface of the substrate and filling in the groove with a sacrificial material;
• forming a plastic layer on the sacrificial material and the planar surface of the substrate;
• positioning a mold insert over the plastic layer, the mold insert having a shape representing at least a part of the contactor to be formed on the substrate;
• pressing the mold insert into the plastic layer in a high temperature environment;
• removing the mold insert from the plastic layer in a low temperature environment to form a plating pattern transferred from the mold insert on the plastic layer;
• electroplating the plating pattern on the plastic layer to form the contactor;
• and
• removing the plastic layer and the sacrificial material from the substrate;
• wherein the contactor has a horizontal portion and a contact portion vertically formed on one end of the horizontal portion, and the horizontal portion produces a contact force when the contactor is pressed against the contact target.

A method of producing a contact structure having a contactor for achieving an electrical connection with a contact target, comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate having a planar surface thereon;
• forming a photoresist layer on the planar surface of the substrate;
• positioning a photomask over the photoresist layer, the photomask having a pattern representing at least a part of the contactor expressed by transparent portions, opaque portions and semi-transparent portions;
• exposing the photoresist layer with light and removing uncured parts of the photoresist to form a plating pattern on the photoresist layer transferred from the photomask;
• electroplating the plating pattern on the photoresist layer to form the contactor;
• repeating the above procedure for forming a remaining part of the contactor;
• and
• removing one or more photoresist layers from the substrate;
• wherein the contactor has a horizontal portion and a contact portion vertically formed on one end of the horizontal portion, and the horizontal portion produces a contact force when the contactor is pressed against the contact target.

A method of producing a contact structure having a contactor for achieving an electrical connection with a contact target, comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate having a planar surface thereon;
• forming a groove on the planar surface of the substrate and filling in the groove with a sacrificial material;
• forming a photoresist layer on the sacrificial material and the planar surface of the substrate;
• positioning a photomask over the photoresist layer, the photomask having a pattern representing the contactor expressed by transparent portions, opaque portions and semi-transparent portions;
• exposing the photoresist layer with light and removing uncured parts of the photoresist to form a plating pattern on the photoresist layer transferred from the photomask;
• electroplating the plating pattern on the plastic layer to form the contactor;
• and
• removing the photoresist layer and the sacrificial material from the substrate;
• wherein the contactor has a horizontal portion and a contact portion vertically formed on one end of the horizontal portion, and the horizontal portion produces a contact force when the contactor is pressed against the contact target.