Lithographic contact elements

A method of fabricating a contact element comprising:

• patterning a first masking material on a surface of a substrate to have a first opening over an area of the substrate;
• depositing a first conductive material in the first opening;
• planarizing a first surface of the first conductive material and the first masking material;
• patterning a second masking material on the first surface having a second opening over the first conductive material;
• depositing a second conductive material in the second opening;
• planarizing a second surface of the second conductive material and the second masking material;
• and
• removing the first masking material and the second masking material so that the remaining first conductive material and the second conductive material form a free-standing contact element extending from the surface of the substrate, the contact element having a post portion that is secured to the area of the substrate and a beam portion.

A method of fabricating contact elements comprising:

• patterning a first masking material on a surface of a substrate to have a first opening over a first area of the substrate and a second opening over a second area of the substrate;
• depositing a first conductive material in the first opening and in the second opening;
• planarizing a first surface of the first conductive material and the first masking material;
• patterning a second masking material on the first surface having a third opening over the first conductive material in the first opening and a fourth opening over the first conductive material in the second opening and at least one of laterally and transversely offset from the first conductive material in the second opening;
• depositing a second conductive material in the third opening and the fourth opening;
• planarizing a second surface of the second conductive material and the second masking material;
• patterning a third masking material on the second surface having a fifth opening over the second conductive material in the third opening and a sixth opening over the second conductive material in the fourth opening;
• depositing a third conductive material in the fifth opening and the sixth opening;
• planarizing a third surface of the third conductive material and the third masking material;
• patterning a fourth masking material on the third surface having a seventh opening over the third conductive material in the fifth opening and at least one of laterally and transversely offset from the third conductive material in the fifth opening and an eighth opening over the third conductive material in the sixth opening;
• depositing a fourth conductive material in the seventh opening and the eighth opening;
• planarizing a fourth surface of the fourth conductive material and the fourth masking material;
• patterning a fifth masking material on the fourth surface having a ninth opening over the fourth conductive material in the seventh opening and a tenth opening over the fourth conductive material in the eighth opening;
• depositing a fifth conductive material in the ninth opening and the tenth opening;
• and
• removing the first masking material, the second masking material, the third masking material, the fourth masking material, and the fifth masking material so that the remaining first conductive material, second conductive material, third conductive material, fourth conductive material, and fifth conductive material to form free-standing contact elements.

A method of forming a contact element comprising:

• successively patterning a first and a second layer of masking material over a substrate, each layer of masking material having an opening;
• depositing a first conductive material after patterning said first layer of masking material and depositing a second conductive material after patterning said second layer of making material to form an electromechanical contact element having:
• a first portion formed in an opening in said first masking material layer,
• a second portion coupled to the first portion and formed in an opening in said second masking material layer, and
• removing the plurality of layers of masking material.