Micro-miniature structures and method of fabrication thereof
First Claim
1. A method for fabricating a method, comprising the steps of:
- selecting a substrate material;
depositing on the substrate material a sacrificial layer of material;
patterning the sacrificial layer to define a shape;
depositing on the sacrificial layer a photoresist layer of material;
patterning the photoresist layer by contrast-enhanced photolithography to form a photoresist mold;
plating a metallic layer of material on the photoresist mold, said photoresist layer being patterned to provide a free standing metallic structure having an aspect ratio of at least 9;
1; and
dissolving the photoresist mold and the sacrificial layer using etchants to form a free standing metallic structure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In the fabrication of a free-standing miniaturized structure in a range of about 10 to 20 μm thick, a method based on a sacrificial system includes the steps of selecting a substrate material, depositing on the substrate material a sacrificial layer of material and patterning the sacrificial layer to define a shape. A photoresist layer of material is deposited on the sacrificial layer and patterned by contrast-enhanced photolithography to form a photoresist mold. Upon the mold there is plated a metallic layer of material. The electroplated structure conforms to the resist profile and can have a thickness many times that of conventional polysilicon microstructures. The photoresist mold and the sacrificial layer are thereafter dissolved using etchants to form a free standing metallic structure in a range of about 10 to 20 μm thick, with vertical to lateral aspect ratios of 9:1 to 10:1 or more.
60 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for fabricating a method, comprising the steps of:
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selecting a substrate material; depositing on the substrate material a sacrificial layer of material; patterning the sacrificial layer to define a shape; depositing on the sacrificial layer a photoresist layer of material; patterning the photoresist layer by contrast-enhanced photolithography to form a photoresist mold; plating a metallic layer of material on the photoresist mold, said photoresist layer being patterned to provide a free standing metallic structure having an aspect ratio of at least 9;
1; anddissolving the photoresist mold and the sacrificial layer using etchants to form a free standing metallic structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for fabricating methods having a substrate material and a free standing metallic structure positioned above the substrate, said structure being formed by the steps of:
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selecting a substrate material; depositing on the substrate material a sacrificial layer of material; patterning the sacrificial layer to define a shape; depositing on the sacrificial layer a photoresist layer of material; patterning the photoresist layer by contrast-enhanced photolithography to form a photoresist mold having one or more substantially vertical sidewalls, including masking the photoresist layer and exposing unmasked portions of the photoresist layer using a source of collimated radiation having a wavelength of about 365 nanometer, and thereafter photodeveloping the photoresist layer to remove the unmasked portions of the photoresist layer; electro-plating a metallic layer of material on the photoresist mold, said photoresist layer being patterned to provide a free standing metallic structure having an aspect ratio of at least 9;
1; anddissolving the photoresist mold and the sacrificial layer using etchants to form a free standing metallic structure. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for fabricating miniaturized structures having a substrate material and a free standing metallic structure positioned above the substrate, said structure being formed by the steps of:
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selecting a substrate material; depositing on the substrate material a sacrificial layer of material; patterning the sacrificial layer to define a shape; depositing on the sacrificial layer a photoresist layer of material; patterning the photoresist layer by contrast-enhanced photolithography to form a photoresist mold; plating a metallic layer of material on the photoresist mold, said photoresist layer being patterned to provide a free standing structure having an aspect ratio of at least 9;
1 and a vertical thickness between about 2-20 micrometers; anddissolving the photoresist mold and the sacrificial layer using etchants to form a free standing metallic structure.
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Specification