Patent ID: 9567213
Date: 2017-02-14
CPC Classifications: B81B,B81C,B82Y,G02B,H01L

Claim:
1. A method for fabricating a MEMS device comprising the steps of: providing a substrate including a MEMS structure having at least a portion raised to a first height above a substrate surface, the MEMS structure protected by a sacrificial polymer; depositing a first seed layer including a Group IVA-metal over the substrate surface; depositing a second seed layer including a metal of high conductivity over the first seed layer, forming a first vertical pile; forming a first mask layer over a region of the second seed layer, the region having a first width and a contour continuously peripherally surrounding the MEMS structure and laterally spaced from the MEMS structure; etching the first pile un-covered by the first mask layer, leaving the first pile of first width un-etched while creating sidewalls for the first pile, then removing the first mask layer; plating a first vertical stack of one or more metal layers over the width and sidewalls of the first pile, the first stack including a top layer of a first metal having a height equal to or greater than the first height; removing the sacrificial polymer; dispensing a getter and passivation material; providing a cap having a surface with a second pile of seed layers with sidewalls and a lateral continuous contour similar to but of lesser or greater lateral width than the contour of the first pile, and further with a second stack of one or more metal layers over the width and sidewalls of the second pile, the second stack including a top layer of a second metal; aligning the cap and the substrate to bring the top layer of the second metal into contact with the top layer of the first metal, with a greater lateral spacing of the first or second metal of the top layer of lesser lateral width than the lateral spacing of the second or first metal of the top layer of greater lateral width from the MEMS structure; and applying thermal energy to the one of the first and second metals having a lower melting temperature to liquefy and dissolve the one of the first and second metals into the other of the first and second metals by forming one or more intermetallic compounds of the first and second metals.