Abstract:
Disclosed herein are methods of fabricating three dimensional Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS). This method involved stacking of silicon-containing components which are separated by spacers. The stacked components are precision aligned and then may be bonded, retained or fastened together to form a rigid structure. Spaces created between MEMS device components by the separations may be filled with an electrically isolating fluid such as a gas or vacuum. Also disclosed is a method of aligning components relative to each other and an alignment jig which may be used to align the components.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention pertains to the fabrication of three dimensional Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS). In particular, the invention relates to the fabrication of three dimensional MEMS which rely on alignment to provide functionality.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Within the field of integrated circuit (IC) fabrication, there is continuing interest in finding ways to increase the density of electronic parts such as transistors, and to shrink the interconnection of these parts. Recently, there has been great interest in miniature machines which combine electrical, optical and mechanical functional features. These micromachines are frequently referred to as Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS), Bio-MEMS, and Micro-Opto-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MOEMS).  
           [0003]    To produce the miniature electrical devices in MEMS, those skilled in the art frequently use stacks of alternating layers of conductive material, separated by electrically insulating material, with electrical interconnects between various conductive regions in the stack. Typically, the insulating material has been glass which is anodically bonded to a conductive material such as silicon. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/739,078, of Harald S. Gross, filed Dec. 13, 2000, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, describes an improved method of anodic bonding of a stack of conductive and electrically insulating glass layers in a single bonding step. Also, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/160,215 of Harald S. Gross, filed on May 28, 2002, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, describes a method of producing electrical interconnects within such a stack of layers.  
           [0004]    There is a clear need for a cheap and efficient method of fabricating microelectronic structures which can perform at the temperature capability of silicon, which can be machined to silicon tolerances.  
           [0005]    One technology which is used within the MEMS and MOEMS industry is microcolumns. Microcolumns are high-aspect-ratio micromechanical structures including microlenses and deflectors. The microlenses are frequently multilayers of silicon chips (with membrane windows for the lens electrodes) or silicon membranes spaced apart by 100-500 μm thick insulating layers. The lenses have bore diameters that vary from a few to several hundred μm. For optimum performance, the structural alignment accuracy between the components should be in the few μm range. Particularly in the telecommunications industry, in order to achieve high performance, the components like glass fibers are precisely aligned and subsequently bonded.  
           [0006]    In the past, there have been several approaches to achieve alignment accuracy. In most cases highly sophisticated tools which utilize marks on the surface of each micro-fabricated structure are used to align the components using an optical inspection tool. However such alignment equipment is very expensive. Also, a satisfying throughput rate can not be achieved with such tools if more than two components need to be aligned. Generally, the optical tool aligns just two components which are subsequently bonded. When three components are involved, the optical tool follows the same procedure; this means that the first two components are aligned and bonded and then the bonded components are then aligned with and bonded to a third component. Therefore, the process itself becomes a serial aligning and bonding method. It can be seen that efficiency of such alignment tool is low. The throughput rate is a function of the number of necessary repetitions in respect to a two component system. Moreover, there is a fast growing demand for applications that require the assembly of more than just two components, and for those applications alignment using optical system would be impractical.  
           [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,281,508 B1 issued Aug. 28, 2001 to Lee et al., and assigned to the Assignee of the present invention describes a method and the associated apparatus for alignment and assembly of microlenses and microcolumns. In the Lee et al. patent, aligning structures such as rigid fibers are used to precisely align multiple microlens components. Alignment openings are formed in the microlens components and standard optical fibers are threaded through the openings in each microlens component as they are stacked. However, the patent does not describe how the glass fibers are moved practically during the alignment procedure. Also, the patent does not mention how to achieve the necessary parallelism of the fibers. The second method described in the patent involves a “snap-mechanism” of the fiber into holes of the components, which have a smaller size than the fiber itself. In addition, the method described in this patent is a serial assembly process rather than a parallel assembly. Therefore, the method could run into the problem of throughput efficiency described above. Moreover, the assembly explained in this patent is uses an alternating layers of microlens components with glass which the present invention is trying to avoid.  
           [0008]    There is clearly a need for a cheap and efficient method of aligning components of MEMS, bio-MEMS, and MOEMS structures to meet the precision and accuracy requirements described above.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    We have developed a method of fabricating MEMS structures using silicon components which are electrically isolated by a fluid, typically gas or a vacuum. Also disclosed is a cheap and efficient device for aligning components used in the fabrication of microelectronic and/or microoptical structures of the kind fabricated using the presently described method.  
           [0010]    One embodiment of a method disclosed herein is the fabrication of a MEMS structure using silicon components which employ gas or vacuum for electrical isolation purposes. As an example, the method includes stacking of at least two silicon components. The method includes placing at least one first spacer on a surface of a first silicon component, then stacking a second silicon component over the first silicon component, with the second silicon component resting on the at least one first spacer. At least one second spacer may be stacked over the second silicon component, followed by stacking a third silicon component over the second spacer and so on. The stacked components are then aligned and retained, fastened or bonded together to form a MEMS structure. Microcolumns of various sizes and shapes can be formed using this method.  
           [0011]    Another embodiment of the invention is a method of fabricating the microelectronic components by etching silicon components and spacers on silicon wafers. Stacking the silicon wafers one on top of the other, using an alignment jig and then retaining, fastening, or bonding the stacked wafers together. Components and spacers may be etched on a single wafer, or components may be etched on one wafer while spacers are etched on another wafer, so that the desired structure is obtained when the wafers are stacked.  
           [0012]    Another embodiment of the invention is a method of fabricating the microeletronic components by etching silicon-containing components and spacers on silicon-containing wafers, where the components and spacers can be stamped out of the wafer to provide individual components and spacers for a device. The components are then stacked, with the use of the spacers, to provide particular device structures. Prior to bonding, fastening or retaining components within the stacked structure, the components are aligned relative to each other using an alignment jig. The spaces between silicon-containing components may be filled with a gas or vacuum or with a liquid dielectric material which is cured in place to provide electrical isolation of the silicon and other conductive elements present in the device. The silicon-containing components may be retained relative to each other using a retainer or fastener or a built-in interlocking mechanism within the structure.  
           [0013]    One apparatus useful in alignment of the components is a specially designed jig fixture we developed which is precise and cost effective. The alignment jig has a base plate where the silicon wafers or components to be aligned are placed. The jig also has a cantilever arm, including a leaf spring which adds flexibility to the cantilever arm. The base plate of the alignment jig has two fixed posts mounted perpendicular to the base plate. The silicon wafers or components to be aligned have grooves, indentations or other shapes which are present at the periphery of the wafer or component, in a manner such that the wafer or component can be stacked against the two fixed posts on the base plate. The alignment jig cantilever arm includes a turning head containing a tilting frame with an internal pin mounted within the tilting frame, which pin pushes against a wall of a wafer or component and generates a rotation. The wafer or component rotates around an axis comprising one of the poles on the base plate which is fitted into a shape (typically a groove) on the wafer or component, until the wafer or component motion is stopped by the second pole on the base plate, which is in contact with another shape on the periphery of the wafer or component. Typically the wafers or components are rotated until two shapes, such as grooves, on the wafers or components are in direct contact with the two poles on the base plate, and a third shape on the periphery of the wafer or component is in contact with the pin on the pusher. The process is applied to a plurality of wafers or components so that when the rotation is stopped the stacked wafers or individual components are all aligned with respect to one another.  
           [0014]    Another embodiment of the invention involves an alignment jig which aligns at least two wafers, chips, or device components by utilizing alignment shapes located on the surface of wafers, chips, or device components. The alignment jig has a base plate with two fixed poles where the wafers, chips or device components to be aligned are placed. The jig also has a cantilever arm, which is used in combination with the base plate. The cantilever arm is attached to a stand which is placed on a slider. The slider is on rails which enables the stand to move along a line of pushing. The cantilever arm also has a first holder which is connected to the stand. A leaf spring is connected to the first holder at one end and to a second holder at the other end. The second holder is further attached to a turning head that can freely rotate around the center line of pushing. A tilting frame is rotatably mounted on the turning head so that the tilting frame can tilt freely in respect to the turning head. A pushing pin is mounted within the tilting frame. The alignment jig provides at least four degrees of freedom which include the sliding movement of the stand, movement of the leaf spring at various angles from the line of pushing (and parallel to the base plate), rotation of the turning head circumferentially around the center line of pushing and tilting of the frame in a plane perpendicular to a center line through the turning head.  
           [0015]    Another embodiment of the invention involves fabricating a device structure by stacking a number of silicon-containing components and aligning them using a jig such as the one described above and then fastening, retaining or bonding the components together into a rigid structure. The silicon-containing components are separated from one another by spacers which may be of varying height so that the desired nominal spacing is achieved between various components. Disposed in the open spaces between the silicon-containing components may be electrically insulating components, a gas composition, or a vacuum. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]    The foregoing and other aspects of the invention will be appreciated in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and a detailed description which follows.  
         [0017]    FIGS.  1 A- 1 D illustrate one embodiment of fabrication of a three dimensional MEMS structure, using spacers made of silicon to separate silicon components from one another. Vacuum or a gaseous composition or an electrically insulating component is present in the space between the silicon components.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1A shows a schematic of a top view of a silicon-containing chip  108  having a first triangular silicon component  104  etched through it, with silicon bridges  106  holding the silicon component  104  in place within the silicon-containing chip  108 .  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1B shows a schematic of a top view of a portion of a silicon-containing chip  128  having a first set of spacers  129  etched through it, with silicon bridges  126  holding the spacers  129  in place within the silicon-containing chip  128 .  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1C shows a schematic of the top view of a portion of a silicon-containing chip  138  having a second triangular silicon component  144  etched through it. This figure further shows the second triangular component  144  rotated with respect to the frame. This figure also includes additional spacers  146 .  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 1D shows a schematic top view of a portion of a silicon-containing chip  168  where a second set of spacers  150  are etched through it with silicon bridges  166  holding the spacers  150  in place within silicon-containing chip  168 .  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 2A shows the top view of a stack  203  which includes a silicon component  202  stacked over a second silicon component  204 . Stack  203  is formed by stacking, bonding and removing the frame of components and spacers shown in FIGS. 1 a - 1   d.    
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 2B shows the side view of the stack  203  shown in FIG. 2A. This side view shows the spacial relationship between silicon first component  202  and second component  204 . A first set of spacers  208  attached to first silicon component  202  maintains a separation  206  from second silicon component  204 , which has shorter spacers  210 .  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 3A shows a top view of a silicon wafer  370 , which has been etched to form a variety of microcolumn components and spacers. The etched silicon wafer components are for use in the manufacture of a MEMS structure.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 3B shows an enlargement of a portion of the etched silicon wafer of FIG. 3A.  
         [0026]    FIGS.  4 A- 4 D show chips  410 ,  430 ,  450  and  470 , which were etched out of a wafer.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 4A shows top view of a silicon chip  410  which was etched out of a wafer of the kind described in FIG. 3A with the chip  410  having silicon posts  401 - 408  which are held in place by silicon frame  400 .  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 4B shows top view of a silicon chip  430  which was etched out of a wafer of the kind described in FIG. 3A with the chip  430  having silicon posts  421 - 428  and a component  438 , which are held in place by silicon frame  420 .  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 4C shows top view of a silicon chip  450  which was etched out of a wafer of the kind described in FIG. 3A with the chip  450  having silicon posts  442 - 445  which are held in place by silicon frame  440 .  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 4D shows top view of a silicon chip  470  which was etched out of a wafer of the kind described in FIG. 3A with the chip  470  having silicon posts  462 - 465  and a component  478 , which are held in place by silicon frame  460 .  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 4E shows a top view of MEMS structure  480 . The MEMS structure  480  is fabricated by stacking chips, shown in FIGS.  4 A- 4 D.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 4F shows a schematic of a cross section of the MEMS structure  480  shown in FIG. 4E.  
         [0033]    FIGS.  5 A- 5 C show various elements of an alignment jig  500 .  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 5A shows a schematic of part of an alignment jig  500 ; the part of the alignment jig shown includes a base plate  502  with two fixed posts  508  and  509  with silicon-containing components  506  placed on the base plate and part of a cantilever arm  510  which is in contact with the base plate  502 .  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 5B shows a schematic of the cantilever arm  510  in detail. FIG. 5B includes a stand  520 , leaf spring  524 , with the end of cantilever arm  510  attached to a turning head  528 , a tilting frame  530 , and a rotating pushing pin  514 .  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 5C shows a close up view of base plate  502  having the two fixed posts  508  and  509  with the pushing pin  514  of the cantilever arm (not shown) such that the V-grooves  503  of a component  506  placed on the base plate partially align with the two poles  508  and  509  and also with a pushing pin  514 .  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 6A is a schematic of the top view of a component when placed on a base plate (not shown) prior to being aligned. This figure shows the pushing pin  514  in its initial position  601 .  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 6B illustrates the alignment process as the pushing pin moves from its initial position  601  (as shown in FIG. 6A) to its final position  603  by sliding of stand  520 , on rails  521 .  
         [0039]    FIGS.  6 C- 6 E illustrate by way of example the steps involved in stacking two components  644  and  646  using an alignment jig of the kind described in FIGS. 5 a - 5   c.    
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 6C shows top view of the two components  644  and  646  placed randomly on the base plate  642  prior to being aligned.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 6D shows the alignment process where pushing pin  654  pushes on walls of V-groove  653  of the two components  644  and  646  and generates a rotation in the direction shown by the arrow  659 .  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 6E shows the top view of components  644  and  646  after they are aligned and stacked on the base plate  642  using the alignment jig  
         [0043]    FIGS.  7 A- 7 F illustrate an embodiment where different types of components are aligned using the alignment jig of the kind described in FIGS.  5 A- 5 C. The components illustrated in the FIGS.  7 A- 7 F include a silicon structure mounted over an insulating glass structure.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 7A shows an extractor  720  for an electron detecting device having a silicon structure  772  mounted on a glass structure  773  with V-grooves  784  etched through the four corners of the extractor  720 .  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 7B shows a spacer  730  having a silicon structure  774  mounted on a glass structure  775  with V-grooves  785  etched through at the four corners of the spacer  730 .  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 7C shows a condenser  740  having a silicon structure  776  mounted on a glass structure  777  with V-grooves  786  etched through at the four corners of the condenser  740 .  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 7D shows an anode  750  having a silicon structure  778  mounted on a glass structure  779  with V-grooves  787  etched through at the four corners of the anode  750 .  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 7E shows a blanker  760  having a silicon structure  780  mounted on a glass structure  781  with V-grooves  788  etched through at the four corners of the blanker  760 .  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 7F shows an aperture  770  having a silicon structure  782  mounted on a glass structure  783  with V-grooves  789  etched through at the four corners of the aperture  770 .  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 7G shows a three-dimensional view of a stack of extractors of the kind shown in FIG. 7A which are aligned and bonded to fabricate a MEMS structure  700 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0051]    As a preface to the detailed description, it should be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular form of “a”, “an” and the “the” include plural referents, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, the term “a semiconductor” includes a variety of different materials which are known to have the behavioral characteristics of a semiconductor, reference to “an electrical insulator” includes, for example, dielectric materials known in the art, both organic and inorganic and physical constructs which operate as an electrical insulator, such as vacuum and various gases present in spaces between conductive surfaces.  
         [0052]    Silicon has frequently been mentioned as a material in the fabrication of MEMS. Such silicon may have sufficient impurities or doping to permit adequate charge transfer in particular applications which are electrical or optical-electrical. Other conductive materials, including but not limited to other semiconductor materials or metals may be used in place of silicon. Clearly, the number of structures used to make the MEMS may vary as desired.  
         [0053]    MEMS structures may be fabricated using a plurality of layers which include conductive material and electrically insulating materials. In one well known embodiment, glass was used as the electrically insulating material and stacks of anodically bonded glass and silicon layers were used to form a device. However, the use of glass has been found to create problems during the fabrication process. For example, design limitations may occur due to the lower machine tolerances of glass compared to silicon; stress may be created during anodic bonding of silicon with glass, due to the differences thermal expansion coefficient; in addition, sodium compounds may be formed at the interfaces between silicon layers and the interfacing glass layers which reduce bond strength, or prevent bonding altogether.  
         [0054]    We have developed methods of fabricating MEMS structures which avoid the kinds of problems described above. FIGS.  1 A- 1 D illustrate how to build a three dimensional MEMS structure using silicon components, separated by spacers made of silicon, where electrical isolation is obtained using a gas or vacuum or other insulating material between the stacked silicon layers. FIGS.  1 A- 1 D are top views of a silicon chips produced by dry anisotropic etching of a wafer (not shown) containing the chip. The wafer was subsequently diced to provide chips of the kind shown in FIGS.  1 A- 1 D. Instead of dicing, chips may also be etched out of a wafer at the same time as the wafer is etched, provided, the wafer that is being etched is a carrier wafer. FIG. 1A shows a chip  100  including a gap  102  etched through the chip  100  leaving behind an outer chip frame  108 , a center portion  107 , which contains a first triangular chip component  104 , which is connected by silicon bridges  106  to the outer frame  108 . An aluminum layer (not shown) on the backside (not shown) of the chip  100  may be used as an etch stop. Indentations  111 , containing alignment portions  112  are etched at the periphery of the chip  100 . After etching, only aluminum holds silicon pieces  110 ,  107  and  112  in place. By stripping of the aluminum etch stop film, regions  110 ,  107 , and  112  drop out of the chip  100 , leaving behind the triangular component  104  connected to the outer frame  108 , by silicon bridges  106 . To minimize “loading effects” and “RIE-lag” the silicon pieces  110 ,  107  and  112  were “cut out” of the wafer rather than etched out of the wafer.  
         [0055]    [0055]FIG. 1B shows a first set of silicon spacers  129  etched within a silicon chip  120 . A piece  122  is cut out of silicon chip  120  utilizing an underlying aluminum etch stop layer (not shown), creating an outer frame  128 . Center portions  127  are also cut away, in addition to the piece  122 , to create spacers  129 . Indentations  132 , containing alignment portions  134  are also etched into the silicon chip  120  to subsequently assist in aligning the silicon triangular components  104  shown in FIG. 1 a . Once again, by stripping of the aluminum etch stop regions, piece  122 , center portions  127 , and the alignment portions  134  are removed, leaving behind spacers  129 , connected to the outer frame  128  by silicon bridges  126 , and to one another by silicon bridges  124  to provide stability.  
         [0056]    [0056]FIG. 1C is a schematic of the top view of a silicon chip  140  similar to the one shown in FIG. 1A except that the figure shows additional spacers  146 . The triangular component,  144  is rotated at an angle with respect to the frame  138 . Indentations  152 , containing alignment portions  153  are etched at the periphery of the chip  140 . After etching of the silicon overlying an aluminum etch stop, as described with respect to FIG. 1A, the triangular component  144 , and spacers  146  remain, all attached to the outer frame,  138  by silicon bridges  147 .  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 1D similarly shows how a second set of spacers are etched from a silicon chip  160 . The method of fabricating the second set of spacers is exactly the same as the method described in FIG. 1B. A piece  155 , and center portions  157  are cut out of silicon chip  160  utilizing an underlying aluminum etch stop layer (not shown) to create spacers  150 . Indentations  154 , containing alignment portions  156  are also etched into the silicon chip  160  to subsequently assist in aligning the silicon triangular components  144  shown in FIG. 1B. Once again, after stripping of the aluminum etch stop regions, the only part remaining are the spacers  150  connected to the outer frame  168 , by silicon bridges  166 , and a plurality of spacers  150  are connected to one another by silicon bridges  164 .  
         [0058]    Once the chips with the triangular components and the spacers are generated using the method described above, components are carefully cleaned to remove masking materials on the silicon surfaces in order to prepare the components for the following process steps. Cleaning may be performed by an RCA cleaning, in a manner known in the art.  
         [0059]    The chips are then stacked one on top of the other. For example, the chip  140  (containing second triangular component  144 ) is stacked on top of the chip  160  (containing second spacers  150 ). Next, the chip  120  (containing first spacers  129 ) is stacked on the chip  140 , and then the chip  100  (containing the first triangular component  104 ), is stacked on the chip  120 . It is understood that even though only two triangular components are shown in this illustration, more than two components and more than two sets of spacers of different shapes can be stacked on top of each other to create a particular MEMS structure. The chips in the stack of chips may then be aligned relative to each other using the indentations located on each chip frame. Alignment of the chips using a special alignment jig will be described subsequently herein. The alignment jig including the stack of chips may then be heated to a temperature adequate to activate fusion bonding of the contacting portions within the silicon chips. Standard procedures for fusion bonding are known in the art, and may be applied as appropriate, depending on the device being fabricated.  
         [0060]    The temperatures necessary to achieve a sufficient bonding strength during fusion bonding depend on the surface conditions of the chips, such as roughness and cleanliness. To be in condition for fusion bonding, the surface condition of the chip should be such that surface roughness is no more than a few tenths of a nanometer, and the surface has been cleaned by RCA cleaning. The bonding temperature may be limited by the temperature capability of the jig in which the chips are retained. An initial pre-bonding may need to be carried out at a lower temperature, in the range of about 300° C. in vacuum. To improve the bonding strength, the stack may then be removed from the jig and heated to 1000° C. in a furnace in an inert gas at atmospheric pressure. To achieve a high bonding strength, the bonding surfaces need to be in good contact during the bonding process. The presence of hydroxyl groups on silicon surfaces helps the fusion bonding process. Hydroxyl groups may be produced on the silicon surface by using the RCA1 cleaning process as the last step of the complete RCA cleaning. At temperatures between about 200° C.-400° C., a chemical reaction of the hydroxyl groups allows a pre-bonding of the interfaces. At temperatures above about 700° C., a covalent bond of Si—O—Si is formed at the interface between contacting silicon surfaces; and at temperatures above 900° C. the oxygen on the interface diffuses into the silicon lattice and provides a Si—Si bond.  
         [0061]    In addition to fusion bonding, other standard bonding procedures can be used, depending on the application. When the device structure requires lower temperatures, application of a sputtered thin layer of thin gold on one side of each chip, enables eutectic bonding at a temperature of about 370° C. Adhesive bonding or soldering may be used, depending on the end use application.  
         [0062]    Subsequent to bonding of the stack of chips, the pads of the second spacers located at the bottom of the stack may then be connected to a base plate by solder bonding to a ceramic piece with metal traces, for example and not by way of limitation. Finally, the silicon bridges between components and spacers and the outer frame in which they reside are removed, to release the outer frame. In order to minimize the mechanical stress caused by the removal of the frame, the bridges are stacked over each other at the periphery of the inner components. A saw may then be used to remove the silicon bridges. In an alternative design, the indentations may be part of a component rather than located on the chip frame. In this instance, the chip frame is removed prior to assembly of components.  
         [0063]    The space between stacked components is determined by the height of the spacers separating the components. The spacer height can be increased if a greater separation between the components is required. The space between components can be filled with an electrically insulating material if desired. Also, a vacuum may be maintained in the space between components, since vacuum is an excellent insulator. By employing a vacuum between components, contamination of the component surfaces doesn&#39;t affect the breakdown voltage between them. Other conductive materials may be used for micromachining, such as nickel, or gold. The spacers may be electrically connected by metal traces patterned on the surface of the base plate to enable application of voltage on the components. Microcolumns of various sizes and shapes may be formed using this method.  
         [0064]    [0064]FIG. 2A shows the top view of a stack  203  which includes two triangular components  202  and  204 , of the kind described above, stacked one on top of the other. FIG. 2B shows the side view of the two component stack  203 . The triangular components  202  and  204  are separated by a distance  206 . Triangular component  204  is standing on single spacer  210 , with one spacer at each of the three points of the triangle. Triangular component  202  is standing on double spacers  208 , with one spacer at each of the three points of the triangle. Height “h” of each spacer, and the number of spacers used, determines the distance “d”  206 . The spacers themselves can also act as electrical feedthroughs to connect the components with other elements in a device circuit. In the case of microcolumns, the components may also be equipped with a hole  201  (shown in FIG. 2A) in the center so that an electron beam can pass through hole  201 .  
         [0065]    In another embodiment, silicon components to be used to form a device are dry etched directly from a silicon wafer. FIG. 3A shows a top view of a silicon wafer  370 , after the wafer was dry etched to produce a number of electrical device components. The component etching may be carried out using a process known in the art for etching silicon, preferably, by anisotropic dry etching. FIG. 3B illustrates an enlargement of a portions of silicon wafer  370  (shown in FIG. 3A) which includes various components, such as an extractor  372 , a spacer  374 , a condenser  376 , an anode  378 , a blanker  380  and an aperture  382 . The components were designed for use in fabrication of a microcolumn which is employed for secondary electron detection. Etching of a variety of components in a single wafer can be particularly advantageous when the various components can be diced out for use in device fabrication.  
         [0066]    Components are diced out with high precision dicing. The resist mask for the silicon wafer is designed so that silicon bridges  384  are formed during etching. The bridges  384  serve two purposes: To provide structural support within the silicon wafer and to provide a dicing lane. The bridges  384  are generally not part of the working component so that during dicing, a blade will be directed to the bridges, thus protecting the working component from damage during the dicing operation. In cases where the components are bonded to a borosilicate wafer, dicing of the glass and silicon typically causes chipping. By use of bridges  384 , the chipping effect is limited to the bridge areas and does not affect the functional component.  
         [0067]    FIGS.  4 A- 4 D show top views of chips  410 ,  430 ,  450  and  470 , which were etched out of a wafer. The chips  410 ,  430 ,  450  and  470  illustrated in FIGS.  4 A- 4 D are similar to the chips illustrated in FIGS.  1 A- 1 D except for the geometry, and the location of the grooves. Also, the chips in FIGS.  4 A- 4 D maintain their respective outer frames during fabrication of the MEMS structure and are removed only after the MEMS structure fabrication is completed. With respect to FIG. 4A, chip  410  includes silicon posts  401 - 408  which are held in place by a frame  400 . Chip  410  further includes V-grooves  411 - 414  used for alignment of chip  410 . FIG. 4B illustrates another chip  430 . Chip  430  includes individual silicon posts  422 ,  424 ,  426 , and  428 . Chip  430  also contains a center structure  437  which includes silicon posts  421 ,  423 ,  425  and  427  as well as a MEMS component  438 . Depending on the device, the MEMS component  438  may be many times larger than the silicon posts  421 - 428 . FIG. 4B also includes V-grooves  431 - 434  which may be used for alignment of chip  430 . FIG. 4C illustrates another chip,  450 , similar to chip  410  shown in FIG. 4A. The chip  450  includes silicon posts  442 - 445  which are held in place by silicon frame  440 . V-grooves  451 - 454  are machined into the frame  440  to be used for alignment. FIG. 4D illustrates another chip,  470 , which includes a MEMS component  478  and silicon posts  462 - 465  which are held in place by silicon frame  460 . V-grooves  471 - 474  are machined into the frame  460  to be used for alignment of chip  470 .  
         [0068]    In order to fabricate a MEMS structure, chip  430  is placed on top of chip  410 , chip  450  is placed on top of chip  430 , and chip  470  is placed on top of chip  450  creating a stack of the chips. The stack may then be aligned and bonded together. Alignment and bonding can be performed by any of the methods known in the art. If the bonding method used is silicon fusion bonding, then the chips may be aligned and pre-bonded at 300° C. on an alignment jig which is described in detail in a later section. After pre-bonding, the stack alone, without the alignment jig, may be fusion bonded in a furnace at a temperature above 900° C. If low temperature is required, then eutectic bonding would be ideal. For eutectic bonding, each chip may be coated on one side with a gold layer prior to bonding. The gold forms an alloy with silicon at a temperature higher than 363° C. Eutectic bonding of silicon with gold or aluminum can be completed on the alignment jig, because the temperature required for eutectic bonding is below the maximum operating temperature of the alignment jig which may be made of materials such as stainless steel.  
         [0069]    [0069]FIG. 4E illustrates a top view of a stack  480  of chips used to form MEMS structure. The stack  480  is prepared by placing chip  430  on top of  410 , then placing chip  450  on top of chip  430 , and then placing chip  470  on top of chip  450 , the stack  480  of chips is then bonded together to form a MEMS structure. The chip  410  is soldered onto a conductive base plate  490  (not shown) with a solder such as an indium-tin solder. Frames  400 ,  420 ,  440  and  460  of chips  410 ,  430 ,  450  and  470  respectively are then removed from the stack by cutting through the stack along lines  482 ,  484 ,  486  and  488 , up to the base plate  490  (not shown) and not through the base plate  490 .  
         [0070]    [0070]FIG. 4F shows a cross section of a MEMS structure  495 . The cross section of MEMS structure  495  includes a base plate  490  which underlies silicon posts  401  and  406  from chip  410  (shown in FIG. 4A). Overlying silicon posts  401  and  406  are MEMS component  438  and silicon post  426  respectively from chip  430 . Overlying post  426  of chip  430  is post  444  from chip  450 . Overlying post  444  of chip  450  are MEMS component  478  and silicon post  464  from chip  470 . Metal traces can be implemented into the base plate  490  if electrical connections need to be established between the silicon post  401  and the base plate  490 . As can be seen from FIG. 4F, the MEMS components  438  and  478  are separated by the silicon post  444  of chip  450 . The silicon post  444  from chip  450  essentially acts as a spacer separating MEMS components  438  and  478 . Depending on the size of the MEMS structure desired, the number of components and the number of posts separating the components, may vary. MEMS structures of different sizes and shapes may be fabricated using the above method.  
         [0071]    FIGS.  5 A- 5 C illustrate an alignment jig which is useful for positioning and aligning MEMS components of the kind described herein into assemblies. Further illustrated is the manner in which positioning and aligning of the components is achieved. The alignment jig was used to align a stack of ten chips to a precision of better than 2 μm with high repeatability. Further modifications and improvements to the jig might provide even better precision if needed.  
         [0072]    [0072]FIG. 5A shows a schematic of part of an alignment jig  500 . The jig is a mechanical assembly which is precise and cost effective. With reference to FIG. 5A, the alignment jig  500  has a base plate  502  upon which a plurality of substrates such as a wafers, chips, or components  506  are placed for alignment. The base plate  502  has two fixed posts  508  and  509  mounted perpendicular to the base plate  502 . Also shown is part of a cantilever arm  510  which is used in combination with the base plate  502 . A part of the cantilever arm  510 , as shown in FIG. 5A, includes a turning head  562 , tilting frame  530 , and a pushing pin  514 . The pushing pin  514  is pressed into or supported by the tilting frame  530  so it becomes part of the tilting frame. The tilting frame  530  can rotate within bearings  561  located on each side of the turning head  562 . The rotation permits the tilting frame  530  to tilt, providing another degree of freedom, apart from those which will be described in detail below. The tilting frame  530  is attached to the turning head  562  through the ball bearings  561  described above.  
         [0073]    [0073]FIG. 5B is a schematic of a cantilever arm  510  including the portion described above. The cantilever arm has a stand  520  which holds it in place. The stand  520  is connected to a slider  521 , which enables the stand to move in the directions indicated by an arrow  533 . Cantilever arm  510  further includes a first holder  522  which holds a leaf spring  524 . The holder  522  is in direct communication with the stand  520 . The leaf spring  524  is connected to the first holder  522  at one end and to a second holder  526  at the other end. The second holder  526  is further attached to a turning head  528  (a different model turning head from what is shown in FIG. 5A). The turning head  528  can rotate in the direction shown by the arrow  536 . The turning head  528  is connected to a tilting frame  530  through bearings  532  located on each side of the tilting frame  530 . The tilting frame  530  can rotate within bearings which surround a shaft  532 , as indicated by the arrow  537 . The pushing pin  514  which is used to push against a component structure may be pressed into the tilting frame  530 , as previously described. Further, the turning head  528  can rotate in a circular direction in a plane which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of cantilever arm  510 . Hence, the flexible design of the jig provides 4 degrees of freedom which include moving along the line of pushing, moving perpendicular to the line of pushing and parallel to the base plate, rotation of the turning head and tilting with respect to the turning head. The design may include spring-loaded set screws (not shown) to regulate the pressure of the post against the components.  
         [0074]    [0074]FIG. 5C shows a close up view of an alignment procedure, where a component  506  is placed on the base plate  502  and the two fixed alignment pins (posts)  508  and  509 , mounted on the base plate  502 , are partially aligned with V-grooves  503  at the corners of component  506 . Pushing pin  514  attached to cantilever arm  510  (not shown) as previously described, facilitates the rotation of the component  506  within a component stack (not shown) as well as rotation of the stack itself. The alignment process essentially involves pushing the wafers or components with etched V-grooves  503 , indentations, or other alignment shapes (not shown) to align with fixed posts  508  and  509  on the base plate  502 . A heating element (not shown) and thermocouples (not shown), may be integrated into the base plate in order to facilitate bonding of a stack of components in place on the base plate. Depending on the preferred bonding method or selected materials, the base plate can be heated to the required temperature. For example, a temperature of around 300° C. is required for fusion pre-bonding of silicon stacks. If the silicon layers are coated, for example, with gold on one side eutectic bonding can be achieved at a temperature above 363° C. In cases where the stack consists of silicon layers with alternating borosilicate glass layers, the base plate has to be heated to a temperature between 300° C. and 500° C. for anodic bonding. Other bonding methods like curing of spin coated resin may be used as well.  
         [0075]    [0075]FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate the process of aligning a component  602  using an alignment jig of the kind described above. The component  602  includes 4 V-grooves  611 ,  613 ,  615  and  617 . In FIG. 6A, the component  602  is randomly placed on a base plate (not shown). The posts  608 , and  609  are fitted into the V-grooves  617 , and  615  respectively, prior to aligning. The pushing pin  514  is held in its initial position  601 . Also included in FIG. 6A are parts of the jig which facilitate the movement of the pushing pin  514 . For example, the stand  520  on the slider  521  (shown in detail in FIG. 5B), which is indirectly connected to the pushing pin  514 . With respect to FIG. 6B, the pushing pin  514  is flexibly  524  connected. First, the pushing pin  514 , flexibly attached via leaf spring  524 , is released from its initial position  601  (shown in FIG. 6A) and is brought to a second position  603  as the stand  520  slides along the direction shown by the arrow  533 . As the pushing pin  514  takes its second position  603 , it pushes against at least one wall of V-groove  613  giving the component  602  a rotation and a shift in the direction indicated by the arrow,  616 . As a result, the component  606  rotates around a first post  608  in the direction indicated by the arrow  616 . The second post  609  acts as a stop for the rotation. In practice, the optimum pushing direction  621  of the pushing pin  514  is different from the moving direction  621  of stand  520 . By having a flexible connection such as a leaf spring  524 , between the stand  520  and the pushing pin  514 , any misalignment of the slider  521  may be corrected. As can be seen in FIG. 6B, by having the flexible leaf spring  524 , the pushing pin  514  is deflected from its normal course  621  provided by the movement of the stand  520  to a different course  622  where the two courses are separated by a distance Δd. Also illustrated by dotted lines are the final position  514 ′ of pushing pin  514  if the pushing pin were not deflected. Figure illustrates only two degrees of freedom, shown by arrows  533  and  535 , two additional degrees of freedom are achieved by other elements of the apparatus which will be discussed in detail subsequently herein.  
         [0076]    The machining tolerances of the V-grooves patterned using optical lithography, for example, and etched by anisotropic dry etching techniques well known in art, are typically one to two orders of magnitude smaller in comparison with alignment jig dimensions and therefore the V-groove tolerances are insignificant in misalignment calculations.  
         [0077]    It is particularly important that the fixed posts  608  and  609  be mounted precisely perpendicular to the base plate (not shown). In addition, the diameter of fixed posts  608  and  609  needs to be carefully fabricated with minimal variation as possible. Polished steel or another hard material functions well as a post material. Smooth surfaces on the V-grooves also helps provide better precision alignment.  
         [0078]    FIGS.  6 C- 6 E further illustrate alignment process of two components using the process described above. FIG. 6C shows a schematic of the top view of two components  644  and  646  placed randomly on a base plate  642 . Each of the components  644  and  646  include 4 V-grooves  651 ,  653 ,  655  and  657 . The fixed posts  656  and  658  and pushing pin  654  are fitted into the V-grooves  655 ,  657  and  653  respectively. FIG. 6D shows the step where the pushing pin  654  pushes against at least one wall of V-groove  653 . The push causes the components  644  and  646  to rotate around the first fixed post  658  in the direction indicated by the arrow  659 . The second fixed post  656  acts as a stop for the rotation. The components are aligned by rotating the components around a fixed axis at first fixed post  658  and then jamming them against a second fixed post  656 . FIG. 6E shows a top view of components  644  and  646  after the two components are aligned. Ones skilled in art will contemplate that a large number of components or even more than one stack of components may be aligned at the same time using this jig.  
         [0079]    Theoretically, any amount of misalignment is constant, and is determined by misalignment of the two fixed poles on the base plate, rather than by the action of the pushing pin. This is because the design of the jig makes the pushing pin extremely flexible and the frictional component is negligible. Experiments with different pusher arm designs revealed that a highly flexible cantilever arm such as that previously described with reference to FIG. 5B resulted in the smallest misalignment. Modification of the design to provide further flexibility to the cantilever arm design is possible.  
         [0080]    As described above, the misalignment of the components aligned using the jig is normally caused by the precision in fabrication of the jig itself. For example, the precision of the placement of the posts with respect to the base plate. The precision may depend on the diameter variation of the posts and the pushing pin. Since the same jig is being used over and over, the alignment error caused by the jig becomes a systematic error. This type of systematic error can be compensated through other means. For example, when the misalignment of each component associated with a particular jig is figured out, then that error can be compensated for in the design of the components; for example, the center of the component may be shifted by an amount to correct this error.  
         [0081]    The alignment jig of the kind described above can be used to align other types of components than those described above. FIGS.  7 A- 7 F illustrate, as an example, components which are comprised of bonded silicon and glass layers, which components may be aligned using the alignment jig described above. FIG. 7A shows an extractor component  720  which includes a silicon structure  772  mounted on a glass structure  773 . V-grooves  784  are etched at the four corners of the extractor component  720 , which v-grooves may be used for aligning components using the kind of alignment jig described above. FIG. 7B shows a spacer component  730  which includes a silicon structure  774  mounted on a glass structure  775 . The spacer component  730  also includes V-grooves  785  etched at its four corners. FIG. 7C shows a condenser component  740  which includes a silicon structure  776  mounted on a glass structure  777 . The condenser component  740  also has V-grooves  786  etched at its four corners. FIG. 7D shows an anode component  750  which includes silicon structure  778  mounted on a glass structure  779 . The anode component also has V-grooves  787  etched at its four corners. FIG. 7E shows a blanker component  760  which includes a silicon structure  780  mounted on a glass structure  781 . The blanker component  780  also has V-grooves  788  etched at its four corners. FIG. 7F shows an aperture component  770  which includes a silicon structure  782  mounted on a glass structure  783 . The aperture component  770  also has V-grooves  789  etched at its four corners.  
         [0082]    [0082]FIG. 7G shows top view of a stack of extractor components  700  of the kind shown individually in FIG. 7A as component  720 . The extractor components in stack  700  may be bonded together to create a MEMS structure. As previously described, the extractors  720 , within the component stack  700  include alternating layers of a silicon structure  772  and glass a structure  773 . The extractor component  720  further includes V-grooves  784 , which may be used for aligning the components using the kind of alignment jig described above.  
         [0083]    The glass structures  773  (which could also be fabricated from an electrically insulative material other than glass) may be micromachined using techniques known in the art. However, the drilling of the glass is generally less precise compared to the etching of the silicon. Therefore, the glass may be recessed from the edge of the component so that only the silicon v-grooves contact the alignment posts in the alignment jig. Generally, for most applications, the alignment inaccuracy which might occur due to less precise machining of glass can be avoided. Generally, with respect to aligning a stack of components such as those shown in FIG. 7G, over etching or under etching will not affect the alignment as long as all components of a stack are fabricated on one wafer, so that each component over or under etched to the same degree.  
         [0084]    The above described preferred embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, as one skilled in the art can, in view of the present disclosure, expand such embodiments to correspond with the subject matter of the invention claimed below.