A method for selective coating of out-of-plane surfaces of micro-fabricated structures within a device, comprising: providing a substrate including the micro-fabricated structures; providing a shadow mask including a first opening within a top surface of the shadow mask and a second opening within a bottom surface of the shadow mask, wherein the second opening is aligned with the first opening and has a second width (L mb) less than a first width (L m) of the first opening, a first overlap between the first opening and the second opening forming a first hole within the shadow mask; placing the shadow mask on the substrate such that the bottom surface of the shadow mask faces the substrate; and depositing a coating material on a first surface of a first micro-fabricated structure through the first hole, the first surface being out-of-plane with respect to the substrate; wherein the shadow mask is a multi-level shadow mask comprising a first thickness corresponding to a first depth of the first hole, a second thickness greater than the first thickness and corresponding to a total thickness of the shadow mask, and a third thickness less than the first thickness and corresponding to a second depth of the second opening; wherein the third thickness extends from the bottom surface of the shadow mask; and wherein the first opening extends from the top surface through a fourth thickness corresponding to a difference between the first thickness and the third thickness; characterized in that the step of providing the shadow mask further comprises forming a protection lip along the bottom surface of the shadow mask, the protection lip having a third width corresponding to a difference between the first width (L m) of the first opening and the second width (L mb) of the second opening; wherein a sidewall of the hole extends through the first thickness by alignment of the first opening and the second opening on one side of the hole; and wherein the third thickness forms a protection lip on only the other side of the hole opposite the sidewall. providing a substrate including the micro-fabricated structures; providing a shadow mask including a first opening within a top surface of the shadow mask and a second opening within a bottom surface of the shadow mask, wherein the second opening is aligned with the first opening and has a second width (L mb) less than a first width (L m) of the first opening, a first overlap between the first opening and the second opening forming a first hole within the shadow mask; placing the shadow mask on the substrate such that the bottom surface of the shadow mask faces the substrate; and depositing a coating material on a first surface of a first micro-fabricated structure through the first hole, the first surface being out-of-plane with respect to the substrate; wherein the shadow mask is a multi-level shadow mask comprising a first thickness corresponding to a first depth of the first hole, a second thickness greater than the first thickness and corresponding to a total thickness of the shadow mask, and a third thickness less than the first thickness and corresponding to a second depth of the second opening; wherein the third thickness extends from the bottom surface of the shadow mask; and wherein the first opening extends from the top surface through a fourth thickness corresponding to a difference between the first thickness and the third thickness; characterized in that the step of providing the shadow mask further comprises forming a protection lip along the bottom surface of the shadow mask, the protection lip having a third width corresponding to a difference between the first width (L m) of the first opening and the second width (L mb) of the second opening; wherein a sidewall of the hole extends through the first thickness by alignment of the first opening and the second opening on one side of the hole; and wherein the third thickness forms a protection lip on only the other side of the hole opposite the sidewall.