Patent ID: 7063993

Claim:
A method of fabricating MEMS devices, the method including the steps of:— providing a substrate and a MEMS layer, the MEMS layer arranged on one side of the substrate; applying a further layer arranged to protect the MEMS layer to said one side of the substrate; separating the substrate into discrete parts by performing at least one operation including a back etching operation from a side of the substrate opposed to the side having the MEMS layer, each discrete part carrying at least one MEMS part of the MEMS layer; subsequent to the step of separating the substrate into discrete parts, applying a holding means to said opposed side of the substrate; defining individual chips by performing at least one operation, including an etching operation on the further layer, each of said chips being composed of one of said discrete parts of the substrate, at least one part of the MEMS layer and a part of the further layer; and causing the individual chips to be released from the holding means for removal from the holding means.