Patent ID: 7827660

Claim:
A method of forming a sensor structure, the method comprising: depositing an electrically conductive material and forming therefrom a first contact [ 14 ] on a substrate [ 30 ]; and forming a bimorph beam [ 10 ] anchored to the substrate [ 30 ] so as to have a portion thereof suspended above the first contact [ 14 ], the bimorph beam [ 10 ] being formed to have a multilayer structure comprising first and second layers [ 42 , 40 ], the second layer [ 40 ] being formed prior to the first layer [ 42 ] so as to be located between the first layer [ 42 ] and the substrate [ 30 ] and formed to have an opening [ 22 ] therethrough, the first layer [ 42 ] being formed by depositing an electrically conductive material on the second layer [ 40 ] so that a portion [ 50 ] of the first layer [ 42 ] is simultaneously deposited within the opening [ 22 ] in the second layer [ 40 ] and projects completely through the opening [ 22 ] to define a second contact [ 12 ] at a surface of the bimorph beam [ 10 ] facing the first contact [ 14 ], the second contact [ 12 ] being located on the bimorph beam [ 10 ] so as to be spaced apart and aligned with the first contact [ 14 ] for contact with the first contact [ 14 ] when the bimorph beam [ 10 ] sufficiently deflects toward the substrate [ 30 ]; and wherein the step of forming the bimorph beam [ 10 ] comprises: depositing a spacer layer [ 36 ] on the substrate [ 30 ]; depositing the second layer [ 40 ] of the bimorph beam [ 10 ] on the spacer layer [ 36 ] so that a portion [ 44 ] of the second layer [ 40 ] projects through the spacer layer [ 36 ]; forming the opening [ 22 ] in the second layer [ 40 ]; depositing the first layer [ 42 ] of the bimorph beam [ 10 ] on the second layer [ 40 ] and in the opening [ 22 ] thereof to form the portion [ 50 ] of the first layer [ 42 ] within the opening [ 22 ] of the second layer [ 40 ] and form the second contact [ 12 ] at the surface of the bimorph beam [ 10 ] facing the first contact [ 14 ]; and removing the spacer layer [ 36 ] so that the multilayer structure comprising the first and second layers [ 42 , 40 ] is suspended above the first contact [ 14 ] by an anchor [ 26 ] comprising the portion [ 44 ] of the second layer [ 40 ] that projects through the spacer layer [ 36 ].