Patent ID: 7601554

Claim:
A method for making electrical contact elements for a radio frequency MEMS contact switch, said method comprising the steps of: fabricating a metallic anchor member, a metallic contact actuation electrode and a metallic lower contact support element for said radio frequency MEMS contact switch on a surface of an insulating substrate member; a first covering step comprising covering said metallic anchor member, said metallic contact actuation electrode and said metallic lower contact support element with a layer of sacrificial photoresist material; forming a selectively configured anchor member perturbation and a rectangularly configured moveable contact member precursor perturbation in said layer of sacrificial photoresist material; reflowing said layer of sacrificial photoresist material selectively configured anchor member perturbation and said rectangularly configured moveable contact member precursor perturbation into sloping sidewall and curving cross-section shapes by applying thereto an elevated temperature sequence having selected time and temperature magnitudes; a second covering step comprising covering said layer of sacrificial photoresist material including said sloping sidewall and curving cross-section shapes with a layer of intimately contacting movable contact-supporting metal of selected lateral extent; said selected lateral extent layer of movable contact-support metal including both a contact metal anchoring portion received on said selectively configured anchor member perturbation and a bulbous movable contact portion formed within an upper contact member precursor perturbation of said sacrificial photoresist material during said second covering step; and releasing said layer of intimately contacting movable contact-support metal and said bulbous movable contact portion from said layer of sacrificial photoresist material, said releasing enabling electrical movement control of said contact-support metal with said bulbous upper contact portion by influence of said contact actuation electrode.