Patent ID: 8257985

Claim:
A method for uncovering captive structures in a bonded wafer assembly, comprising: forming a plurality of microelectromechanical (MEMS) devices and rows of contact zones on a bottom wafer; bonding a top wafer to the bottom wafer, thereby covering the MEMS devices and contact zones; cutting a plurality of linear cuts in the top wafer between adjacent MEMS devices and parallel to the rows of contact zones, including: cutting a first cut partially through the top wafer near one of the adjacent MEMS devices; cutting a second cut partially through the top wafer near another of the adjacent MEMS devices; and cutting a third cut fully through the top wafer between the first and second cuts; wherein at least one cut of the plurality of cuts does not extend through the top wafer, leaving a tab portion of the top wafer under the at least one cut and removing a segment of the top wafer defined by the plurality of cuts, wherein the bottom wafer remains unsingulated, at least one of the rows of contact zones is uncovered, and the adjacent MEMS devices remain covered.