Patent ID: 8486279

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a silicon-metal composite micromechanical component, the method including the following steps: a) providing a substrate including a top silicon layer and a bottom silicon layer, between which an intermediate silicon oxide layer extends, b) selectively etching at least one cavity in the top layer to define the pattern of a silicon part of the component; c) continuing the etch of the at least one cavity in the intermediate layer; d) growing a metal layer at least from one portion of the at least one cavity in order to form a metal part in the thickness of the component that insulates the silicon part of the micromechanical component from destructive stress, wherein step d) includes the following additional steps (i) covering the top of the substrate with photosensitive resin; (ii) selectively performing photolithography on the photosensitive resin to photostructure the resin in accordance with the predetermined pattern of the metal part; (iii) depositing a metal layer by electroplating, starting from the top conductive surface of the bottom silicon layer, wherein the top conductive surface of the bottom silicon layer is vertical to the at least one cavity, and wherein the metal layer is deposited by growing, from the top conductive surface of the bottom silicon layer, the layer between, respectively, the photostructured resin and the intermediate layer or the top layer, for forming the metal part in accordance with the pattern; and e) releasing the silicon-metal composite micromechanical component from the substrate, wherein the micromechanical component is released by removing the photostructured resin.