Quick prototyping of flip chip assembly with MEMS

This paper describes a process to transfer microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices to a secondary substrate using flip-chip thermosonic bonding. A standard wire-bonding machine was used to place /spl sim/100-/spl mu/m bumps on unreleased MEMS chiplets. The bumped chiplet was then flip-chip bonded to a secondary substrate containing a microwave coplanar waveguide (CPW). After bonding, the entire assembly was run through the MEMS release process, after which the MEMS host substrate was removed. The thermosonic bonding was a very reliable prototyping tool with a 100% bonding yield. The transfer process can be used with any MEMS that can be wire bonded. The process can also be applied to a variety of applications.