Dry releasing of electroplated rotational and overhanging structures

Fabrication by the dry release of electroplated metallic structures is reported. This method results in thick structural height and high yield. It allows the micromechanism to be integrated with electrical circuits, and the needle-shaped residual of the sacrificial layer can be used as the bearing of the micromotor. As examples of this method, micromotors and overhanging structures are demonstrated. A new micromotor design is proposed. Its fabrication and successful testing are described. Overhanging structures such as an LTU (lateral tunneling unit) AFM (atomic force microscope) with overhanging AFM tip and a micro-flow sensor were designed and successfully fabricated.<>