Feinmetall Exhibit 2003
`FormFactor, Inc. v. Feinmetall, GmbH
`IPR2019-00082
`
`Page 1 of 57
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`US 6,491,968 B1
`Page 2
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`US. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`5,103,557
`5,109,596
`5,172,050
`5,173,055
`5,177,438
`5,210,939
`5,213,5 13
`5,228,861
`5,286,208
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`5,545,045
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`5,606,128
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`>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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`4/1992
`5/1992
`12/1992
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`8/1994
`10/1994
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`10/1995
`11/1995
`12/1995
`5/1996
`8/1996
`11/1996
`2/1997
`2/1997
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`Leedy
`Driller et al.
`
`Swapp
`Grabbe
`
`Littlebury et al.
`Mallik et al.
`Brown et al.
`Grabbe
`Matsuoka
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`Sugihara
`Georger, Jr. et al.
`H0 et al.
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`Reymond
`Bargain et al.
`Bernstein
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`Rothenberger
`Ruf et al.
`Yanof et al.
`Yanof et al.
`Wakamatsu
`Grabbe et al.
`Ozawa et al.
`Araki
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`>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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`5,629,137
`5,632,631
`5,666,190
`5,723,894
`5,759,014
`5,786,270
`5,828,226
`5,829,128
`5,966,587
`6,001,663
`6,031,282
`6,059,982
`6,080,596
`6,083,059
`6,114,221
`6,117,694
`6,174,744 B1
`6,184,053 B1
`6,190,193 B1
`6,255,126 B1
`6,264,477 B1
`6,268,015 B1
`
`5/1997
`5/1997
`9/1997
`3/1998
`6/1998
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`10/1998
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`10/1999
`12/1999
`2/2000
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`7/2000
`9/2000
`9/2000
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`7/2001
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`Leedy
`Fjelstad et al.
`Quate et al.
`Ueno et al.
`Van Lintel
`Gorrell et al.
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`Higgins et al.
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`Ling et al.
`Jones et al.
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`Palagonia et al.
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`Page 2 of 57
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`Page 2 of 57
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`US. Patent
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`Dec. 10, 2002
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`Sheet 1 0f 35
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`US 6,491,968 B1
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`Dec. 10, 2002
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`US. Patent
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`Dec. 10, 2002
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`US 6,491,968 B1
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`US. Patent
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`Dec. 10, 2002
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`Sheet 34 0f 35
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`US 6,491,968 B1
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`US. Patent
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`Dec. 10, 2002
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`Sheet 35 0f 35
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`US 6,491,968 B1
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`US 6,491,968 B1
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`METHODS FOR MAKING SPRING
`INTERCONNECT STRUCTURES
`
`RELPCI‘ED APPLICATIONS
`
`This application is continuation-in-part of patent applica-
`tion Ser. No. 09/205,022 filed Dec. 2, 1998, now US. Pat.
`
`No. 6,268,015 entitled “Lithographic Contact Elements,”
`and patent application Ser. No. 09/205,023 filed Dec. 2,
`1998, now US. Pat. No. 6,255,126 entitled “Lithographic
`Contact Elements.”
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`1. Field of the Invention
`
`The invention relates to an interconnection (contact)
`element suitable for effecting pressure connections between
`electronic components and is particularly useful for contact-
`ing semiconductor packages or for contacting a semicon-
`ductor directly.
`
`2. Description of Related Art
`
`Interconnection or contact elements may be used to
`connect devices of an electronic component or one elec-
`tronic component
`to another electronic component. For
`example, an interconnection element may be used to connect
`two circuits of an integrated circuit chip or including an
`application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Interconnec-
`tion elements may also be used to connect the integrated
`circuit chip to a chip package suitable for mounting on a
`printed circuit board of a computer or other electronic
`device. Interconnection elements may further be used to
`connect the integrated circuit chip to a test device such as a
`probe card assembly or other printed circuit board (PCB) to
`test the chip.
`
`Generally, interconnection or contact elements between
`electronic components can be classified into at least the two
`broad categories of “relatively permanent” and “readily
`demountable.”
`
`An example of a “relatively permanent” interconnection
`element is a wire bond. Once two electronic components are
`connected to one another by a bonding of an interconnection
`element to each electronic component, a process of unbend-
`ing must be used to separate the components. A wire bond
`interconnection element, such as between an integrated
`circuit chip or die and inner leads of a chip or package (or
`inner ends of lead frame fingers) typically utilizes a “rela-
`tively permanent” interconnection element.
`
`One example of a “readily demountable” interconnection
`element is the interconnection element between rigid pins of
`one electronic component received by resilient socket ele—
`ments of another electronic component, for example, a
`spring—loaded LGA socket or a zero—insertion force socket.
`A second type of a “readily demountable” interconnection
`element is an interconnection element that itself is resilient
`
`or spring-like or mounted in or on a spring or resilient
`medium. An example of such an interconnection element is
`a tungsten needle of a probe card component. The intercon-
`nection element of a probe card component is typically
`intended to effect a temporary pressure connection between
`an electronic component to which the interconnection ele-
`ment
`is mounted and terminals of a second electronic
`
`component, such as a semiconductor device under test.
`
`With regard to spring interconnection elements, generally,
`a minimum contact force is desired to effect reliable pressure
`contact to an electronic component (e.g., to terminals of an
`electronic component). For example, a contact (load) force
`of approximately 15 grams (including as little as 2 grams or
`
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`less and as much as 150 grams or more, per terminal) may
`be desired to effect a reliable electrical pressure connection
`to a terminal of an electronic component.
`A second factor of interest with regard to spring inter-
`connection elements is the shape and metallurgy of the
`portion of the interconnection element making pressure
`connection to the terminal of the electronic component. With
`respect to the tungsten needle as a spring interconnection
`element, for example,
`the contact end is limited by the
`metallurgy of the element (i.e., tungsten) and, as the tungsten
`needle becomes smaller in diameter, it becomes commen-
`
`surately more difficult to control or establish a desired shape
`at the contact end.
`
`In certain instances, spring interconnection elements
`themselves are not resilient, but rather are supported by a
`resilient membrane. Membrane probes exemplify this
`situation, where a plurality of microbumps are disposed on
`a resilient membrane. Again,
`the technology required to
`manufacture such interconnection elements limits the design
`choices for the shape and metallurgy of the contact portion
`of the interconnection elements.
`
`Commonly—owned US. patent application Ser. No.
`08/152,812 filed Nov. 16, 1993 (now US. Pat. No. 5,476,
`211, issued Dec. 19, 1995), and its counterpart commonly—
`owned co-pending “divisional” US. patent application Ser.
`No. 08/457,479 filed Jun. 1, 1995, now US. Pat. No.
`6,049,976, US. patent application Ser. No. 08/570,230 now
`US. Pat. No. 5,852,871 and US. patent application Ser. No.
`09/245,499, filed Feb. 5, 1999 now pending, by Khandros,
`disclose methods for making spring interconnection ele-
`ments. In a preferred embodiment, these spring intercon-
`nection elements, which are particularly useful for micro-
`electronic applications,
`involve mounting an end of a
`flexible elongate element (e. g., wire “stem” or “skeleton”) to
`a terminal on an electronic component, coating the flexible
`element and adjacent surface of the terminal with a “shell”
`of one or more materials. One of skill in the art can select
`
`a combination of thickness, yield strength, and elastic modu-
`lus of the flexible element and shell materials to provide
`satisfactory force-to-deflection characteristics of the result-
`ing spring interconnection elements. Exemplary materials
`for the core element include gold. Exemplary materials for
`the coating include nickel and its alloys. The resulting spring
`interconnection element is suitably used to effect pressure,
`or demountable,
`interconnections between two or more
`electronic components, including semiconductor devices.
`
`Commonly—owned, co—pending US. patent application
`Ser. No. 08/340,144, filed Nov. 15, 1994 now US. Pat. No.
`5,917,707 and its corresponding PCT patent application Ser.
`No. PCT/US94/13373, filed Nov. 16, 1994 (WO95/14314,
`published May 16, 1995), both by Khandros and Mathieu,
`disclose a number of applications for the aforementioned
`spring interconnection elements, and also disclose tech—
`niques for fabricating tip structures at
`the ends of the
`interconnection elements. For example, a plurality of nega—
`tive projections or holes, which may be in the form of
`inverted pyramids ending in apexes, are formed in the
`surface of a sacrificial layer (substrate). These holes are then
`filled with a contact structure comprising layers of material
`such as gold or rhodium and nickel. A flexible elongate
`element is mounted to the resulting tip structure and can be
`overcoated in the manner described hereinabove. In a final
`
`the sacrificial substrate is removed. The resulting
`step,
`spring interconnection element has a tip structure having
`controlled geometry (e.g., a sharp point) at its free end.
`Commonly-owned, co-pending US. patent application
`Ser. No. 08/452,255, filed May 26, 1995 now US. Pat. No.
`
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`US 6,491,968 B1
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`6,336,269 and its corresponding PCT patent application Ser.
`No. PCT/US95/14909, filed Nov. 13, 1995 (WO96/17278,
`published Jun. 6, 1996), both by Eldridge, Grube, Khandros
`and Mathieu, disclose additional techniques and metallur-
`gies for fabricating tip structures on sacrificial substrates, as
`well as techniques for transferring a plurality of intercon-
`nection elements mounted thereto, en masse, to terminals of
`an electronic component.
`Commonly-owned, co-pending US. patent application
`Ser. No. 08/788,740, filed Jan. 24, 1997 now US. Pat. No.
`5,994,152 and its corresponding PCT patent application Ser.
`No. PCT/US96/08107, filed May 24, 1996 (WO96/37332,
`published Nov. 28, 1996), both by Eldridge, Khandros and
`Mathieu, disclose techniques whereby a plurality of tip
`structures are joined to a corresponding plurality of elongate
`interconnection elements that are already mounted to an
`electronic component. Also disclosed are techniques for
`fabricating “elongate” tip structures in the form of cantile—
`vers. The cantilever tip structures can be tapered, between
`one end thereof and an opposite end thereof. The cantilever
`tip structures are suitable for mounting to already-existing
`(i.e., previously fabricated) raised interconnection elements
`extending (e.g., free-standing) from corresponding terminals
`of an electronic component.
`
`Commonly-owned, co-pending US. patent application
`Ser. No. 08/819,464, filed Mar. 17, 1997, now abandoned,
`by Eldridge, Khandros and Mathieu, representatively dis-
`closes a technique whereby a plurality of elongate intercon-
`nection elements having different lengths than one another
`can be arranged so that their outer ends are disposed at a
`greater pitch than their inner ends. The inner, “contact” ends
`may be collinear with one another, for effecting connections
`to electronic components having terminals disposed along a
`line, such as a center line of the component.
`
`As electronic components get increasingly smaller and the
`spacing between terminals on the electronic components get
`increasingly tighter or the pitch gets increasingly finer,
`it
`becomes increasingly more difiicult to fabricate intercon-
`nections including spring interconnection elements suitable
`for making electrical connection to terminals of an elec-
`tronic component. Co-pending and commonly-owned US.
`patent application Ser. No. 08/802,054, titled “Microelec-
`tronic Contact Structure, and Method of Making Same,”
`now pending discloses a method of making spring intercon-
`nection elements through lithographic techniques. In one
`embodiment,
`that application discloses forming a spring
`interconnection element (including a spring interconnection
`element that is a cantilever beam) on a sacrificial substrate
`and then transferring and mounting the interconnection
`element to a terminal on an electronic component. In that
`disclosure, the spring interconnection element is formed in
`the substrate itself through etching techniques.
`In
`co—pending, commonly—owned US. patent application Ser.
`No. 08/852,152,
`titled “Microelectronic Spring Contact
`Elements,” now US. Pat. No. 6,184,053 spring intercon—
`nection elements are formed on a substrate,
`including a
`substrate that is an electronic component, by depositing and
`patterning a plurality of masking layers to form an opening
`corresponding to a shape embodied for the spring intercon-
`nection element, depositing conductive material in the open-
`ing made by the patterned masking layers, and removing the
`masking layer to form the free-standing spring interconnec-
`tion element.
`
`Co-pending and commonly-owned US. patent applica-
`tion Ser. No. 09/023,859, titled “Microelectronic Contact
`Structures and Methods of Making Same,” now pending
`describes an interconnection element having a base end
`
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`portion (post component), a body portion (beam component)
`and a contact end portion (tip component) and methods
`separately forming each portion and joining the post portion
`together as desired on an electronic component.
`
`Co—pending and commonly—owned US. patent applica—
`tion Ser. No. 09/107,924 now pending and its parent, US.
`Pat. No. 5,772,451 issued Jun. 30, 1998, both entitled
`“Sockets for Electronic Components and Methods of Con-
`necting to Electronic Components,” show a socketing device
`for mating to a packaged semiconductor.
`
`What is needed is a method of fabricating interconnection
`elements suitable for present fine-pitch electrical connec-
`tions that is scalable for future technologies. Also needed are
`improved methods of making interconnection elements,
`particularly methods that are repeatable, consistent, and
`inexpensive.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`In one aspect, the method comprises successively fabri-
`cating a multi—tiered structure to form a compact, resilient
`interconnect structure. Fabricating each tier or
`layer
`involves, in one instance, patterning a plurality of layers of
`masking material over a substrate. A resilient element is
`formed and deposited after patterning and cleaned as needed
`and prepared for a subsequent layer. The method forms, in
`one embodiment, an interconnection element coupled to the
`substrate having a body of a plurality of resilient elements,
`a first resilient element with a first contact region and a
`second contact region and a first securing region, and a
`second resilient element with a third contact region coupled
`to the first resilient element through respective securing
`regions.
`
`A second aspect of the method of forming a contact
`element comprises successively alternately patterning a plu-
`rality of masking layers and interconnection material layers
`over an attachment element of an interconnection element
`
`coupled to a substrate, the alternately patterned layers defin-
`ing a body coupled to the attachment element, having a
`plurality of resilient elements, a portion of adjacent resilient
`elements separated by a masking layer, and removing the
`masking layers to form an interconnection element extend-
`ing from the surface of the substrate.
`
`By forming a body of the interconnection element with a
`plurality of resilient elements, the mechanical properties of
`the interconnection element are improved over single beam
`spring interconnection elements, particularly in sub-micron
`pitch spacing range of current and future technologies of
`contact pads or terminals of an integrated circuit. For
`example, the multiple—leaf portion body of the interconnec—
`tion element of the invention can achieve improved
`mechanical properties such as spring constant, compliance,
`and lower material stress over single beam spring intercon-
`nection elements in fine-pitch applications.
`
`The interconnection elements formed by the different
`aspects of the method of the invention are suitable for
`making either temporary or permanent electrical connection
`between contact pads or terminals of an electronic compo-
`nent such as a PCB and a chip under test. In this regard, a
`method of making electrical connections is disclosed. In one
`aspect, the method comprises patterning a plurality of inter-
`connection elements on the surface of a first substrate, each
`interconnection element having an attachment element
`coupled to a first substrate and a body comprising a plurality
`of resilient elements, the attachment element coupled to a
`first surface of the body, a second surface of the body having
`a contact region capable of contacting a terminal of a
`
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`US 6,491,968 B1
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`chip—scale device. The first substrate is brought together with
`a second substrate so that the contact regions of the inter-
`connection elements are in contact with the second sub—
`
`strate. For making temporary connection, the first substrate
`is brought
`together with another substrate, such as an
`electronic component, where the contact regions of the
`second substrate are electrical contacts such as terminals.
`
`The interconnection elements react resiliently to maintain
`contact pressure and, in one embodiment, to maintain an
`electrical connection between the two components. For
`making permanent connection, the first substrate is brought
`together with the second substrate and the contact regions of
`the interconnection elements are joined or bonded, such as
`by soldering, welding, or brazing or with a conductive
`adhesive, to, for example, a terminal of the other substrate.
`In one embodiment, the interconnection elements are com—
`
`pliant and may accommodate differential thermal expansion
`between the two substrates.
`
`Disposed on an electronic component, the interconnection
`elements are particularly suitable for electrical connection
`with a second electronic components having “fine-pitch”
`contact pads or terminals, for example, spacing of at least
`less than 5 mils (130 am), such as 2.5 mils (65 ,um). As will
`be evident from the description that follows, minimized
`pitch between interconnection elements of an electronic
`component of the invention is achieved in part by modifying
`the thickness of the body or spring portion of the intercon—
`nection element of the electronic component. Instead of a
`single beam body, the interconnection elements of the elec—
`tronic component are comprised of a plurality of resilient
`elements to improve the mechanical properties of each
`interconnection element. A desired spring constant of
`multiple, coordinated springs reinforce and support
`the
`primary spring and interconnection element (e.g., tip). Aleaf
`portion body also improves the compliance of the body at a
`reduced material stress. Applications to larger scale devices,
`including, for example, devices with contact pitches of about
`50—100 mil (1.3—2.6 mm) and even larger are feasible as
`well.
`
`features, and advantages of the
`Other embodiments,
`invention will become apparent in light of the following
`description thereof.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`The features, aspects, and advantages of the invention will
`become more thoroughly apparent
`from the following
`detailed description, appended claims, and accompanying
`drawings in which:
`
`FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of an example of an
`interconnection element having a single beam spring
`coupled to an electronic component.
`FIG. 2 shows the interconnection element of FIG. 1 in
`
`contact with a second electronic component.
`FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of an example of an
`interconnection element having a spring of multiple leaf
`portions coupled to an electronic component.
`FIG. 4 shows the interconnection element of FIG. 3 in
`
`contact with a second electronic component.
`
`FIG. 5 is a graphical representation of the force applied to
`a single-beam interconnection element and a leaf-portioned
`interconnection element, respectively, versus deflection dis-
`tance of the interconnection element.
`
`FIG. 6 shows the material stress for a single-beamed
`interconnection element and a leaf-portioned interconnec-
`tion element, respectively, versus deflection distance of the
`interconnection element.
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`FIG. 7 is a cross—sectional side view of a structure having
`a triangularly-shaped feature formed in a surface of a
`substrate with conductive layers overlying a surface of the
`substrate and the triangularly-shaped feature in accordance
`with an embodiment of forming an interconnection element
`of the invention on a sacrificial substrate.
`
`FIG. 8 shows the structure of FIG. 7 after depositing a first
`masking material layer over a surface of the substrate and
`exposing the triangularly-shaped feature through an opening
`in the first masking material layer.
`
`FIG. 9 shows the structure of FIG. 7 after depositing a first
`tip material in the opening in the first masking material layer.
`
`FIG. 10 shows the structure of FIG. 7 after depositing a
`second tip material
`in the opening in the first masking
`material layer.
`
`FIG. 11 shows the structure of FIG. 7 after planarizing the
`first masking material layer and the second tip material.
`
`FIG. 12(a) shows the structure of FIG. 7 after removing
`the first masking material layer in accordance with one
`aspect of an embodiment of the invention.
`
`FIG. 12(b) shows the tip portion of FIG. 12(6) after
`affixing the fabricated tip structure to a spring of a separately
`fabricated interconnection element in accordance with one
`
`aspect of an embodiment of the invention.
`
`FIG. 13(61) shows the structure of FIG. 7 after depositing
`an adhesion/seed material over a portion of the planarized
`surface in accordance with a second aspect of an embodi-
`ment of the invention.
`
`FIG. 13(b) shows the structure of FIG. 7 after patterning
`a second masking material layer over the substrate having an
`opening aligned to the tip, the opening extending laterally
`and/or transversely over the substrate from the tip in accor-
`dance with a second aspect of an embodiment of the
`invention.
`
`FIG. 13(6) shows the structure of FIG. 7 after depositing
`a second conductive material in the opening of the second
`masking material layer in accordance with a second aspect
`of an embodiment of the invention.
`
`FIG. 13(d) shows the structure of FIG. 7 after planarizing
`the second masking material and the second conductive
`material in accordance with a second aspect of an embodi-
`ment of the invention.
`
`FIG. 14(a) shows the structure of FIG. 7 after removing
`the masking material
`layers to form an interconnection
`element including a spring having a single leaf portion and
`a tip structure in accordance with a third aspect of an
`embodiment of the invention.
`
`FIG. 1403)) shows the structure of FIG. 14(a) after afiixing
`the tip structure and spring to a separately fabricated post
`and spring (in this example consisting of one leaf portion) in
`accordance with a third aspect of an embodiment of the
`invention.
`
`FIG. 14(6) shows the structure of FIG. 14(1)) after sepa-
`rating the tip structure from its substrate to form a free-
`standing interconnection element on a substrate in accor-
`dance with a third aspect of an embodiment of the invention.
`
`FIG. 15(a) shows the structure of FIG. 7 after depositing
`a third masking material layer over a portion of the pla-
`narized surface in accordance with a fourth aspect of an
`embodiment of the invention.
`
`FIG. 15(b) shows the structure of FIG. 7 after depositing
`a seed material over a portion of the substrate in accordance
`with a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the invention.
`FIG. 15(6) shows the structure of FIG. 7 after depositing
`a fourth masking material
`layer over a portion of the
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`US 6,491,968 B1
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`substrate defining an opening over the second conductive
`material in accordance with a fourth