A "Velcro" type of metal-based micro connector

The paper describes the concept, development and fabrication technique for an electrical interconnect in the micro scale, which simultaneously serves as mechanical contact as well. The advantage with the suggested "Velcro" concept is that no thermal budget is required to join the micro contacts, enabling the use also for thermally very sensitive joining partners (e.g. functionalized surfaces). The "Velcro" shape of the polymeric bumps was obtained by use of two-photon induced polymerization - the structures were thereafter metallized and joined in both detachable and non-detachable manner. Cone shaped interconnect elements as well as such with an undercut have been realized and investigated. Joining these elements using pressure applied by a parallel plate bond system allows them to stick and even cold-weld together. Depending on the structure geometry detachable and non-detachable interconnects can be realized.