Novel method for the assembly and electrical contacting of out-of-plane microstructures

This paper reports on the assembly of out-of-plane microstructures with multiple electrical contacts established at the same time. The reported structures are intended for neuroscientific applications. Dedicated bays in a platform ensure the orthogonal orientation of the microstructure. In addition, a 10-mu m-thick polymer cable is clamped between bays and microstructures and establishes the fixation of the probes. This cable, enhanced by gold bumps, ensures the transfer of conducting lines from the horizontal into the vertical direction. It simultaneously provides the electrical contacts to the microstructures. The contact resistance of individual contacts was found to be smaller than 2 Omega.