Micro-structure formed of thin films

Abstract

A substrate on which a plurality of thin films having a plurality of cross-sections corresponding to the cross-section of a micro-structure are formed is placed on a substrate holder. The substrate holder is elevated to bond a thin film formed on the substrate to the surface of a stage, and by lowering the substrate holder, the thin film is separated from the substrate and transferred to the stage side. The transfer process is repeated to laminate a plurality of thin films on the stage and to form the micro-structure. Accordingly, there are provided a micro-structure having high dimensional precision, especially high resolution in the lamination direction, which can be manufactured from a metal or an insulator such as ceramics and can be manufactured in the combined form of structural elements together, and a manufacturing method and an apparatus thereof.

1 . A method of forming a micro-structure with a plurality of laminated thin films, comprising: 
 cleaning one surface of one laminated thin film of the plurality of laminated thin films and another surface of another laminated thin film of the plurality of laminated thin films that is opposite the one surface in order to remove impurities on the one surface and the another surface;    contacting directly and bonding together the one surface and the another surface after cleaning the one surface and the another surface; and    repeating the cleaning of surfaces and the direct contacting and bonding together of surfaces until all of the plurality of laminated thin films are bonded together.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of laminated thin films are placed in an evacuated vacuum chamber before being cleaned.  
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the surfaces are cleaned by irradiating an inert gas atomic beam onto the surfaces for fast atom bombardment treatment.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the micro-structure comprises a plurality of combined structural elements with at least two structural elements which are separated and which are movable relative to one another.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the micro-structure is a mold.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the mold has an inside configuration that matches a target micro-structure formed in the mold by a molding process.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of laminated thin films have a two-dimensionally patterned form.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of laminated thin films have a two-dimensionally patterned form, and the thin films include at least one material selected from the group consisting of metals, ceramics and semiconductors.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the thin films comprise at least one material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, tantalum, copper, indium, alumina, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, silicon nitride and silicon.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of laminated thin films have a two-dimensionally patterned form, and the thin films include a combination of thin films having different compositions from each other.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein at least one thin film of the combination of thin films comprises a combination of two different materials selected from the group consisting of metals and ceramics.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein two thin films of the combination of thin films each comprise a combination of two different materials selected from the group consisting of metals and ceramics.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one thin film of the combination of thin films comprises a metal and a ceramic material.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one thin film of the combination of thin films comprises two different metals.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one thin film of the combination of thin films comprises two different ceramic materials.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of laminated thin films is a plurality of laminated non-adhesive thin films having a two-dimensionally patterned form.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one surface and the another surface are activated before bonding.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one surface and the another surface are directly contacted and bonded together without an oxide film on the one surface and the another surface.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one surface and the another surface are directly contacted and bonded together by surface activated bonding to achieve high dimensional precision in a lamination direction.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one surface and the another surface are directly contacted and bonded together during a bonding process performed in a vacuum to achieve high dimensional precision in a lamination direction.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one surface and the another surface consists of a material consisting of the thin film and exposed at the one surface and the another surface.