  This paper presents the different processing steps of a new generic surface
micromachining module for MEMS hermetic packaging at temperatures around 180
degrees C based on nickel plating and photoresist sacrificial layers. The
advantages of thin film caps are the reduced thickness and area consumption and
the promise of being a low-cost batch process. Moreover, sealing happens by a
reflow technique, giving the freedom of choosing the pressure and atmosphere
inside the cavity. Sacrificial etch holes are situated above the device
allowing shorter release times compared to the state-of-the-art. With the
so-called over-plating process, small etch holes can be created in the membrane
without the need of expensive lithography tools. The etch holes in the membrane
have been shown to be sufficiently small to block the sealing material to pass
through, but still large enough to enable an efficient release.
