The invention describes a method and apparatus for deploying micromachined
actuators in a plane which is orthogonal to the original fabrication
plane of the devices. Using batch-processing, photolithographic
procedures known in the micromachined electro-mechanical system (MEMS)
art, a plurality of devices is constructed on a suitable substrate. The
devices are then separated one from another by sawing and dicing the
original fabrication wafer. The devices are rotated into an orthogonal
orientation and affixed to a second wafer. The second wafer also contains
circuitry for addressing and manipulating each of the devices
independently of the others. With this method and apparatus, arrays of
actuators are constructed whose plane of actuation is perpendicular to
the plane of the array. This invention is useful for constructing
N.times.M fiber optic switches, which direct light from N input fibers
into M output fibers.