A method of making a micro electo-mechanical switch or tunneling sensor. A cantilevered beamstructure and a mating structure are defined on an etch stop layer on a first substrate or wafer;and at least one contact structure and a mating structure are defined on a second substrate orwafer, the mating structure on the second substrate or wafer being of a complementary shape tothe mating structure on the first substrate or wafer. A bonding layer, preferably a eutecticbonding layer, is provided on at least one of the mating structures. The mating structure of thefirst substrate is moved into a confronting relationship with the mating structure of the secondsubstrate or wafer. Pressure is applied between the two substrates so as to cause a bond to occur between the two mating structures at the bonding or eutectic layer. Then the first substrate or wafer and the etch stop layer are removed to free the cantilevered beam structure for movement relative to the second substrate or wafer.