An out-of-plane spherical microlens standing perpendicular to the substrate has been demonstrated for the first time using surface-micromachining technology. Light emitted from an optical fiber is successfully collimated by the microlens to a divergence angle of 0.15°, and the focal length is measured to the 645 μm. These microlenses can be combined with other out-of-plane micro-optical components on a silicon substrate to from a free-space micro-optical bench.