Patent ID: 6538458
Filing Date: 2003-03-25
Classification: G01D

Abstract:
An electrostatic capacitance probe device formed from a processed, stacked substrate, said stacked substrate including a first semiconductor substrate and a second semiconductor substrate stacked thereon via an insulator, said probe device comprising:a support substrate formed by etching said first semiconductor substrate to remove undesired portions; a probe formed by etching said second semiconductor substrate and provided with a proximal electrode portion secured on said support substrate by means of said insulator and a beam portion separated from said support substrate by removing said insulator from beneath said beam portion; and a pair of detecting electrodes formed by etching said second semiconductor substrate, secured on said support substrate by means of said insulator, located to sandwich a part of said beam portion close to said proximal electrode portion, and having sides capacitively coupled with sides of said beam portion, wherein deformation of a tip of said probe caused from contact with a work is detected from a differential capacitance variation between said probe and said pair of detecting electrodes.