Patent ID: 8197418

Claim:
A microprobe comprising: a probe body formed from silicon and shaped to include a bulk base and a thin probe integral to the bulk base and extending beyond the bulk base, the probe body comprising: (a) a core shaped to form the bulk base and the thin probe; (b) a lower blade that: is integrally formed with the core; and terminates in a lower blade pointed tip extending beyond a distal end of the thin probe of the core; (c) an upper blade that: is formed from silicon nitride deposited on an upper surface of the core opposite the lower blade; and terminates in an upper blade pointed tip extending beyond the distal end of the thin probe of the core; and (d) a strain gauge that includes two first polysilicon resistors formed in a first region within the bulk base away from the thin probe to have nearly constant resistance values with respect to a strain experienced by the thin probe and two second polysilicon resistors formed in a second region within the bulk base near the thin probe to have resistance values that change with a strain experienced by the thin probe, wherein the first and second polysilicon resistors are connected to form a Wheatstone bridge circuit that measures the strain experienced by the thin probe.