Patent ID: 7956633

Claim:
An electrical apparatus comprising: an electrically conductive signal structure, an entire outer contour of the signal structure consisting solely of edges having a thickness in a substantially vertical direction, the entire outer contour of the signal structure being electrically insulated from any conductive elements in a same horizontal plane as the signal structure; an electrically conductive guard structure, an entire outer contour of the guard structure consisting solely of edges having a thickness in a substantially vertical direction, the entire outer contour of the guard structure being electrically insulated from any conductive elements in a same horizontal plane as the guard structure; and an electrically insulating structure disposed between the signal structure and the guard structure, wherein the signal structure is electrically insulated from the guard structure, wherein: a first shape in the horizontal plane defined by the entire outer contour of the signal structure comprises a first end and a second end and an elongated portion between the first end and the second end, a second shape in the horizontal plane defined by a first portion of the outer contour of the guard structure comprises a first end and a second end and an elongated portion between the first end and the second end, the first shape and the second shape are substantially the same size and shape and are substantially aligned one with another vertically in a stack, and the entire outer contour of the signal structure and the first portion of the outer contour of the guard structure are substantially aligned one with another vertically in the stack.