Patent ID: 8161803

Claim:
A microelectromechanical (MEMS) nanoindenter transducer comprising: a body; a probe moveable relative to the body; an indenter tip coupled to an end of the moveable probe, the indenter tip moveable together with the probe; and a micromachined comb drive including: an electrostatic actuator capacitor comprising a plurality of comb capacitors configured to drive the probe, together with the indenter tip, along a displacement axis, including in an indentation direction, upon application of a bias voltage to the actuation capacitor; and a plurality of sensing capacitors forming a differential capacitive displacement sensor, each sensing capacitor comprising a plurality of comb capacitors and each configured to provide capacitance levels which, together, are representative of a position of the probe, wherein each of the comb capacitors of the actuator capacitor and the sensing capacitors includes a fixed electrode comb coupled to the body and a moveable electrode comb coupled to the probe.