Patent ID: 8063401

Claim:
A probe electrode structure comprising: a substrate; a first probe electrode; a second probe electrode; and a layer sequence disposed below the first and second probe electrodes and above the substrate, wherein the layer sequence comprises: an electrically conductive bottom layer, wherein the bottom layer comprises first and second bottom-layer sections separated by a trench, wherein the first bottom-layer section is disposed below the first probe electrode except for a portion of the first probe electrode, and the second bottom-layer section is disposed below the second probe electrode and extends below the portion of the first probe electrode; an electrically insulating center layer, wherein the center layer defines: a first contact opening below the first probe electrode; a second contact opening below the second probe electrode; and a first probe opening below the portion of the first probe electrode, wherein the first probe opening is located between a first edge of the first probe electrode and a first edge of the first contact opening; and the center layer is further disposed in the trench which separates the first and second bottom-layer sections; and an electrically conductive top layer, wherein the top layer is in contact with both the first probe electrode and the first bottom-layer section at the first contact opening, and the top layer is in contact with both the second probe electrode and the second bottom-layer section at the second contact opening, and a top-layer probe section of the top layer is in contact with both the portion of the first probe electrode and the second bottom-layer section at the first probe opening.