Patent ID: 7705999

Claim:
A displacement sensor, employing an electromagnetic radiation source that generates a beam of electromagnetic radiation, for measuring a feature of an object, comprising: a. a displacement structure having a first surface, a probe depending outwardly therefrom, and an oppositely-disposed reflection surface that is changed when the probe interacts with the object, the reflection surface disposed so as to interact with the beam from the electromagnetic radiation source and so that a reflected beam reflects from the reflection surface, a characteristic of the reflected beam indicative of a state of the probe; b. a multi-dimensional diffraction grating disposed so as to interact with the reflected beam and generate a pattern of diffracted beams; and c. a first photon detector that is configured to detect an intensity of the reflected beam; and d. at least a second photon detector that is configured to detect an intensity of a diffracted beam that is diffracted from the multi-dimensional diffraction grating, wherein the intensity of the reflected beam and the intensity of the diffracted beam are indicative of both a vertical displacement of the probe and a lateral displacement of the probe.