Patent ID: 7126350

Claim:
An electrostatic capacitance detection device that reads surface contours of a target object by detecting electrostatic capacitance, which changes according to a distance from the target object, comprising: output lines; power supply lines; M number of row lines, and N number of column lines that are arranged in a matrix of M rows and N columns; and an electrostatic capacitance detection element that is formed at intersections between the row lines and column lines; the electrostatic capacitance detection element including a signal detection element, a signal amplifying element, a column selection element and a row selection element; the signal detection element including a capacitance detecting electrode, a capacitance detecting dielectric layer and a reference capacitor; the reference capacitor including a reference capacitor first electrode, a reference capacitor dielectric layer and a reference capacitor second electrode; the signal amplifying element, the column selection element and the row selection element being coupled in series and located between an output line and a power supply line; and the reference capacitor first electrode being electrically coupled to one of the row lines.