Probe sensing pads and methods of detecting positions of probe needles relative to probe sensing pads

Abstract

A probe sensing pad used to detect a position of a probe needle includes a probe area, at least two sensing regions contacting peripheral portions of the probe area, sensing elements of different electrical characteristics connected to corresponding sensing regions, and at least one isolation region for electrically insulting the sensing regions. The position of the probe needle relative to the probe sensing pad may be rapidly detected and automatically corrected toward a desired contact site of the probe sensing pad depending upon the voltage measured by a probe needle contacting the probe sensing pad. That is, the measured voltage will have a first value if deflected in a first direction, a second value (different from the first) if deflected in a second direction, and so on. The position of the probe needle can be corrected based on this measurement.