In a position measuring device (5) and a method for ascertaining positions of an object (3) to be measured, at least one capacitive position measuring sensor (7) provides a position measurement signal (P.sub.M) relating to the object (3) to be measured and at least one capacitive reference measurement sensor (14) provides a reference measurement signal (R.sub.M). The measuring sensors (7, 14) are connected to a computing unit (8) which is embodied to calculate a position signal (P) to ascertain the positions from the position measurement signal (P.sub.M) and the reference measurement signal (R.sub.M). As a result of interfering influences being contained substantially equally in the position measurement signal (P.sub.M) and the reference measurement signal (R.sub.M) as an interference signal (S), it is possible to determine and eliminate the interference signal (S) during the calculation.

An air-bearing chuck includes a nozzle portion and a gas channel portion. The nozzle portion is provided with a plurality of support force nozzles for generating an air cushion on a top surface of the nozzle portion. The gas channel portion includes a first gas channel configured to transmit a first gas to the plurality of support force nozzles to provide support force. Embodiments of the present application can implement that the first gas channel transmits the first gas to the plurality of support force nozzles to provide support force, and an air cushion is generated on the top surface of the nozzle portion by regulating gas flow of the first gas in the first gas channel, thereby keeping a supported object supported by the air cushion stably floating up on one side, away from the top surface of the nozzle portion, of the air cushion.

A semiconductor equipment architecture WGT for wafer shape and flatness measurement is disclosed. The semiconductor equipment architecture WGT includes a reflective air-bearing chuck and a hybrid wafer thickness gauge. Also disclosed are the corresponding methods of measuring wafer shape and flatness using the architecture, the air-bearing chuck and the hybrid wafer thickness gauge.

An ultrasonic receiver receives ultrasonic waves reflected at a plurality of portions of the body of a person to be measured, and thus the person to be measured needs to input the approximate height of himself/herself. An electrostatic capacitance sensor includes a transmission electrode and a reception electrode. The electrostatic capacitance sensor measures a mutual capacitance between the transmission electrode and the reception electrode by a mutual capacitance method. A variable frequency pulse generator generates a pulse supplied to the transmission electrode. A control apparatus allows the variable frequency pulse generator to sweep the frequency of the pulse and allows the electrostatic capacitance sensor to measure the mutual capacitance to identify a frequency at which the measured mutual capacitance is minimized. The control apparatus obtains the height of a person to be measured on the basis of the identified frequency.

A device for capacitively measuring a powder fill level in a filling apparatus for a rotary press where the fill apparatus comprises a filling pipe. The device comprises a first measuring electrode positioned on the filling pipe and a reference electrode. A first electrical capacitor is configured to be formed by the reference electrode and the first measuring electrode, wherein an electrical field is configured to be formed between the first measuring electrode and the reference electrode. The first measuring electrode is covered by an electrically conductive protective shielding on a side facing away from the filling pipe and the electrically conductive protective shielding is at a ground potential.

A method for obtaining a parameter representative of a height (H) of an upper surface of a material stacked in a coke oven with respect to a reference plane (P) is provided. The method includes the following steps: providing a sensor located above the upper surface at an operation distance (D1) from the reference plane, the sensor and the material forming a capacitor having a capacitance, obtaining at least one capacitance signal representative of said capacitance, obtaining at least one distance signal (S2) using the capacitance signal, the distance signal being representative of a distance (D2) between the sensor and the upper surface along a vertical direction (Z), and obtaining said parameter representative of the height using the distance signal and the operation distance. A process for controlling a filling rate of the coke oven, a system for implementing the method, and a coke oven including the system are also provided.

Probe systems and methods for calibrating capacitive height sensing measurements. A probe system includes a probe assembly with a probe support body that supports a capacitive displacement sensor that terminates in a sensing tip relative to a substrate and that is configured to generate an uncalibrated capacitive height measurement. A method of utilizing the probe system to generate a calibrated capacitive height measurement includes receiving a height calibration structure architecture; calculating a layer impedance magnitude of each substrate layer of the height calibration structure; and calculating a total layer impedance magnitude of the height calibration structure. The method further includes measuring a measured impedance magnitude and calculating the calibrated capacitive height measurement.

Probe systems and methods for calibrating capacitive height sensing measurements. A probe system includes a probe assembly with a probe support body that supports a capacitive displacement sensor that terminates in a sensing tip relative to a substrate and that is configured to generate an uncalibrated capacitive height measurement. A method of utilizing the probe system to generate a calibrated capacitive height measurement includes receiving a height calibration structure architecture; calculating a layer impedance magnitude of each substrate layer of the height calibration structure; and calculating a total layer impedance magnitude of the height calibration structure. The method further includes measuring a measured impedance magnitude and calculating the calibrated capacitive height measurement.

A method for obtaining a parameter representative of a height (H) of an upper surface of a material stacked in a coke oven with respect to a reference plane (P) is provided. The method includes the following steps: providing a sensor located above the upper surface at an operation distance (D1) from the reference plane, the sensor and the material forming a capacitor having a capacitance, obtaining at least one capacitance signal representative of said capacitance, obtaining at least one distance signal (S2) using the capacitance signal, the distance signal being representative of a distance (D2) between the sensor and the upper surface along a vertical direction (Z), and obtaining said parameter representative of the height using the distance signal and the operation distance. A process for controlling a filling rate of the coke oven, a system for implementing the method, and a coke oven including the system are also provided.

Electrostatic capacitance type height sensor (10) includes sensor electrode (11) attached to a tip of laser machining nozzle (1), signal processor (13) that transmits a voltage signal to sensor electrode (11) and detects a signal from sensor electrode (11) to measure a distance between a tip of sensor electrode (11) and workpiece (5) electrically connected to a ground, and cable (12) electrically connecting sensor electrode (11) to signal processor (13). Signal processor (13) includes a disconnection determinator that determines that cable (12) is broken if the signal from sensor electrode (11) is higher or equal to a predetermined level.