Highly sensitive, accurate and precise methods for measuring the properties of dielectrics used in sub 0.13 &mgr;m technology are required. It is particularly critical to monitor the electrical properties of the gate dielectric. The electrical properties of thin dielectrics are assessed with a new, non‐contaminating, non‐damaging elastic probe. This probe forms a small diameter (∼30 &mgr;m to 50 &mgr;m ) Elastic Metal gate (EM‐gate) on the surface of a dielectric. Subsequent electrical measurements are made with advanced Capacitance‐Voltage (CV), Conductance‐Voltage (GV), and Current‐Voltage (IV) techniques. Valuable and essential information about the dielectric thickness and quality, leakage current, Si‐SiO2interface quality, and channel carrier density profile is obtained. © 2003 American Institute of Physics