An apparatus and method are disclosed for measuring bias of polysilicon
shapes relative to a silicon area wherein the presence of an electrical
coupling is used to determine the presence of bias. Bridging vertices on
the polysilicon shapes are formed. Bridging vertices over the silicon
area create low resistance connections between those bridging vertices
and the silicon area; other bridging vertices over ROX (recessed oxide)
areas do not create low resistance connections between those other
bridging vertices and the silicon area. Determining which bridging
vertices have low resistance connections to the silicon area and how many
bridging vertices have low resistance connections to the silicon area are
used to determine the bias of the polysilicon shapes relative to the
silicon area.