Patent ID: 8341760
Filing Date: 2012-12-25
Classification: G01Q

Abstract:
1. A scanning probe microscope comprising: a probe; a scanner which performs relative scanning between the probe and a sample; a displacement sensor which detects a displacement of the probe; an interaction detecting section which detects an amount of interaction generated by an interaction between the probe and the sample and representing magnitude of the interaction based on a signal detected by the displacement sensor; a feedback control section which performs feedback control of a probe-sample distance as a distance between the probe and the sample such that the amount of interaction detected by the interaction detecting section is kept constant; a distance modulation control section which performs distance modulation control to vary the probe-sample distance at a distance modulation frequency higher than a response speed of the feedback control; and a three-dimensional distribution detecting section which detects a distribution of the interaction amounts in a three-dimensional space having a dimension within a scanning range and a thickness within a variation range of the probe-sample distance from the interaction amounts detected during the variation of the probe-sample distance by the distance modulation control while performing the relative scanning between the probe and the sample.