A scanning probe microscope comprising: a base; a bridge structure coupled to the base, wherein the bridge structure is made of aluminum or is made of steel which has a coefficient of thermal expansion of about 12.0 x 10 -6 K -1; a probe having a tip, wherein the probe is supported by the bridge structure, a scanner to provide relative scanning motion between the probe and a sample; a z-stage which supports a head which includes the probe and supports a z-axis actuator which is operative to change a vertical spacing between the sample and the tip substantially along the z-axis, wherein the z-stage is coupled to the bridge structure and wherein the z-axis extends orthogonally to the sample placed on the base, a thermal control system configured to heat the bridge structure to a first temperature prior to scanning of the sample by the scanner and to maintain the bridge structure at the first substantially constant temperature during scanning of the sample by the scanner and further configured to heat the z-stage to a second temperature prior to scanning of the sample and to maintain the z-stage at the second substantially constant temperature during scanning of the sample by the scanner, ambient sensors which are to used provide temperature feedback to the thermal control system to regulate heating of the bridge structure and the z-stage, wherein the thermal control system is configured to hold the bridge structure and the z-stage at substantially constant elevated first and second temperatures i above ambient temperature in such a manner that any changes in ambient temperature caused by operation of the scanner will not cause the temperature of the bridge structure and the z-stage to change significantly and an indicator configured to signal a user that the temperature of the bridge structure and the z-stage are both at the elevated first and second temperatures if the measured bridge structure temperature and the z-stage temperature are greater than ambient temperature plus an offset value, prior to the scanning of the sample. a base; a bridge structure coupled to the base, wherein the bridge structure is made of aluminum or is made of steel which has a coefficient of thermal expansion of about 12.0 x 10 -6 K -1; a probe having a tip, wherein the probe is supported by the bridge structure, a scanner to provide relative scanning motion between the probe and a sample; a z-stage which supports a head which includes the probe and supports a z-axis actuator which is operative to change a vertical spacing between the sample and the tip substantially along the z-axis, wherein the z-stage is coupled to the bridge structure and wherein the z-axis extends orthogonally to the sample placed on the base, a thermal control system configured to heat the bridge structure to a first temperature prior to scanning of the sample by the scanner and to maintain the bridge structure at the first substantially constant temperature during scanning of the sample by the scanner and further configured to heat the z-stage to a second temperature prior to scanning of the sample and to maintain the z-stage at the second substantially constant temperature during scanning of the sample by the scanner, ambient sensors which are to used provide temperature feedback to the thermal control system to regulate heating of the bridge structure and the z-stage, wherein the thermal control system is configured to hold the bridge structure and the z-stage at substantially constant elevated first and second temperatures i above ambient temperature in such a manner that any changes in ambient temperature caused by operation of the scanner will not cause the temperature of the bridge structure and the z-stage to change significantly and an indicator configured to signal a user that the temperature of the bridge structure and the z-stage are both at the elevated first and second temperatures if the measured bridge structure temperature and the z-stage temperature are greater than ambient temperature plus an offset value, prior to the scanning of the sample.