A method for determining, by applying Scanning Probe Microscopy, the shape of the apex region of the free-standing tip of a needle-shaped sample, comprising the steps of: - providing an SPM apparatus (10,20) comprising an SPM probe mounted on a cantilever, the cantilever having a fixed end and a free end, the probe being mounted on the free end of the cantilever, the probe being shaped as a pyramid having a base, a tip area and at least three side planes (12,13,14) extending between the tip area and the base, the apparatus further comprising a sample holder, a drive mechanism for driving a movement of the probe relative to the sample holder, and detection, control and representation tools (6,8,9) for acquiring and representing an image of a surface scanned in two dimensions by the probe, - mounting the sample on the sample holder, with the sample tip pointed towards the cantilever and the probe, - positioning the SPM probe in a first position wherein the tip of the sample interacts with a first point on a first side plane of the pyramid-shaped probe, wherein - in said first position of the SPM probe - said first plane is oriented at a non-zero angle (β) relative to the longitudinal axis of the sample, - from said first position, performing a scan movement of the probe in a first direction transverse to said first plane, thereby generating an increase of the distance between the base of the probe and the sample tip, whilst maintaining said interaction between the probe and the sample tip, - detecting an instance at which the sample tip has crossed a rib between said first plane of the pyramid-shaped SPM probe and a plane adjacent thereto, - stopping the scan in the first direction and initiating a scan in a second direction transversal to the first direction, thereby bringing the sample tip back into contact with the first plane, and continuing the second scan to thereby reach a position wherein the sample tip interacts with a second point on the first plane, - from this second point, repeating the above first and second scan one or more times, until reaching a position wherein the tip area of the probe interacts with the apex region of the sample tip, - from this position, performing an SPM acquisition scan, thereby obtaining an image of the shape of said apex region. - providing an SPM apparatus (10,20) comprising an SPM probe mounted on a cantilever, the cantilever having a fixed end and a free end, the probe being mounted on the free end of the cantilever, the probe being shaped as a pyramid having a base, a tip area and at least three side planes (12,13,14) extending between the tip area and the base, the apparatus further comprising a sample holder, a drive mechanism for driving a movement of the probe relative to the sample holder, and detection, control and representation tools (6,8,9) for acquiring and representing an image of a surface scanned in two dimensions by the probe, - mounting the sample on the sample holder, with the sample tip pointed towards the cantilever and the probe, - positioning the SPM probe in a first position wherein the tip of the sample interacts with a first point on a first side plane of the pyramid-shaped probe, wherein - in said first position of the SPM probe - said first plane is oriented at a non-zero angle (β) relative to the longitudinal axis of the sample, - from said first position, performing a scan movement of the probe in a first direction transverse to said first plane, thereby generating an increase of the distance between the base of the probe and the sample tip, whilst maintaining said interaction between the probe and the sample tip, - detecting an instance at which the sample tip has crossed a rib between said first plane of the pyramid-shaped SPM probe and a plane adjacent thereto, - stopping the scan in the first direction and initiating a scan in a second direction transversal to the first direction, thereby bringing the sample tip back into contact with the first plane, and continuing the second scan to thereby reach a position wherein the sample tip interacts with a second point on the first plane, - from this second point, repeating the above first and second scan one or more times, until reaching a position wherein the tip area of the probe interacts with the apex region of the sample tip, - from this position, performing an SPM acquisition scan, thereby obtaining an image of the shape of said apex region.