Patent ID: 7904966

Claim:
A scanning probe microscope apparatus for imaging a sample using an interaction between the sample and a mechanical oscillator, the scanning probe microscope apparatus comprising: a first controller; an XYZ scanner for the sample and an XY scanning and imaging system, each being connected to the first controller; a signal generator; an oscillation exciting means connected to the signal generator; a mechanical oscillator forcibly oscillated by an output signal from the oscillation exciting means; an oscillation detecting means for detecting an oscillation of the mechanical oscillator, a phase difference detecting means connected to the oscillation detecting means; a second controller for receiving a phase difference signal from the phase difference detecting means and transmitting a frequency control signal to the first controller and the signal generator; a device for mixing the phase difference signal and the frequency control signal at an arbitrary ratio and transmitting the mixed signal to the first controller; and a device for adjusting the frequency control signal to an arbitrary intensity and transmitting the adjusted signal to the signal generator; wherein the signal generator is configured to generate a driving signal having a frequency close to the resonant frequency of the mechanical oscillator and to transmit the driving signal to the oscillation exciting means to oscillate the mechanical oscillator forcibly, and phase difference detected by the phase difference detecting means is kept constant.