Patent ID: 6998602

Claim:
A method of measuring a specimen by means of a scanning probe microscope, comprising the steps of: displacing a probe with respect to a specimen by means of lateral and vertical shifting units to measure the specimen; generating measuring light rays by means of a light source and directing the measuring light rays to a reflection means disposed on the probe; reflecting the measuring light rays at the reflection means, thereby forming reflected measuring light rays; and generating a measurement signal by directing the reflected measuring light rays by means of a correction lens to a detector surface of a detector means, wherein said step of generating a measurement signal includes positioning the correction lens at a distance from the detector surface substantially corresponding to a focal length of the correction lens; moving the light source, the reflection means, and the detector means along in a lateral direction as the probe is displaced laterally so that the reflection means is maintained relatively at rest with respect to the light source and the detector means, and the reflection means is moved with respect to the light source and the detector means along a vertical direction as the probe is displaced vertically with respect to the specimen.