Patent ID: 8160848

Claim:
A simulation apparatus for generating a coarse-grained simulation image of a sample to be measured with a probe of a scanning probe microscope, the apparatus comprising: an atomic arrangement storage unit which records atoms forming a sample model corresponding to the sample and arrangement coordinates of the atoms forming the sample model; a probe shape storage unit which records a shape of a probe model corresponding to the probe; and an arithmetic processing unit for calculating relative positions of the sample model and the probe model; wherein the arithmetic processing unit: divides the sample model using predetermined meshes and specifies a coordinate of a most projected position of the sample model in each mesh based on the arrangement coordinates of the atoms forming the sample model to obtain a representative value for each mesh; moves the probe model to the sample model and calculates a contact position of the probe model at which the probe model first comes in contact with the sample model in any of the meshes in a virtual three-dimensional space using the representative values of the sample model, without calculating an acting force between the atoms forming the sample model and the atoms forming the probe model; and performs scanning with the probe model to calculate contact positions of the probe model at a plurality of measurement positions on the sample model and generates the coarse-grained simulation image of the sample model based on the contact positions of the probe model calculated at the plurality of measurement positions, without performing an actual scanning of the sample with the probe of the scanning probe microscope.