Patent ID: 7366704

Claim:
A method for deconvoluting scanning probe microscopy images comprising: (a) using a physical property scanning probe microscope to obtain at least one topographic data set and at least one data set of an apparent physical property for a surface of a first sample, wherein said physical property of the first sample is known, and the topographic and apparent physical property data sets include data for at least one smooth and at least one rough topographic region of the surface of the first sample; (b) applying a neural network to the data set of said apparent physical property and the topographic data set of the first sample such that the neural network learns how to deconvolute the surface topographic effects from the effects of said physical property; (c) obtaining a data set of said apparent physical property and a topographic data set of a second sample using the physical property scanning probe microscope; and (d) using the neural network to deconvolute the surface topographic effects from the effects of said physical property on the data for the second sample to obtain a physical property data set of the second sample.