Patent ID: 7333191

Claim:
A scanning probe microscope having a probe section with a probe arranged to face a sample, and a measurement section for measuring a surface of said sample using a physical quantity occurring between said probe and said sample when said probe scans the surface of said sample by holding said physical quantity constant, comprising: a probe tilt mechanism for making said probe tilt, a probe position detecting means for detecting a position of said probe when said probe is tilted, which includes an optical microscope, wherein an image of said probe is shown in an observation field of said optical microscope when detecting the position of the tilted probe, and a control means for controlling said probe tilt mechanism to make said probe tilt to set said probe at a first tilt posture and second tilt posture, controlling said measurement section to measure the surface of said sample at each tilt posture, making said probe position detecting means detect the position of said probe at least at said second tilt posture, and making a measurement location of said probe at said second tilt posture match with a measurement location of said probe at said first tilt posture, so that no error (δ) between the measurement locations of said probe at said first tilt posture and said second tilt posture arises when changing the tilt of said probe from said first tilt posture to said second tilt posture.