Patent ID: 8225418

Claim:
A method for processing output of a scanning type probe microscope comprising: a cantilever having a probe at a fore-end thereof; a laser light source that applies incident light to the cantilever; light detection means for detecting reflected light by the cantilever; and fine vertical movement means of the cantilever, wherein assuming that the deflection amount of the cantilever is θ, and the fine vertical movement amount thereof is z, a position of the reflected light on the light detection means is (X, Y), and A, B, C, D are constants specific to the scanning type probe microscope, a relationship between (X, Y) and (θ, z) is as follows; X=Aθ+Bz (1) Y=Cθ+Dz (2) from the expressions (1), (2), the following expressions (3), (4) are found; Y −( D/B ) X= ( C−AD/B )θ (3) X −( A/C ) Y =( B−AD/C ) z (4) and from the position (X, Y) of the reflected light on the light detection means, the deflection amount θ and the fine vertical movement amount z of the cantilever are found, using the expressions (3), (4).