Patent ID: 7568381

Claim:
An apparatus for performing surface property measurements with in-process compensation for instrument frame distortion and the like, the apparatus comprising: a substantially rigid base; a stylus coupled to the substantially rigid base, the stylus configured and selectively positioned to interact with a surface of a specimen at points generally along a central axis of the stylus; a proximity detector sensor coupled to the substantially rigid base, the proximity detector sensor disposed at a predetermined constant distance from the surface of the specimen and operable for sensing the predetermined constant distance between the proximity detector sensor and the surface of the specimen, wherein the proximity detector sensor is movable relative to the stylus; a proximity detector actuator coupled to the substantially rigid base, the proximity detector actuator operable for maintaining the predetermined constant distance between the proximity detector sensor and the surface of the specimen as the substantially rigid base and the stylus are moved with respect to the surface of the specimen along the central axis of the stylus; and a proximity detector translation sensor coupled to the substantially rigid base, the proximity detector translation sensor operable for sensing a displacement of the proximity detector sensor relative to the substantially rigid base while the stylus is interacting with the surface of the specimen.