Patent ID: 8869311

Claim:
A scanning probe microscope, comprising: a cantilever having a probe at a tip thereof; cantilever vibrator means for vibrating the cantilever; a sample table on which a sample is to be placed in opposed relation to the tip of the probe; an X-Y drive mechanism and a Z drive mechanism for driving a surface of the sample and the probe relatively to each other in an X direction and a Y direction, and a Z direction, respectively; a cantilever displacement detection portion for detecting a displacement of the cantilever, the cantilever displacement detection portion comprising capacitance change detection means for detecting a change of capacitance between the cantilever and a reference surface due to a change of vibration of the cantilever, the capacitance change detection means comprising vibration frequency detection means for detecting a vibration frequency of the cantilever based on the change of capacitance, the vibration frequency detection means comprising an LC resonator that is connected electrically to the cantilever and that detects a change of resonance frequency of the LC resonator based on the change of capacitance, and electrical signal detection means for detecting an electric signal based on the detected vibration frequency, wherein the capacitance is expressed by an equation having at least three parameters including length of the probe and length and width of the cantilever, and wherein the cantilever displacement detection portion recognizes the vibration frequency of the cantilever based on the change of capacitance, and evaluates the displacement of the cantilever based on the electric signal; a control portion for obtaining shape data and physical property data of the surface of the sample from displacement information of the cantilever detected by the cantilever displacement detection portion; and an illumination device for irradiating at least one of the surface of the sample and the probe with light, wherein the scanning probe microscope detects differences of shape and physical property information of the surface of the sample between presence and absence of the light applied from the illumination device.