Scanning probe microscope

摘要

There is disclosed a scanning probe microscope capable of producing a topographic image at a high resolution with a cantilever of a large spring constant and, at the same time, a surface potential image at a high resolution. This microscope can take the form of an atomic force microscope that detects the surface potential of a sample, using a force gradient acting between the probe tip and a sample. The gradient is represented by the output from a frequency-to-voltage converter. <IMAGE>