PROBE MICROSCOPE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a probe microscope in which sample information of higher reliability can be obtained. SOLUTION: In this probe microscope 120, a sample is brought close to a probe sample-side tip part 118a, an interaction which acts between the sample 112 and the probe sample-side tip part 118a is detected, and surface information on the sample 112 is obtained on the basis of the interaction which acts between both. A probe 118 is a flexible needlelike probe 118. The probe microscope 120 is provided with an excitation means 122 which can turn the probe 118 while the tip part 118a is being bent in such a way that the tip part 118a draws a circle with a diameter according to the increase or decrease of the interaction acting between the sample 112 and the tip part 118a. In addition, the probe microscope is provided with a detection means 124 which detects the increase or decrease of the diameter of the rotating circle drawn by the probe sample- side tip part 118a due to the interaction and which obtains information on the distance between the sample 112 and the probe sample-side tip part 118a on the basis of the increase or decrease of the diameter of the rotating circle.