US Patent 7278296 Scanning probe microscope

The present invention is intended to solve the problem that the tip of the probe of a scanning probe microscope cannot be conditioned stably due to overload in a contact region. This problem is solved by a scanning probe microscope for scanning the probe and a sample relative to each other. The microscope has a cantilever, a vibration means for vibrating the cantilever, and a vibration signal-switching means for switching a vibration signal applied to the vibration means between at least two different signals. The cantilever has a resilient body that supports the probe.