Patent attributes
A scanning probe microscope has a cantilever with a probe facing a sample and a measurement section for measuring a physical quantity occurring between the probe and the sample when the probe scans a surface of the sample, holding the physical quantity constant to measure the surface of the sample. The above microscope further has a probe tilt mechanism, an optical microscope etc. for detecting a position of the probe when the probe is tilted, and a control section for setting the probe in a first tilt posture and second tilt posture, measuring a surface of the sample by the measurement section at each tilt posture, detecting the position of the probe at least at the second tilt posture by the optical microscope etc., and making a measurement location at the second tilt posture match with a measurement location at the first tilt posture for measurement.