Automated landing method of a scanning probe microscopy system and scanning probe microscopy system using the same

A scanning probe microscopy (SPM) system comprising an SPM head for probing a substrate to be probed with a probe tip, a controller, and a translation means for adjusting a separation between the probe tip and the substrate,

• the translation means communicatively connected to the controller, and including a course translation means for bringing the probe tip from an initial separation from the substrate to a more proximal separation, and a fine translation means for bringing the probe tip to a working separation,
• wherein the SPM system is configured for performing a landing procedure including
• applying a first translation over a first actuation distance by the coarse translation means to bring a probe tip held by an SPM head from an initial separation from a substrate to be probed to a second, more proximal, separation as defined by a characteristic transitional response of the probe tip in proximity to the substrate, and
• applying a second translation, following the first translation, over a second actuation distance by the fine translation means under feedback control to bring the probe tip to a working separation, and
• measuring an initial optical distance, indicative of the initial separation, using a detector, and relating the measured initial optical distance to a reference distance so as to determine a deviation;
• wherein, the first actuation distance corresponds to a predetermined reference actuation distance associated to the reference distance and the deviation.