Compound microscope

A compound microscope comprising:

• an optical microscope which acquires shape data representing an at least two-dimensional image including an optical image of a sample;
• a scanning probe microscope which acquires physical-property data containing shape data about the sample;
• a data-acquiring condition setting unit which sets and changes at least conditions in which the optical microscope and the scanning probe microscope acquire the shape data and the physical-property data, respectively;
• a storage unit which stores the shape data and the physical-property data acquired by the optical microscope and scanning probe microscope, respectively;
• a data-analyzing unit which analyzes the physical-property data stored in the storage unit, while the optical microscope is acquiring the shape data, and which analyzes the shape data stored in the storage unit, while the scanning probe microscope is acquiring the physical-property data;
• and
• a display unit which displays results of analysis that the data-analyzing unit performs on the physical-property data, while the optical microscope is acquiring the shape data, and which displays results of analysis that the data-analyzing unit performs on the shape data, while the scanning probe microscope is acquiring the physical-property data.

A method of analyzing a sample by using a compound microscope that comprises an optical microscope, a scanning probe microscope, a storage unit and a display unit, said method comprising:

• acquiring image data representing an image of the sample by using the optical microscope;
• acquiring physical-property data representing physical properties of the sample by using the scanning probe microscope;
• storing the image data in the storage unit as the optical microscope acquires the image data;
• storing the physical-property data in the storage unit as the scanning probe microscope acquires the physical-property data;
• analyzing the physical-property data stored in the storage unit, while the optical microscope is acquiring the image data, and displaying results of analysis performed on the physical-property data;
• analyzing the image data stored in the storage unit, while the scanning probe microscope is acquiring the physical-property data, and displaying results of analysis performed on the image data.