Scanning probe microscope

A scanning probe microscope comprising:

• a cantilever provided with a probe;
• and
• a displacement detection unit for detecting displacement of the cantilever,
• the scanning probe microscope configured to, in a state in which the probe is brought close to a surface of a sample, scan a measurement object region on the sample with the probe while performing feedback control of a spacing distance between the probe and the sample so that an interaction between the probe and the sample is kept constant based on the displacement detected by the displacement detection unit, to obtain a surface shape image of the region,
• wherein the scanning probe microscope comprises:
• a) a data obtaining unit for obtaining image data in a forward scanning and image data in a reverse scanning by moving a relative position of the probe and the sample so as to scan a predetermined one-dimensional region in the measurement object region on the sample in a forward direction and in a reverse direction, respectively;
• b) a reference information obtaining unit for obtaining, as reference information, at least one of a deviation between a displacement amount obtained based on the displacement detection unit and a target value, and a signal value reflecting physical property information of the sample surface obtained based on the displacement amount in a control loop of the feedback control in obtaining the image data by the data obtaining unit;
• and
• c) an image data selection processing unit for determining the image data corresponding to the measurement object region by executing, at each of measurement points in the measurement object region, a process of comparing the reference information obtained during the forward scanning and the reference information obtained during the reverse scanning at each measurement point, and selecting the image data obtained during scanning in which a value indicated by the reference information is smaller.