Abstract: The invention provides a cantilever attachment fitting that makes it easy to attach a cantilever to a cantilever holder. The cantilever attachment fitting has an attachment platform of which the upper surface is to have a cantilever placed on, a pressing member for pressing the cantilever against the upper surface of the attachment platform, and a lifting mechanism for moving the pressing member upward from the upper surface of the attachment platform. The cantilever attachment fitting is further provided with: a sliding platform having a sliding surface for sliding the cantilever toward the attachment platform; a base for fixing the cantilever holder in the horizontal direction so that the attachment platform is in a predetermined location relative to the sliding platform; and a pressing unit for pressing downward the cantilever holder fixed to the base.

Abstract: The invention provides a cantilever attachment fitting that makes it easy to attach a cantilever to a cantilever holder. The cantilever attachment fitting has an attachment platform of which the upper surface is to have a cantilever placed on, a pressing member for pressing the cantilever against the upper surface of the attachment platform, and a lifting mechanism for moving the pressing member upward from the upper surface of the attachment platform. The cantilever attachment fitting is further provided with: a sliding platform having a sliding surface for sliding the cantilever toward the attachment platform; a base for fixing the cantilever holder in the horizontal direction so that the attachment platform is in a predetermined location relative to the sliding platform; and a pressing unit for pressing downward the cantilever holder fixed to the base.

Abstract: An atomic force microscope including a cantilever, a transferring device and a displacement detecting device is used for conducting a material test of a test member based on a load amount and a displacement amount. The test member may be fixed to the cantilever or may be entirely replaced with the cantilever. The transferring device, which is normally used for transferring the cantilever or the sample in accordance with a shape of the sample, constitutes a load applying device for applying a load to the test member, and a displacement of the test member is detected by the displacement detecting device. The load applying device can apply slight displacement and load to the test member, so that the material test for the small material can be conducted.

Abstract: A film inspecting apparatus is used for inspecting fine roughness and particle state on a surface of a thin film. In inspecting the thin film surface, shape data of the thin film are obtained by a scanning type probe microscope. The obtained shape data are analyzed to identify individual particles, and the fine roughness and particle state on the thin film surface are inspected based on the particle data obtained by the shape data analysis. The film inspecting apparatus includes a particle analyzing device for inspecting the fine roughness and particle state on the thin film surface by using the shape data obtained by the scanning type probe microscope. The particle analyzing device includes a particle extracting device for extracting the particles on the film surface from the shape data, and a particle data calculating device for calculating the particle data based on the data extracted by the particle extracting device.

Abstract: An environment controllable scanning probe microscope (SPM), such as a scanning tunneling microscope (STM), atomic force microscope (AFM), etc., in which the gaseous environment of the sample during the observation is controllable. That is, the gas surrounding the sample can be replaced to a desired one and the pressure can be set to a desired value. The SPM is suited for observing biological samples because biological samples may deteriorate under a reduced pressure and the surface topography at such high magnification is vulnerable to contamination from the environment.