SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an accurate image even if the image is scanned speedily when sampling a moving image by previously generating the amount of operation to a Z-directional drive mechanism on a next scanning based on image data that are obtained by previous scannings. SOLUTION: Data on amount of operation in Z direction of a probe 2 at each scanning position of a sample W are stored at an image memory 5. A part 7 for generating a signal on the amount of foresight operation reads the previous amount-of-operation signal of the image memory 5, uses an xy scanning signal on a next scanning as a timing signal, and generates an amount-of- foresight-operation signal so that the same amount of z-axis operation can be obtained at the same xy scanning position. Then, the amount-of-operation signal from a controller 24 and the amount-of-foresight-operation signal from the part 7 for generating a signal on the amount of foresight operation are added by an addition point 32 and a signal after the addition is supplied to a piezoelectric driver 22 as the amount-of-operation signal, thus increasing the probability following the surface of the sample W faithfully due to the Z-direction drive mechanism and obtaining a highly accurate image information at a relatively high scanning speed.