Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 March 2018
Scanning probe microscopes (SPMs) are a family of instruments used for studying the surface properties of materials on a dimensional scale ranging from the atomic to the micrometer level. As depicted in Figure 1, all SPMs work by scanning a finely tipped probe in a raster pattern over the sample surface while measuring and mapping some interaction between the probe and the surface as a function of x-y position. The piezoelectric scanners used to provide the scanning motion offer very fine positional control but have certain inherent errors that, uncorrected, can distort images, introduce artifacts, and degrade measurement accuracy.