An atomic force microscope and method of energy dissipation imaging using
such atomic force microscope. The atomic force microscope has a
cantilever equipped with a probe for making contact with a sample, a
vibrating unit for vibrating the cantilever, a vibration control unit for
controlling the vibrating unit based on a preset value of amplitude, a
vibration detector for detecting the amplitude of the vibration of the
cantilever, and an imaging unit for creating an energy dissipation image
based on the vibration of the cantilever. Error information based on the
difference between the value of amplitude detected by the amplitude
detection unit and the preset value of amplitude is fed back to the
vibrating unit. Thus, the vibrating unit vibrates the cantilever to drive
it into resonance. The imaging unit creates an energy dissipation image
based on the difference information.