Feature-oriented positioning

Feature-oriented positioning (FOP) is a method of precision movement of the scanning microscope probe across the surface under investigation. With this method, surface features are used as reference points (points of probe attachment). Actually, FOP is a simplified embodiment of the feature-oriented scanning (FOS) when instead of acquisition of a topographical image of some surface area only probe movement by the features of this surface is executed. The movement is carried out from a starting point A (neighborhood of a starting feature) of the surface to an ending point B (neighborhood of an ending feature) along some rout passing by intermediate features of the surface. Beside the mentioned, it is acceptable to use another title of the method — object-oriented positioning (OOP).