7
APPENDIX
7.4 FILE
FORMAT
In WinSPM, image data are handled in TIFF (Tagged Image File Format). The TIFF files
contain not only graphic information, but also other information (SPM measurement
parameters, history of measurements, and so forth). Therefore, the structure of those
TIFF files is partly different from the standard TIFF file structure. As a result, the image
display or processing software based on the standard TIFF might not accommodate SPM
graphic data.
7.4.1 Standard TIFF File Structure
The figure below shows the structure of the standard TIFF schematically. The structure
consists of a header and a few directories. The header contains a pointer to the 1st
directory, a pointer in the 1st directory to the 2nd directory, a pointer in the 2nd directory
… and so on. The last directory contains a null pointer that points to image data.
WinSPM uses only the 1st directory.
1st Director y
2nd Director y
Last Director y
Pointer
Header
Null Pointer
Pointer
Pointer
Image Data
TMPM5200-2
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