In this paper, a novel method that can perform measurements of the contact potential difference (CPD) between a tip and a thin film transistor (TFT) panel using the Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) is proposed for inspection of critical invisible defects on TFT panels. In this application, the surface potential of a TFT panel is inferred from the electrostatic interaction force between a tip and a TFT panel induced by the electric field. The experimental results are given to illustrate that the KPFM provides a novel and feasible way to detect the most critical invisible defects on TFT panels. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.