Strengths and Limitations of Surface Texture Characterization Techniques

Published

January 1, 2001

Author(s)

Theodore V. Vorburger

Abstract

Surface finish is important to the function of a wide range of industrial components including highways, ship hulls and propellers, mechanical parts, semiconductors, and optics. Hence, many documentary standards have been developed for specifying surface texture, and a wide range of techniques may be used for measuring surface texture. We will review these techniques and suggest a classification scheme for them, emphasizing the differences between profiling, area profiling, and area averaging methods. We will then focus on the techniques of stylus profiling, interferometric microscopy, and atomic force microscopy and discuss their relative strengths and weaknesses, in particular with respect to the issues of how smooth a surface texture can be measured and how fine a surface texture in the lateral direction can be measured with each technique. Related to smooth surface measurements, we will review recent efforts to develop silicon single atom step heights as z-calibration standards for atomic force microscopes.

Proceedings Title

IMEKO, International Measurement Confederation, TC14 - Measurement of Geometrical Quantities, 7th Symposium on Surface Metrology for Quality Assurance - ISMQC

Conference Dates

September 24-26, 2001

Conference Location

Cairo

Pub Type

Conferences

Keywords

area averaging methods, area profiling, atomic force microscopy, interferometric microscopy, profiling, stylus profiling, surface finish, surface metrology, surface texture

Citation

Vorburger, T. (2001), Strengths and Limitations of Surface Texture Characterization Techniques, IMEKO, International Measurement Confederation, TC14 - Measurement of Geometrical Quantities, 7th Symposium on Surface Metrology for Quality Assurance - ISMQC, Cairo, -1 (Accessed April 19, 2024)