AFM for Surface Roughness

AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy) is an invaluable tool to analyze the surface roughness and topology of complex material systems. AFM instruments obtain Angstrom-resolution high-quality surface maps to aid in the understanding, identification, and distribution of material within a sample.

The AFM at Ebatco is a WITec 300 RA AFM and Confocal Raman Microscope. Not only does the instrument perform atomic, electrostatic, and magnetic force microscopy, but it also performs Raman microscopy. This allows for high resolution correlative imaging to link topographical and chemical information. Due to its high power of chemical identification, spatial resolution, fast data acquisition, and non-destructive nature of analysis, this microscope is well-suited for the metrology demands of almost any industry.

With respect to performing surface roughness analysis, the WITec 300 RA quantifies surface roughness parameters such as average roughness and root mean square roughness on the smallest of sample surfaces. Samples can be characterized using line or area scans at any resolution requested. The system performs roughness measurements in either contact or noncontact mode, providing maximum flexibility to analyze both hard and soft samples. AFM is an excellent choice for measuring surface roughness and surface height features from nanometers to microns in size.

For more information on AFM, please see our AFM page.

Typical Experimental Results

Applications

For more information please read our application notes.

Instrument: WITec 300RA Microscope with AFM

Key Specifications