Comparison of atomic force microscopy with some common methods in measuring surface roughness Abstract

Today, the study of surface properties has become widely used in industry and research, so many technologies are used to observe and study surface properties in a wide range of measurements (from millimeters to nanometers. One of the most important items in the study of surface properties is surface roughness. Surface roughness is a one of property of the material surface texture that is identified by comparing of its topography with an ideal smooth surface.A rough surface contains roughness, peaks, and Valleys that are very close to each other.There are several methods for measuring surface roughness that can be divided into contact and non-contact techniques. In the contact method, which is the basis of profillometrs stylus and scanning probe microscopes, the surface roughness is measured by moving a probe along the surface. Interferometry techniques and confocal microscopes are also common examples of non-contact roughness measuring devices. Of course, the type of surface and its physical properties also have a significant impact on choosing the right tool. In this article, some of common methods in roughness measuring and their principles are investigated and these techniques compared with the atomic force microscopy method.