Profilometry

Profilometry

The Veeco Dektak 150 is a tactile profilometer that uses a diamond needle to scan surfaces. It is used for the analysis of

  • roughness of surface roughness
  • layer thickness on steps
  • mechanic stress

MethodOpen areaClose area

In a tactile profilometer, the topography is scanned by a diamond needle. The vertical position of the needle is detected using a differential transformer (linear variable differential transformer, LVDT). The signal is processed and passed on to the measurement and control PC via an analogue/digital converter.

In addition to determining the roughness values of the surface, it can also be used to determine layer thicknesses at step edges or, in the case of measurements over long distances, to analyse mechanical stress, e.g. of coated wafers.

SpecificationsOpen areaClose area

  • Vibration damped table
  • Maximum sample size: 150 mm (6 in.)
  • Horizontal resolution (step size) down to < 10 nm
  • Verticale resolution down to 0.1 nm