Analysis of the surface topography

Topography is part of a surface analysis context.

Many interactions remain on a material surface. These play a major role in the behavior of the material, in order to better understand them, surface analysis is necessary.

Finally, the surface topography manifests itself on three levels: 

• Macrographic, the surface is the limit between the solid and its environment
• Microscopic, the surface presents numerous irregularities and mechanical alterations. These are superimposed on the shape defects. The “microscopic” level aims at the geometry of the roughness profile
• Nanometrically, the surface can be schematized by an irregular stacking of atoms with a discontinuity in the arrangement of the atoms of the solid which confers to the surface atoms an intrinsic energy higher than those of the volume. 

Moreover, the properties and surface states of a material allow an adaptation of the manufacturing processes.