The measurement of surface texture and topography by differential light scattering

Abstract The use of light scattering as a tool for the measurement of two-dimensional surface topography is discussed. Various versions of scattering theory are used to explore the relation between the angular distribution of the scattered intensity and surface features, and inversely to express various deterministic and statistical finish parameters in terms of scattering measurements. Particular attention is paid to the characterization of diamond-turned surfaces because of the rich variety of features they exhibit and their increasing technological importance.