A METROLOGICAL SCANNING FORCE MICROSCOPE USED FOR COATING THICKNESS AND OTHER TOPOGRAPHICAL MEASUREMENTS

A commercial scanning force microscope (SFM) has been modified by the incorporation of three miniature laser interferometers, and new calibr ation methods have been applied so that requirements resulting from tr aceability of measurement results to metrological primary standards ca n be better fulfilled. The progress attainable in this way refers to t he accurate positioning of the probe with respect to the points to be sampled on the surface. The paper gives a brief introduction to the SF M and the interferometers, the approach to three-dimensional calibrati on of the SFM, selected calibration results and the compensation of ca libration errors by the control software of the SFM. The SFM is applie d to the determination of the coating thickness of corresponding artef acts. These results are consistent with those achieved by interference optical microscopy.