M. Wieland et al., Wavelength-dependent roughness: A quantitative approach to characterizing the topography of rough titanium surfaces, INT J O M I, 16(2), 2001, pp. 163-181
Citations number
52
Categorie Soggetti
Dentistry/Oral Surgery & Medicine
Journal title
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL IMPLANTS
Topographies of grit-blasted, etched, grit-blasted and etched, and microfab
ricated and etched surfaces of commercially pure titanium have been investi
gated. Such surface topographies vary across the scale range of interest fo
r dental implants, extending from nanometers to millimeters. The complete c
haracterization of topography requires the use of complementary methods. Th
is study compared the topographic characterization methods of non-contact l
aser profilometry, interference microscopy, stereo-scanning electron micros
copy (stereo-SEM), and atomic force microscopy. Non-contact laser profilome
try was shown to be a useful method to characterize topographic features in
the micron to millimeter range, whereas interference microscopy and stereo
-SEM can be employed down to the submicron range. Stereo-SEM is particularl
y useful for quantifying topographies with complex, strongly corrugated ("s
harp"), and high-aspect-ratio features and was shown to be complementary to
non-contact laser profilometry and interference microscopy. Because of tip
-related envelope problems, atomic force microscopy was not found to be sui
table for the type of surfaces investigated in this study. Independent of t
he method used, the commonly used "integral" amplitude roughness parameters
, such as R-a, R-q, or R-t, were often of limited value in the description
of actual implant surfaces. The application of the wavelength-dependent rou
ghness approach was shown to be an effective method for the description of
surface topographies in the complete range of characteristic roughness and
is also a useful means of examining the effects of surface treatment proces
ses.