公开(公告)号：AU2895892A

公开(公告)日：1993-05-21

申请号：AU2895892

申请日：1992-10-19

Applicant: PHASE METRICS

Inventor： CHRISTOPHER LACEY

IPC: G01B9/02 ,  G01B11/14 ,  G11B5/54 ,  G11B21/12 ,  G11B21/21 ,  G11B33/10

Abstract: Light is focused on an interface between a transparent probe and a surface to be analyzed. The probe is lowered onto the surface using a computer-controlled actuator. Light reflected from the surface of the probe which is closest to the surface and the surface itself recombines, producing interference effects from the spacing between the probe and the surface over a 2-dimensional area. Since the shape of the probe in known beforehand, the profile of the surface can be readily calculated from the 2-dimensional measurement of the spacing between the probe and the surface. This surface profile indicates the roughness of the surface. The surface hardness and other surface properties can be measured by pressing the probe onto the surface. The contact load between the probe and the surface is detected by a load cell. The force with which the probe is being pressed onto the surface is measured using the load cell. The surface profile can continue to be measured interferometrically while it is being deformed by the probe. The measurement of surface deformation as a function of contact pressure allows the measurement of surface hardness while causing a minimum amount of damage to the surface.