ABSTRACT
Ever-increasing surface quality requirements call for advanced, highly sensitive as well as noncontact and area-covering inspection tools. Light-scattering techniques have become widely recognized to fulfil these demands. This chapter describes how a large variety of surface quality-relevant effects such as micro- and nanostructures, roughness, defects, and coating inhomogeneities can be advantageously inspected through light-scattering measurements.
Following a brief outline of the theoretical basics on roughness-induced light scattering, main scattering measurement principles suitable for a wide range of applications, extending from supersmooth optical surfaces to microcomponent and microstructure components, are described. Standardization for total and angle-resolved light-scattering measurements, as well as general aspects and examples on how to combine light-scattering techniques with profilometric methods, are discussed.
