Measurement of microtopography and surface properties of micromchined surfaces employing atomic force microscopy and near-field acoustic microscopy

Conventional AFM images reveal the topography of microma-chined surfaces with a spatial resolution of 10 to 20nm. The cry-stallographic nature of the remaining roughness usch as grain boundaries and slip bands can be displayed and quantified. The height of grain boundaries is correlated wiht the elastic properties of the adjoining grains. Scanning Acoustical micrographs and first Near-Field Acoustical images provide additional informations propably deriving from the subsurface zone.