Scratch morphology calculations

Figure 3. Scratch morphology calculations performed on Image 9. a) Plot of critical points from automated analysis, b) Three dimensional image highlighting scan line used in c) for area integration.

Once the critical points for each scan line have been located it is a simple matter to calculate the relevant scratch morphology parameters. In Figure 3a the critical points for each scan line are indicated. Figure 3b is the first scan line of the image. The width is defined as the lateral distance between left and right inflection points and is a measure of the total extent of the damaged area. The depth is... 

The AFM used in these experiments is a precision large stage M-5 instrument from Park Scientific Instruments. The stage motion is calibrated with NIST traceable standards and the absolute reproducibility is within a few microns. The micro-scratch instrument and the AFM are in perfect registry so that images and morphological calculations are precisely related to the micro-mechanical measurement (i2). 

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