The commercial optical profilometer from MicroProf® (FRT GmbH, http://www.frt-gmbh.com) is used for the measurement of the surface roughness and the localization and characterization of defects. It is mounted on a solid granite support plate with an active vibration damping system and placed in front of a laminar airflow system (class 5 ISO) for cleanroom-like conditions. The measurement system combines a small CCD camera for fast orientation with the optical profilometer based on a spectral reflection (chromatic aberration) of white light and an AFM in calibrated positions (1 µm precision). Surface profiles of flat as well as curved samples up to 20x20 cm² size and 5 cm height difference are measured fast (100 x 100 pixels in about 1 minute) and non-destructively down to 2 µm lateral and 3 nm vertical resolution. Further zooms into localized defect areas down to 3 nm lateral resolution can be performed with the AFM with 34x34 µm² scanning range.

Few examples of study of surface of electrolpished niobium performed by means of the optical profiolometer and AFM: