Surface Profilometer / Stylus Profilometer

A surface profilometer (also known as a stylus profilometer) is an instrument used for surface texture analysis as it measures the surface topography of a sample to reveal a topographical image of the surface. Surface profilometers are equipped with a diamond-tipped stylus used to move vertically and laterally to scan across the surface of the sample. Stylus profilometers can measure vertical displacement as a function of position. These typical surface texture measuring systems can measure a vertical range from 10nm to 1mm. These contact profilometers can provide direct resolution as low as 20nm for surface metrology applications.