Abstract
The accuracy of autofocusing laser stylus measurement systems based on the compact disk pick-up technique has been discussed in recent years, in particular for surface roughness measurement in the submicron-micron range. In this article we present a thorough comparison between an optical laser stylus measurement system and a Talystep mechanical stylus profilometer. Sixteen surfaces having root mean square roughnesses from 0.002 μm to 3 μm for cut-off lengths <0.8 mm have been used in the study. Both bulk scattering (paper, white ceramic) and surface scattering (metal sheet) types of samples were included. Our study shows that the laser stylus exaggerates the surface profile, in particular on surfaces having laterally small but steep local slopes. For the paper surfaces the laser stylus data were on average off by a factor of two for a cut-off length of 0.68 mm.
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