Topography & Elasticity
Topography and material elasticity can reveal much useful information of a fabricated surface or material across various situations. Sometimes the surface has a required shape or targeted response to mechanical stress, and sometimes material's other properties link to topography or elasticity, both leading to need for accurate surface testing.
Sumea is a tool that can test these quantities accurately in one go in a scale that is too large for the standard technique atomic force microscopy. The applicable material range is from softest foams to metals over a wide stress range.
Testing Process
The measurement process is simple. The measurement tip is pressed against the surface with predefined stress level, and the resulting strain is recorded. The recovery can be monitored by removing the stress slowly and monitoring the strain level. The materials topography can be recorded both before and after the stress-strain test.
Sumea can perform this test for various types of surfaces from soft foams to hard metals with ease. Roughness features can be mapped according to selected probe head dimensions, making Sumea a perfect complementary for an atomic force microscopy when measurement needs are above atomic length scales.