Surface Characterization Techniques: An Overview

To understand the benefits that surface modifications provide, and ultimately to devise better ones, it is necessary to study the physical, mechanical, and chemical changes they cause. This chapter surveys classical and leading-edge developments in surface structure and property characterization methodologies. The primary emphases are on the use of these techniques as they relate to surface modifications, thin films and coatings, and tribological engineering surfaces and on the implications rather than the instrumentation.