Influence of some parameters on the surface profile restored from microdensitometer analysis of electron micrographs of surface replicas

From the micrograph density of a shadowed carbon replica of a surface it is possible, by using a microdensitometer analysis, to rebuild line by line the profile of that surface. After summarizing the different stages necessary for such a reconstruction, we study the influence on the restored profiles of the various parameters that are encountered during the various steps of experiment and computation. It is shown that the most important parameters are the shadow-casting angle, microdensitometer scanning aperture, and filtering characteristics. Other parameters such as magnification micrograph, microdensitometer scanning speed, and microdensitometer noise play a minor role. The best way to choose and fit the appropriate value of the various parameters is discussed.