Application of the optical method for determining of the RMS roughness of porous glass surfaces

Abstract The application of an optical method for characterizing surface roughness is presented. This method was used for an examination of porous glass surfaces. The expressions relating the root mean square rms ( σ ) of a surface to its specular reflectance at normal incidence are used for σ ≪ λ , ( λ – wavelength). For light of sufficiently long wavelength the decrease in the measured specular reflectance due to the surface roughness depends only on the root mean square (rms) height of the surface irregularities. On the basis of reflectance spectra, one can determine σ for the porous glass surfaces after technological processes. The measured reflectance spectra were compared with calculated ones for which the scattered component of light was taken into account. The parameters rms determined from the optical method are comparable to those obtained from atomic force microscopy examinations.