Resolving surface details with reflection and fluorescence video-confocal profilometry

Video-confocal profilometry has been exploited to characterize reflecting and non-reflecting surfaces in materials with tilted and corrugated areas. An alternative method based on fluorescence detection has been developed and tested to characterize metal surfaces modified by intense laser irradiation. Combined representations of surface topography have been obtained on the basis of both reflectance and fluorescence signals. A discussion of results and problems encountered in reflection and fluorescence based techniques is provided.