Inference engine for process diagnostics and functional correlation in surface metrology

The practice of surface metrology in the industry today has not advanced beyond simple parameter computation and tolerance verification. While surface texture measurements are intended to aid in process diagnostics or functional prediction, it is currently mostly used only as a go–no go gage for specification compliance. A primary reason for this is the lack of availability of tools and techniques for correlating surface texture parameters with functional measures. Current analysis systems are not geared towards analysis of multiple profiles or for correlating parameters with function. Thus, there is a need for the development of an advanced surface texture analysis system that can analyze multiple profiles and develop cause–effect models for process diagnostics and functional prediction. This paper presents the features of this analysis system and illustrates their use with a variety of case studies.