Morphometric Roughness of Nanostructured Surfaces

• Applicants: Professorin Dr. Karin Jacobs; Privatdozent Dr. Steffen Winter
• Subject Area: Mathematics ; Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 444138055

Describing complex, non-recurring topographies is challenging and classical methods like Fast Fourier Transform and root mean square roughness (RMS) fall short in capturing their intricacies. However, the specific topography greatly influences physical, chemical, and biological properties. An accurate characterization and precise description of topographies are therefore essential. Numerous different nanostructures with specific topographies have been designed for various material properties, yet the lack of an intuitive, interdisciplinary accepted and comprehensive description of roughness persists. The team of scientists from experimental (bio)physics, theoretical physics and mathematics aims to fill this gap and has set itself the goal of developing the most suitable analysis and characterization methods for a range of very different samples used in nanotechnology. Atomic force microscopy is the main experimental method for recording topographies on the nanoscale. The mathematical tools include advanced shape descriptors, based on Minkowski functionals, and newly developed spatial models for (nano)rough surfaces and aggregation models using methods from fractal and stochastic geometry.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 2265: Random geometric systems
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Klaus Mecke