User Influence Study
We are interested in how people practically use Gwyddion in order to process their data and also in the influence of the user on quantitative results.
The survey consisted of three topographical AFM images. From each of them one parameter was to be determined, specified in the detailed description and submit it using the form below.
The results were sent anonymously and are treated as such since we are interested in statistical results.
Preliminary statistical results were presented at Nanoscale 2016 and should be used in a paper focusing on human influence in SPM data processing.
The submission form is now closed. On the other hand, you can see the results and our remarks to the evaluation. A link is included in the description of each image.
Download the data
Detailed description
Download the data
We chose three examples of SPM data (two measured and one synthetic) that have a high relevance in SPM metrology. They are described in detail below.
| GWY file with all three images: | survey-data.gwy | 2015-12-12 | 8.5 MB | 
|
Detailed description
Please process the data as you do normally, using any preprocessing or corrections that you consider useful for the individual images.
It is not absolutely necessary to use the latest version of Gwyddion (2.43 or 2.44). However, if you use an old version (more than a year old) please note it in the comment.
Sample data 1: Monoatomic silicon steps
Description: Measurement on monoatomic silicon steps, with considerable interference effects, scanner bow and various local defects. The reported value should be the step height, determined by any Gwyddion function you consider suitable.
Note that the scanner was not calibrated (intentionally), so the correct value is not necessarily the silicon lattice spacing.
Reported value: Step height (single value, in nanometres).
Sample data 2: Rough surface
Description: Rough surface measurement on a commercial sample showing line misalignment and also some small scanner bow. The reported value should be mean square roughness (Sq) as obtained using the Statistical Quantities tool in Gwyddion.
In this case it is not difficult to obtain a value. However, every correction influences the roughness rms one way or another. The variance of obtained values will be therefore quite interesting.
Reported value: Roughness rms Sq (single value, in nanometres).
Sample data 3: Artificial step
Description: Artificially created smooth step with known height and various error sources added, like polynomial bow, PID loop effects, noise. The reported value should be the step height, determined by any Gwyddion function you consider suitable.
The image reproduces typical measurements of fuzzy and wobbly steps created by simple substrate masking during thin film deposition. Do not look for a nice sharp step that can be created using litography. But a step is certainly there and the difficulty of measuring its height is why this type of data was selected.
Reported value: Step height (single value, in nanometres).
