One of the primary objectives of surface metrology research, functional correlation refers to the relationships between surfaces and the phenomena that influence or are influenced by their topography. Surface topography is also called texture, particularly in mechanical and manufacturing engineering.¹ It is also commonly referred to as roughness.

There are two types of functional correlations.² The first (correlations of the “first kind”) are between processing phenomena that created or modified the surface and its topography. The second (correlations of the “second kind”) are between the topography and the behavior, or performance, of the surface. Both kinds of functional correlations support engineering design and are advanced by surface measurement and analysis made possible by laser scanning confocal microscopy.

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