Surface and Coating Analysis

Do you want to examine the structure, composition, or adhesion strength of coatings and functional layers? Are you particularly interested in how corrosion, wear, or thermal loading affect your surfaces in service?

Our project managers and experts at MCL support you in all aspects of surface and coating analysis – from topographical and chemical characterization through to the evaluation of adhesion, coating thickness, and functional performance.

Our Services at a Glance:

Surface characterization
We analyse topography, roughness, and structure to precisely assess the functional properties of surfaces.

Friction / wear analysis
Using targeted test methods, we determine friction behaviour and wear mechanisms under realistic conditions.

Surface treatment and coating analysis
We examine the composition, adhesion, and effectiveness of coatings and surface modifications to assess their quality and durability.

Our Services in Detail

Surface Characterization

Characterisation of technical surfaces

Topographical / Morphological Surface Characterization

Focus:
3D geometry, contour, roughness, surface structure

2D/3D topography measurements – from macro to nano
Roughness and waviness measurements
Micro- and nanostructure visualisation
Defect and surface morphology analysis

Typical methods:

AFM – Atomic Force Microscopy
3D topography at the nanometre scale
SEM – Scanning Electron Microscopy
Microstructures, surface morphology
Confocal microscopy
High-resolution 3D surface measurements
Tactile roughness and contour measurement systems
Roughness, waviness, contour

Chemical Surface Analysis

Focus:
Analysis of chemical composition, bonding states, and contamination.

Elemental and composition analysis
Contamination and residue analysis
Bonding state and chemical state analysis
Phase and structural characterization

Selected methods:

EDX/EDS (in SEM)
→ Elemental analysis (less surface-specific than XPS)
XPS – X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy
→ Surface chemistry, bonding states, coating thicknesses in the nanometre range
FIB-SIMS – Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry
→ Trace elements and depth profiles
Raman spectroscopy
Chemical phases, molecular structures
XRD – X-ray Diffractometry
Phase analysis, identification of crystal structures, mixed phases, oxides, crystalline residues

Mechanical Surface Analysis

Focus:
Investigation of mechanical properties such as hardness, elasticity, friction, and wear.

Determination of hardness and elastic modulus (micro/nano)
Wear and friction behaviour
Coating adhesion
Micro-/nano-mechanics of surfaces

Typical methods:

Nanoindentation / microindentation
→ Measurement of hardness and elastic modulus in the micro- and nanometre range
Scratch testing
→ Coating adhesion
Tribological tests (pin-on-disk, friction/wear tests)
→ Coefficients of friction, wear rates
Micro-tensile or bending tests (for thin films)

Nanohardness measurements on a DLC coating

Physical Surface Properties

Focus:
Determination of functional physical surface properties.

Electrical and magnetic properties (including local measurements)
Thermal properties of thin surface layers

Methods:

AFM force modes (KPFM, MFM, EFM)
→ Electrical potentials, magnetic domains
DSC of surface layers
→ Phase transitions, thermal reactions

Friction / Wear Analysis

Friction, Wear, and Tribology Testing

Friction processes and the resulting wear often lead to malfunctions, loss of quality, or unexpected failures. Our tribological analyses help you clearly identify mechanisms, understand the fundamental tribological processes, and then specifically optimise materials and surfaces – significantly increasing the reliability and service life of your components.

Typical issues we solve for customers:

Unexpected wear, abnormal friction behaviour, noise generation
Corrosion, spalling, or delaminated coatings
Contamination or process residues on functional surfaces
Particle formation, wear debris identification, and material transfer
Functional failures due to lubricant or coating problems

With clear results, easy-to-understand documentation, and precise recommendations for optimisation, we help you make components more durable, processes more stable, and products more reliable.

We offer professional surface analysis and tribology testing to precisely evaluate the friction and wear behaviour of your components. Using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and EDX, we reliably identify wear debris, material transfer, microdefects, or coating failure. In addition, we perform tribometer tests such as pin-on-disk, scratch tests, and with partners a wide range of other tribological tests (ring-on-disk, linear motion, component-specific tests) under realistic conditions to determine coefficients of friction, wear rates, and wear patterns with high accuracy. This gives you robust analyses, clear insights into tribological processes, and precise recommendations for material optimisation, coating improvement, and process stabilisation.

In addition, with modern surface characterization methods (e.g. AFM, optical profilometry, XPS, XRD, Raman, ToF-SIMS), we can make underlying chemical, structural, or functional causes visible.

A service portfolio that sets the benchmark.

Surface treatment and coating analyses

Analysis of surface treatments and coating systems

Testing services / Methods / Competencies:

Holistic evaluation of surface–boundary layer–substrate systems
Combination of mechanical, microstructural and physical analysis methods
Extensive experience with production-related issues in heat treatment, coating and post-processing, as well as specific topics such as thin and thick films in microelectronics (e.g. solder and bond layers)
Analysis of coatings, surface layers and near-surface material conditions (e.g. PVD/CVD layers, electroplated coatings, thermal spray coatings, chemical and mechanical surface treatments)
Investigation of layer thickness, surface layer depth, microstructure, composition, hardness profiles, adhesive strength and defects using destructive and non-destructive testing methods

Specific technical features & information:

Determination of surface layer and layer thicknesses in the µm to mm range
Analysis of microstructure, phase distribution and hardness gradients
Investigation of residual stresses resulting from heat or mechanical-thermal treatments
Evaluation of interfaces, porosity, crack formation and adhesion problems
Tests on flat-formed and complex components

Typical applications / practical examples

Fault analysis on microelectronic assemblies, chips, substrates and packages
Investigation of thermally damaged solder, bond or metal layers
Analysis of crack formation and delamination after temperature change tests
Testing of coated tools and functional components
Evaluation of heat-treated functional components in mechanical and plant engineering
Support with damage analysis, process approvals and product qualification