An application of the edge reversal method for accurate reconstruction of the three-dimensional profile of a single-point diamond tool obtained by an atomic force microscope

This paper presents the application of the edge reversal method for a further accurate evaluation of the three-dimensional tool geometry of a single-point diamond tool with an atomic force microscope (AFM). In the edge reversal method, the tip radius of an AFM probe, which ranges from a few nm to several-ten nm, can be evaluated quantitatively by using measured AFM profile data of a tool cutting edge and an indentation mark generated by the tool cutting edge. The AFM tip radius obtained by the edge reversal method is utilized in this paper to reconstruct the three-dimensional profile of the cutting edge of a single-point diamond tool from the AFM data, which is obtained in measurement as the convolution of the tool edge profile and the shape of AFM tool tip. The validity of the obtained AFM tip radius in the edge reversal method is verified by employing it for the compensation of the AFM image of a two-dimensional (2D) grating artifact. Finally, the reconstruction of the three-dimensional profile of the cutting edge of a single-point diamond tool is carried out, and the cutting edge radius and the nose radius of the tool are evaluated quantitatively based on the reconstructed three-dimensional (3D) profile of the cutting tool.