TS ISO 18115-2

TS ISO 18115-2 is a vocabulary standard for surface chemical analysis, focused on the terms used in scanning-probe microscopy. It organises the language of a technique that examines surfaces at very small scales and distinguishes that terminology from the general terms and spectroscopy-related vocabulary covered in ISO 18115-1.

What this scanning-probe microscopy vocabulary addresses

Scanning-probe microscopy is a family of methods in which a very sharp probe is brought close to a surface and scanned to reveal topography and, in some cases, local physical properties. In practice, clear terminology matters because concepts such as tip, surface, interaction, image formation and measured signal must be used consistently across instruments, methods and laboratories. A vocabulary standard does not describe how to run the technique; it gives a shared technical language for it.

Why it matters in surface chemical analysis

Surface chemical analysis focuses on what is present in the outermost layers of a material, where corrosion, adhesion, contamination, coating performance and microstructural behaviour are often determined. As a vocabulary document, this standard supports communication rather than prescribing test procedures. It is therefore especially useful in surface science, nanotechnology, materials characterisation and analytical laboratories that need consistent terminology when discussing scanning-probe microscopy.

• Used together with ISO 18115-1, it helps build a more complete terminology set for surface chemical analysis.
• It supports consistent naming across the scanning-probe microscopy family.
• It helps reduce ambiguity when methods, instruments and results are documented or compared.