The main physical effects inherent in the surface layer of measured object influencing the formation of the measurements of surface texture and topography uncertainty in nanometer size range are considered. It is shown that the quantum size effect is typical for small clusters (0,5–2,0 nm) and is coupled with the discreteness of energy spectrum of electrons in crystal incipient when the system characteristic beco

The mechanism of formation of the uncertainty budget measurements of topography and shape of the surface in nanometer range applicadle for the typical optical circuits of the Twyman–Green and Fizeau interferometers is considered. It is noted that in the most of known works the differential (difference) method of measurements is realized. The amplitude and the phase-amplitude interference methods of coordinate measurement of the surface shaped eflection are considered.

The article is devoted to the methods of superresolution in the optical interference microscopy applied to the measurement parameters of topography and surface texture in the nanometer range. It is shown that the resolution of the microscope is determined not by the properties of the hardware unit, but accuracy of measurement of the output signal.

The results of analysis of methodical and instrumental errors unavoidable at measuring the surface relief and forms parameters by methods of 3D-interferometry with reference wave front and lateral shift interferometry are presented. It is noted that the largest contribution to total methodical error make the errors of measurements of current interference orders while the errors of current coordinates and shift measurement are negligible. The total error of the method of approximate integration is related to the interpolation error and depends on the surface shape.

The method of indirect measurements of the pitting growth law based on the coulometric method is considered and the analysis of its accuracy in comparison with the dual focusing method is presented. For the accuracy analysis the mathematical tool of analysis of variance is used. The analysis has shown that the indirect measurement based on the coulometric method is more efficient than the method of microscope dual focusing because is characterized by lower dispersion of the results of estimating the parameters of pitting growth law.