Devices, systems and method for analysis and characterization of surface topography

A method of characterizing a surface topology of a subject surface, comprising:

• determining a feature vector from one or more measurements of the subject surface, a plurality of features of the feature vector being determined from a statistical characterization of a distribution of one or more derivatives of surface height or h, wherein the one or more derivatives are selected from the group consisting of a zero- and higher-order derivative determined from at least one of one or more measurements of the subject surface at each of multiple distance scales, wherein for the at least one of the one or more measurements, the one or more derivatives of surface height are determined at the multiple distance scales in real space using a scaling factor η which is greater than or equal to 1 and which is multiplied by the smallest possible distance scale provided by the at least one of the one or more measurements,
• determining via an algorithm stored in a memory system and executable via a processor system, and based upon the feature vector, at least one characteristic of the subject surface;
• and
• providing an output indicating the at least one characteristic.