Which type of microscopy is commonly used for heavily detailed surface topography?

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) is the correct choice for examining heavily detailed surface topography. This technique utilizes focused beams of electrons to scan the surface of a sample, which allows for high-resolution imaging of its surface features. Unlike light microscopy, which is limited by the wavelength of visible light and may not achieve the same level of detail, SEM can produce images with much greater depth of field and magnification.

Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) is primarily used to study internal structures at a much smaller scale, providing excellent detail but not focusing on the surface topography per se. Confocal Microscopy, while useful for obtaining high-resolution images of specimens in various depths and layers, does not specialize in topographical imaging to the extent that SEM does. Thus, SEM stands out as the most appropriate method for capturing detailed images of the surface structure of materials.