Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was employed as a powerful technique for quantitative surface analysis of Pd electrodes subjected to severe plastic deformation. The experimental data obtained from SAXS measurements were analyzed by means of fractal geometry, as so-called fractal dimensions can be used as a quantitative measure of surface roughness. The influence of the strength of plastic deformation induced to the Pd/H system (due to phase transformation) on the degree of surface roughness was inspected. The powerfulness of this approach is ability for inspecting surface roughness in nanoscale. The surface fractality at nanoscale is significantly different from that at microscale. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.