Does the silicon nitride tip give a good result for all samples?

The silicon nitride tip works for most of samples. There are still some exceptions. If you measure a silicon nitride sample in contact mode AFM with the silicon nitride tip, sometimes AFM images are distorted. • Is there any treatment for changing a silicon nitride tip into hydrophilic? Try to expose the tip with UV light. Or, if you have a oxygen plasma reactor, try it. That is the way to change the tip surface in a short time. In our experience, 10 sec is enough to change it. • Is there any treatment for changing a silicon nitride tip into hydrophobic? Coating a tip with silane coupler was reported in a conference. • I am interested in silane treatment for silicon nitride probe. How much oxygen is contained on the surface? According to the result of our latest XPS analysis of silicon nitride film for OLYMPUS cantilever, Silicon, Nitrogen, Oxygen and Carbon are detected on the surface of the film. Our silicon nitride is silicon-riched for reducing the internal film stress. Carbon is ...  more