Non-contact atomic force microscopy using silicon cantilevers covered with organic monolayers via silicon–carbon covalent bonds

Silicon cantilevers covered with dodecyl monolayers anchored via silicon–carbon covalent bonds were prepared by a wet process and used for non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) of TiO2(110)-(1 × 1) surfaces. Clear images of atomic rows on atomically flat terraces were observed with the dodecyl-coated samples when they were biased around 2.0 V with respect to the cantilevers. The bias voltage required to give clear images for alkyl-coated cantilevers was higher than that for uncoated ones. Since the cantilevers are thermally and chemically stable, they are applicable to various force microscopy to distinguish chemical species on surfaces.