Tip-sample interactions have been of interest since the early development o
f the scanning force microscope. Investigations of interfacial interactions
at the molecular level are of importance for fundamental studies of bi-mol
ecular interactions and for possible applications in biomedical research an
d industrial settings. By engineering the surface chemical properties of th
e SFM probes, specific force interactions may be measured. However, as thes
e modification schemes become more widely applied, detailed chemical analys
is of the modified cantilever surfaces becomes crucial. In this paper, we d
escribe two approaches to coat SFM cantilevers with hydrophobic coatings: a
silanization protocol and ratio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor d
eposition. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.