The Invisible Layer: Improving Silane Coating Checks

Verifying what regular tools can’t properly see has long been a challenge in advanced materials work. Traditional SEMs need conductive metal coating for non-conductive materials – potentially changing the very properties being measured. AirSEM changes this by allowing direct inspection of non-conductive silane layers in their natural state.

This improvement transforms quality control for important water-repelling silane membranes essential for countless technologies. These coatings reduce surface energy and improve water repellency for silicon, and are used in microelectromechanical systems, sensors, actuators, and more.

The problem is significant: since silane layers don’t conduct electricity, traditional SEM inspection requires adding another thin layer of metal on top. This additional step risks changing or obscuring fine details of the sample, complicates chemical composition analysis, and introduces complex sample preparation requirements.

Because AirSEM can check silane coatings in open air without any sample preparation, these critical layers can be examined in their native state. This capability improves accuracy, allows direct chemical analysis, and speeds up the process—all while keeping the sample unchanged.

The technology represents a groundbreaking approach to silicon silanization verification without damaging sample modification, giving manufacturers a useful tool for testing these essential coatings without destroying them.