Ways and ideas to study ym rough surfaces with scanning tunneling microscopy

We want to study porous carbon (with nanoparticles, e.g., FeO, Ni, Au, La, Ir, Ag ...) via STM. But we run into the problem that the surface is very rough. As seen in Figure 1.


[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SswhE.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SswhE.png)


Thus there is an extremely high chance that we break the tip while analyzing the sample. Is there a way to study "real" surfaces with STM? Or is it just a method that is confined to model systems?


There, of course, are some papers about STM and rough surfaces. However, they are mostly ancient and look at nm rough surfaces, as shown below.


[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1V67A.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1V67A.png)


I am thank full for any ideas to analyze rough surfaces and methods to make carbon smoother.


[1](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SswhE.png): Study of structural and electrochemical characteristics of Co-based hypo–hyper d-electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution - Scientific Figure on ResearchGate. Available from: <https://www.researchgate.net/figure/SEM-photographies-of-catalysts-support-TiO-2-250-C-on-Vulcan-XC-72-10000-b_fig2_222022834> [accessed 9 Jul, 2023]


[2](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1V67A.png): Effects of Indium-Tin-Oxide Surface Treatment on Organic Light-Emitting Diodes - Scientific Figure on ResearchGate. Available from: <https://www.researchgate.net/figure/AFM-images-of-ITO-surface-subjected-to-different-polishing-conditions-a-as-received-R_fig2_273595496> [accessed 9 Jul, 2023]


