To immobilize effectively oligonucleotide probes on SiO2 modified with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane, four procedures based on streptavidin-biotin system are compared with Atomic Force Microscopy, Angle-Resolved X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry. The first approach involves: adsorption of biotinylated Bovine Serum Albumin, blocking free surface sites with BSA, binding of streptavidin and biotinylated oligonucleotide (b-oligo). Final steps are exchanged in the second procedure with immobilization of preformed streptavidin-b-oligo conjugate. The third approach consists of streptavidin adsorption, blocking with BSA and b-oligo binding. Finally, streptavidin-b-oligo conjugate is immobilized directly within the fourth method. Surface coverage with biomolecules, determined from ARXPS, accords with average AFM height, and is anti-correlated with the intensity of Si+ ions. Higher biomolecular coverage was achieved during the last steps of the first (2.45(+/- 0.38) mg/m(2)) and second (1.31(+/- 0.22) mg/m(2)) approach, as compared to lower surface density resulting from the third (0.58(+/- 0.20) mg/m(2)) and fourth (0.41(+/- 0.11) mg/m(2)) method. Phosphorus atomic concentration indicates effectiveness of oligonucleotide immobilization. Secondary ions intensities, characteristic for oligonucleotides, streptavidin, BSA, and proteins, allow additional insight into overlayer composition. These measurements verify the ARXPS results and show the superiority of the first two immobilization approaches in terms of streptavidin and oligonucleotide density achieved onto the surface. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.