Smart Coating Technology
Based on extensive experience with directional deposition, SmartTip has devoloped its Smart Coating techologies for MFM probes. Using directional deposition the magnetic coating is applied only on the two faces of the tip pyramid most perpendicular to the sample. As only one of these faces extends to the top of the pyramid, the actual measurement area is a one-face, unidirectional magnetised magnetic film. (where traditional probes have 3 faces, i.e. 3 magnetic orientations, meet at the apex, leading to an unpredictable, instable equilibrium mangetic state).

Advantages
- Well defined stable magnetic state at the tip apex
- As a result all probes perform equally well
- Suitable for measurements in applied fields
- Magnetization direction perpendicular to sample
- Sharper tip
- Reduced magnetic moment from tip
- Reduced magnetic background field from cantilever
The latter two advantages allow for measurement on certain soft magnetic samples, with a hard magnetic coating (preserving signal strength).

Availability
Magnetic smart coatings are available on standard Force Modulation probes (75 kHz) with reflective coating on the back side. Smart coatings on other base probes can be supplied upon request.
A hard magnetic Co-alloy coating is offered for standard high resolution applications. A low moment, soft magnetic nickel coating is available for measurements on soft magnetic samples.
Coatings can be obtained in various thicknesses (35 nm, 20 nm, 10 nm) to fit the optimal trade-off between resolution and signal strength for your application.