Rocky Mountain Nanotechnology

What Rocky Mountain Nanotechnology does

Rocky Mountain Nanotechnology LLC is a specialty manufacturer of ultra-high-purity solid metallic atomic force microscopy (AFM) probes, founded in 2003 by Dr. Clayton Williams and headquartered in Bountiful, Utah. The company fabricates probes from solid platinum and platinum-iridium alloys, achieving standard tip radii of 20nm with sub-10nm variants available on request. Its product lines include the Pt series (e.g., 25Pt200B-H, 25Pt300B, 25Pt400B) and the PtIr series (e.g., 25PtIr200B-H, 25PtIr300B, 12PtIr400B), differentiated by cantilever frequency (4.5kHz to 105kHz), spring constant, and tip geometry. Each probe ships with an FE-SEM image for quality assurance and traceability, and the probes are compatible with a wide range of AFM modes including tapping, contact, CAFM, EFM, KPFM, PFM, SCM, SMM/SMIM, SNOM, NanoIR, and THZ applications.

The company operates a direct sales model with no online purchasing; customers request quotes via [email protected] or place credit card orders by phone. Pricing ranges from $90 for standard sub-20nm platinum probes to $134 for sub-10nm platinum-iridium probes, with custom specifications quoted on request. Customers are distributed globally across academic research institutions and industrial/commercial users in nanotechnology, semiconductor, and materials science sectors. The company also offers scanning probe microscopy consulting services. In May 2026, Rocky Mountain Nanotechnology was acquired by Park Systems, a global AFM solutions provider, marking Park Systems' first move into probe manufacturing and triggering a technology transfer to establish a dedicated production facility in South Korea while US operations continue during the transition.

Name

Rocky Mountain Nanotechnology

Legal name

Rocky Mountain Nanotechnology LLC

Website

https://rmnano.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rocky Mountain Nanotechnology manufactures ultra-high-purity solid platinum and platinum-iridium AFM probes with sub-10nm tip radii for academic and industrial scanning probe microscopy users worldwide; acquired by Park Systems in May 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Atomic Force Microscopy Probes

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Metrology, Inspection & Machine Tool Accessories (CMMs, Probing, Gauging) (IMAHADAK)

Keywords

• Atomic force microscopy probes
• Solid metallic AFM probes
• Scanning probe microscopy
• Nanoscale characterization tools
• Conductive AFM probes

Headquarters

HQ city

Bountiful

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. AFM Probe Sales: Direct hardware sales of ultra-high-purity solid platinum and platinum-iridium AFM probes to companies and universities worldwide. Custom probe specifications available upon request.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Rocky Mountain Nanotechnology manufactures ultra-high-purity solid platinum and platinum-iridium atomic force microscopy (AFM) probes with tip radii as small as 10nm. The company produces two primary probe series (Pt and PtIr) with customizable cantilever frequencies, lengths, and spring constants, supporting multiple AFM modes including tapping, contact, CAFM, EFM, KPFM, PFM, SCM, SMM, SMIM, SNOM, NanoIR, and THz applications. Each probe is shipped with an FE-SEM image for quality verification, and the company also offers scanning probe microscopy consulting services.

Product overview

Rocky Mountain Nanotechnology manufactures and sells ultra-sharp solid platinum and platinum-iridium AFM probes for scanning probe microscopy applications. The product portfolio centers on two core probe lines: the Pt series (solid platinum) and PtIr series (solid platinum-iridium), with various models differentiated by frequency, spring constant, and tip radius specifications. These probes support multiple AFM modes including tapping/non-contact, contact, conductive (CAFM), electrostatic force (EFM), Kelvin probe force (KPFM), piezoresponse (PFM), scanning capacitance (SCM), scanning microwave (SMM/SMIM), near-field optical (SNOM), and NanoIR/THz applications. The company also offers consulting services for nanometer-scale physical characterization. All probes feature standard tip radii of 20nm with variable radii from 10nm to 1um available on request, and are compatible with standard substrates for most commercial microscopes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Solid Platinum AFM Probes (Pt Series) Ultra-sharp solid platinum AFM probes with tip radius as small as 10nm, used for atomic force microscopy applications including tapping, contact, and conductive modes. Standard models include 25Pt200B-H (65 kHz, 250 N/m), 25Pt300B (15 kHz, 14 N/m), and 25Pt400B (9 kHz, 6 N/m).
• Solid Platinum-Iridium AFM Probes (PtIr Series) Ultra-sharp solid platinum-iridium AFM probes with tip radius as small as 10nm, offering enhanced durability for electrical measurement applications. Standard models include 25PtIr200B-H (68 kHz, 290 N/m), 25PtIr300B (19 kHz, 22 N/m), and 12PtIr400B (6 kHz, 0.6 N/m).
• Scanning Probe Microscopy Consulting Services Consulting services on nanometer scale physical characterization by Scanning Probe Microscopy (AFM, SCM, C-AFM, EFM, etc.) provided to companies and universities worldwide.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Park SystemscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Park Systems, a global provider of atomic force microscopy solutions, acquired Rocky Mountain Nanotechnology LLC. This acquisition marks Park Systems' first entry into probe manufacturing, enabling the company to bring a critical component of its AFM-based electrical measurement solutions in-house to secure supply chain continuity. Rocky Mountain Nanotechnology will undergo technology transfer to establish a dedicated probe production facility in South Korea, while US operations continue during the transition period.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Park Systems: Acquirer of RMN and a leading AFM instrument maker; broadly relevant as a vertically integrated peer that now controls RMN's probe output and competes at the system level against other AFM OEMs.
• Oxford Instruments (Asylum Research): AFM system vendor (via Asylum Research) that purchases third-party probes including conductive ones comparable to RMN's; relevant as an instrument-level customer/competitor for the same end users.
• Hitachi High-Tech Scientific Instruments: Manufacturer of SPM/AFM systems used in materials and semiconductor research, sourcing probes comparable to RMN's for its installed base; relevant as a broad incumbent serving overlapping customers.

Direct peers

• NT-MDT Spectrum Instruments: Manufacturer of both AFM systems and probes (including conductive and specialty tips); a relevant peer because it sells into the same customer base and overlaps in conductive SPM probe categories.
• NanoAndMore (Nanosensors / BudgetSensors): Distributor and manufacturer of Nanosensors and BudgetSensors AFM probes — direct competitors in conductive, high-resolution and specialty probe categories used in electrical AFM.
• Mikromasch / HQ Graphene: Long-standing AFM probe maker offering silicon, high-aspect-ratio and conductive tips that compete with RMN in research and failure-analysis workflows.
• Bruker AFM Probes: Bruker's AFM probe division is the largest direct competitor, offering silicon, silicon nitride and specialized conductive probes for tapping, contact, and electrical modes — directly overlapping RMN's Pt/PtIr product lines.
• NanoWorld AG: Swiss AFM probe manufacturer with comparable product breadth across tapping, contact and conductive modes, serving the same academic and industrial research customer base.

Emerging players

• RHP Technology: Austrian probe and sensor manufacturer producing specialty SPM probes and tips for atomic force and scanning tunneling microscopy; niche competitor with technology overlap in conductive and high-resolution probe manufacturing.
• NuNano: UK-based AFM probe manufacturer focused on high-resolution and conductive probes for research applications; smaller scale but overlapping technology and customer targets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rocky-mountain-nanotechnology-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rocky Mountain Nanotechnology