Research of the possibility of applying nanomarking on steel surfaces with a scanning probe microscope

Recently, an increasing number of products are subject to protective labeling-application of digital and letter designations, barcodes that individualize the product. This has become especially relevant with the release of counterfeit products and mass theft of vehicles. The number usually individualizes a specific instance of the product. In the case of manufacturing cars, weapons, and precious items, this makes it possible to register and strictly account for these items. Marking numbers can be applied directly to the material they are made of, or to attached metal or polymer plates. Marking symbols are applied in various ways. They are applied to steel products by stamping, micro-milling or laser engraving. As expert practice shows, such markings on metal products are either completely removed by milling, cutting or sawing the metal layer with various tools and devices, or changed, or new markings are applied to the place of destroyed marks. The paper studies the possibility of creating protective markings of the nanometer level of spatial resolution on steel products of different hardness using a new innovative technology-scanning probe microscopy, which provides one hundred percent verification of items and objects.