Z-Coat

Hardware

Z-Coat is the proprietary NeuroNexus PEDOT site coating that lowers electrode-site [impedance](/resources/glossary/impedance) by roughly an order of magnitude compared with an uncoated site of the same [area](/resources/glossary/site-area), and increases charge-injection capacity with it, without changing the site footprint or the probe layout.

Lower impedance gives a lower noise floor for recording; higher charge capacity lets a site deliver stimulation within safe limits. Z-Coat is developed to avoid the delamination and drift that limit conventional conductive polymer coatings, and it is mechanically stable through repeated insertion, so the baseline holds across sessions. The reduction depends on configuration and test conditions, and the datasheet gives the figure for each design. The electrochemistry of coated sites follows the same principles as any neural electrode (Cogan (2008)).

Z-Coat is specified at order as a site option on catalog silicon probe designs, alongside iridium and SIROF sites. The coating, its stability, and its use for stimulation are described in Z-Coat: Optimized Site Coating for Stimulation and Noise Reduction.

Typical values

Material	proprietary PEDOT coating
Impedance reduction	roughly an order of magnitude at the same site area
Charge capacity	increased, in the same site footprint
Availability	site option at order on catalog silicon probe designs