The dominate experimental technique in our research is electron microscopy, which reveals the structure of materials from the micrometer to the atomic scale. Electron-transparent specimens are studied by (scanning) transmission electron microscopy ((S)TEM). Surface topography and material contrast of bulk samples is investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Microstructure analysis is combined with the analytical techniques EDXS (energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) and EELS (electron-energy loss spectroscopy) for chemical analysis, which can be performed with high spatial resolution in the order of 1 nanometer. The investigation of the structural properties is often combined with other characterization techniques in collaboration with other groups to obtain correlations between the optical, mechanical or electronic properties with structural properties.

The following research topics list materials-related projects and projects, which focus on the development of electron-microscopic methods.