Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS
Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS

Equipment

In the Surfaces field of expertise interest is focussed on the interfaces between animate and inanimate matter, internal interfaces in mixed materials and surfaces. Clients in medical engineering, pharmaceutics, biotechnology and plastics processing benefit from the Fraunhofer IMWS’s excellent facilities for examining these interfaces.

Ion/electron microscopy

Atmospheric REM (ESEM) with in-situ tensile module and in-situ heating module
Combined ESEM-FIB plant with cryo transfer chamber and in-situ cryo preparation equipment
Soft matter preparation with rotating microphone, ultramicrotome, cryo ultramicrotome, critical point drying and cryo fixing

Photo-optical and spectrometric methods IR-UV

Light microscope, dark field and DIC mode
Quantitative image analysis systems
UV/VIS/NIR spectrometer and spectral ellipsometer
Electro luminescence and photoluminescence spectroscopy
Infrared microscopy
FTIR spectroscopy and microscopy with ATR measuring cells
Confocal Raman microscope and Raman spectrometer

Thermophysical methods of measurement

Dynamic differential calorimetry up to 1500 °C
Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)
Differential thermoanalysis
Dilatometer for measurements up to 1400 °C
Lock-in thermography with electrical and optical excitation
Climatic test chambers

Polymer analysis

Dynamic differential calorimetry (DSC)
Dynamic-mechanical analysis (DMA)
Thermomechanical analysis (TMA)
High-pressure capillary viscosimeter
Melt flow indexers (MFI)
HDT temperature of deflection under load and Vicat softening point measurement
„„Dielectric analysis (DEA)
TGA with FT/IR coupling
Karl-Fischer titration for determining the moisture in polymers
Light-climatic test chamber and climatic test chamber
Rotational rheometer
Temperature and thermal conductivity measurement (light-flash method) up to 300 °C
Soxhlet extractor

Surface and interface technologies

Multi-chamber coating plant for multi-layer and composite coatings
Plasma-CVD coating machines
High-frequency magnetron coating machines
Corona treatment machines for polymer films
Plasma etching machines
Wet chemical coating machines (spin coating, doctor blade coating, dip coating)
Electrostatic spinner
Ion etching machine for specimen preparation and surface finishing
Wafer bonding machine with plasma activation
Wire bonding technology for contacting microelectronic components
Machine for laser welding polymer films