Latest news from microsystems technology and materials research
Saskia Vormfelde appointed new Administrative Director at HZB
She is moving from Freiburg ISE to Berlin:
Saskia Vormfelde begins her term of office as Administrative Director at HZB on 1 September. The successful science manager succeeds Thomas Frederking, who retired after 32 years of service at HZB, including 13 years…
AEMtec GmbH celebrates 25 years of innovation
Strengthening management with Robert Giertz:
A quarter century of pioneering spirit and technological excellence: AEMtec GmbH, one of the leading specialists in the development and production of micro- and optoelectronics, proudly celebrates its 25th anniversary…
IKZ launched four start-up companies in current evaluation period
The start-ups focus on advanced materials, precision instrumentation, and AI-supported data management:
During the evaluation period from 2019 to 2025, the Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung (IKZ) has initiated four spin-offs. These spin-offs are a crucial part of technology transfer, as they translate research…
HZB team investigates lithium-sulphur batteries in real-time
Findings are helpful to design compact Li-S batteries with a high energy density:
Using a non-destructive method, a team at HZB investigated practical lithium-sulphur pouch cells with lean electrolyte for the first time. With operando neutron tomography, they could visualise in real-time how the…
MXene as a frame for 2D water films shows new properties
Research team investigates phase changes of confined water at BESSY II:
An international team led by Dr. Tristan Petit and Prof. Yury Gogotsi has investigated MXene with confined water and ions at BESSY II. In the MXene samples, a transition between localised ice clusters to…
BAM researches more sustainable titanium production from industrial residues in EU project
LTB Lasertechnik Berlin in Adlershof provides support with real-time analysis method:
Titanium metal is a critical raw material that the EU imports largely from Kazakhstan, Russia, and China. The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) is part of a large EU consortium that aims to…
Self assembling monolayer can improve lead-free perovskite solar cells too
At HZB, the performance of non-toxic tin perovskite photovoltaics was increased through targeted molecular design:
Tin perovskite solar cells are not only non-toxic, but also potentially more stable than lead-containing perovskite solar cells. However, they are also significantly less efficient. Now, an international team has…
IKZ successfully attracts increasing research funding from the DFG
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) funds more than 20 projects at IKZ in 2025:
In June 2025, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) published its latest Grant Approval Report for the Leibniz-Association. The report highlights also the success of the Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung…
Ten thousand molecules in time
Experiments at Max Born Institute on generating and controling collective vibrations in a liquid:
The ultrafast placement of an electron in a polar liquid generates collective molecular vibrations in a spherical nano-volume. The vibrations change the diameter of this sphere periodically for more than 100…
New method for the mechanical formation of three-dimensional molecular structures
HU researchers develop light-powered nano-motor and use it to create ring-shaped, intertwined molecules:
Threads or ropes can easily be used for braiding, knotting, and weaving. In chemistry, however, processing molecular strands in this way is an almost impossible task. This is because molecules are not only tiny, they…
Perfectly Imperfect: Disorder in Materials Enables Ultra-Fast Charging
Researchers at Humboldt-Universität develop unusual strategy to increase battery performance:
Led by Prof. Dr. Nicola Pinna and Dr. Patrícia Russo from the Department of Chemistry at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU), scientists have succeeded in disrupting the atomic order of batteries in a targeted manner.…
Research team succeeds in controlled formation of skyrmion bags
The complex structures in thin ferromagnetic materials are important for future spintronic devices:
A team of researchers at the Max Born Institute and collaborating institutions has developed a reliable method to create complex magnetic textures, known as skyrmion bags, in thin ferromagnetic films. Skyrmion bags…
Scrolls from Buddhist shrine virtually unrolled at BESSY II
HZB team used 3D X-ray tomography and AI for non-destructive investigation:
The Mongolian collection of the Ethnological Museum of the National Museums in Berlin contains a unique Gungervaa shrine. Among the objects found inside were three tiny scrolls, wrapped in silk. Using 3D X-ray…
Berlin Science Award goes to Philipp Adelhelm
The materials scientist and electrochemist researches and develops sodium-ion batteries at HU and HZB:
Battery researcher Prof. Dr. Philipp Adelhelm has been awarded the 2024 Berlin Science Award. He is a professor at the Institute of Chemistry at Humboldt University in Berlin (HU) and heads a joint research group at…
Study shows urgent need for reference materials for nanoparticles
BAM and Metrology Research Centre have developed two new nano reference materials:
Whether in electronic components, innovative medicines, or modern environmental analysis, nanomaterials are found in many technologies of the future. Precise reference standards are needed to ensure that they can be…
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