Institut für Oberflächen- und Schichtanalytik GmbH (IFOS)
Institut für Oberflächen- und Schichtanalytik GmbH (IFOS)

Overview

IFOS was founded in December 1989 as a non-profit research institution of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Since 1996, it has had the status of a scientific institution of the Technical University of Kaiserslautern.

The core competencies of the institute, with its 20+ employees, lie in research and development in the field of instrumental surface and layer analysis as well as in the practical use of surface-sensitive analysis methods.

We see ourselves as a link between university research and market-oriented economy with two main aims: We aim to pursue research interests of the economy with regard to current and future products and production methods through our non-profit activities, and we aim to transfer scientific research results from universities and other research institutions to applied research and industry. To this end, we conduct both contracted research in the private sector and, often with cooperation partners from universities, publicly-funded research projects.

The main focus… Surface Mass Spectrometry

Dynamic Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (Dynamic SIMS)
Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS)
Secondary Neutral Particle Mass Spectrometry (SNMS)
3D Atom Probe Tomography (3D-APT)

Electron Spectroscopy

Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES)
X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS, ESCA)
Ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectroscopy (UPS)

Micro-range Analysis

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM, SEM) with:

Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDX)
Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Analysis (WDX)
Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD)

Focused Ion Beam in combination with a Scanning Electron Microscope (Dual Beam FIB)

Nanoscale Analysis

Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) with:

Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDX)
Electron Series Loss Spectroscopy (EELS)
Electron Diffraction in Transmission (TED, SAD)
Automated Crystal Orientation Mapping (ACOM)
TEM-Preparation (Ultramicrotomy, Ion Thinning, FIB)

Atomic…. As part of contract research, IFOS, as the technical infrastructure facility of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, offers a wide range of services for the analysis of surfaces, thin layers and solids. IFOS has more than thirty years of extensive analytical know-how in this area. This is demonstrated by the successful processing of over a hundred customer orders annually, as well as the research results from many successfully processed BMBF, AiF and DFG research projects, e.g. in the areas of nanofunctionalization of surfaces, research into friction and wear on the micro and nano scale, investigation of the adhesion behavior of polymer-metal or metal-metal compounds, and the interaction of biomolecules with surfaces or the characterization of photovoltaic materials.

We examine topography, morphology, hardness and chemical-structural composition with modern and purposefully selected measuring methods, interpret the results and provide solutions. We not only deliver measured values, but we also help…. Yes. service.