The Christian Doppler Laboratory for Nanoscale Phase Transformations investigates challenges in current materials science. The focus is on physical-chemical phenomena in semiconductor and steel systems that are important for the transformation to a CO₂-neutral economy and efficient use of energy.

Examples include advanced high-strength steels for weight reduction and energy efficiency in vehicle bodies, materials for hydrogen technology such as electrolyzers, and bonded semiconductor systems such as SiC for high-performance electronics with applications for electric drives or renewable energy technology.

The requirements for these material systems generally require precise optimization, which is often at the limits of what is technically possible. Challenges particularly arise from changes at the nanoscale of these systems, which occur during production, processing and operation, particularly at interfaces and grain boundaries, and are not always understood. This applies, for example, to precipitation phenomena in semiconductor systems or the complex interaction of steel alloy elements with the Zn coating.

This CD laboratory investigates ways to influence undesirable phenomena and, ideally, to prevent them. Segregation, diffusion and transformation processes are examined under controlled thermal conditions live, in situ, and as snapshots, ex situ, using methods such as electron diffraction, electron microscopy and spectroscopy, resolved down to the atomic level.

In this way, the physical-chemical processes at semiconductor layers and phase boundaries in various coated metal systems can be better understood. This is a significant contribution to modern, resource-efficient material and process development for the energy transition at the industrial partners voestalpine Stahl GmbH, Robert Bosch AG and EV Group E. Thallner GmbH.