Research

Understanding deformation mechanisms at the micrometer to nanometer scale is crucial for predicting the lifetime of engineering systems, as their failure is usually initiated from microscopic weak spots. However, conventional macroscopic characterisation techniques are not suitable for this purpose. We can overcome these experimental challenges at the department by developing innovative nanomechanical methods, which we combine with high-resolution imaging and analytical characterization. This allows us to identify microscopic deformation processes. Our core expertise is nanoindentation, electron microscopy and ion microscopy (FIB-SEM).