ZFE-Zentrum für Elektronenmikroskopie Graz

About us

The Graz Centre for Electron Microscopy (ZFE; German: Zentrum für Elektronenmikroskopie Graz) provides collaborating partners and customers access to the latest technologies for advanced materials characterisation, quality control and failure analysis. As a member of the Austrian Cooperative Research (ACR) network, the ZFE works mainly with small and medium-sized enterprises. The close cooperation with the Institute of Electron Microscopy and Nanoanalysis at the Graz University of Technology promotes the ZFE to the leading laboratory for contract research in the field of electron microscopy in Austria. It offers state-of-the-art instrumentation and expertise in the fields of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (S/TEM) and provides specialized nanofabrication possibilities.

The core contribution to the field hardware systems integration

The ZFE grants unique contract and project research in all fields of microscopy, providing multiscale materials characterization with techniques ranging from advanced light microscopy to investigations down to atomic resolution. In particular, it has international reputation for its outstanding expertise and instrumentation in quantitative analyses with methods like x-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). In combination with available complementary characterization methods such as Infrared and Raman Microspectrometry, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), the ZFE offers a wide range of techniques across different length scales for the comprehensive analysis of structures, interfaces, defects and diffusion phenomena in inorganic and organic semiconductors, piezoelectric multilayer systems and novel battery materials.

 Competences Highlights

• Defect analysis, quality control
• Multilayer systems and interfaces
• Materials characterisation
• Atomic/High-resolution imaging (lattice and crystal structure defects)
• In situ experiments (heating experiments, ageing)