Platform for integrated surface characterization

• Subject Area: Materials Engineering
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 583670789

The project aims to acquire a modern scientific platform that enables highly precise and comprehensive analysis of material surfaces. Surface properties play a decisive role in how components are lubricated, how much friction occurs, and how quickly materials wear. Especially for very thin films, innovative coatings, or new high-performance materials, the individual devices currently available at the research institution are not sufficient to reliably capture mechanical, topographical, tribological, and electrical properties. The proposed platform closes this gap by integrating multiple analytical methods—such as hardness testing, scratch testing, wear and friction measurements, atomic force microscopy, and electrical characterization—into a single vibration-isolated system. All measurements can be performed at the exact same location on a sample without re-clamping, which increases accuracy, reduces measurement errors, and significantly decreases the effort and uncertainties associated with sample preparation and transport. Scientifically, the platform serves to deepen the understanding of fundamental mechanisms of friction, wear, and lubrication at micro- and nanoscales. It enables detailed investigation of the behavior of modern materials such as 2D materials, functional coatings, self-regenerating solid lubricants, and bio-based lubricants. This makes it possible to precisely capture, for the first time, the interrelationships between material structure, mechanical loading, temperature, electrical effects, and tribological performance. The insights gained will help in developing durable and energy-efficient surfaces that reduce resource consumption, increase the service life of technical components, and support the use of sustainable lubricants. The platform will be employed across numerous research fields—including mobility, manufacturing technology, energy technology, medical engineering, and additive manufacturing—while also strengthening collaboration within the faculty and with external partners. Overall, the large-scale instrument constitutes a key infrastructural foundation for elevating modern surface and materials research to a new level and for scientifically addressing major societal challenges such as energy efficiency, sustainability, and resource conservation.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Plattform zur integrierten Oberflächencharakterisierung
• Instrumentation Group: 2930 Härteprüfmaschinen, Reibungs- und Verschleiß-Prüfmaschinen
• Applicant Institution: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover
• Leader: Professor Dr.-Ing. Max Marian