Konferenz  /  April 25, 2026  -  April 30, 2026

69th Annual SVC Technical Conference

The SVC Technical Conference, one of the most important international conferences in the field of coatings, thin-film and surface technology, is taking place for the 69th time. From April 25 to 30, 2026, the event will open its doors at the Long Beach Convention Center, once again bringing together researchers, industry representatives, decision-makers and young professionals from all over the world. The conference provides a central platform for discussing the importance of coating and surface technology in industrial applications, future technologies, and the increasing influence of digitalization and artificial intelligence on the industry.

The diverse technical program will address economic and technological issues as well as current challenges in the development, scaling, and industrial application of modern coating processes. The conference is complemented by an industry-leading technical exhibition, an extensive education and tutorial program, and numerous networking formats in which the latest research results, innovative processes, and applications are presented and discussed.

The focus of this year's SVC Technical Conference is on:

  • Advanced Multifunctional Coatings – Integrating Vacuum and Electrochemical Deposition
  • Advances in Thin Film Sensor Technologies
  • Atomic Layer Processing
  • Characterization, Testing and Failure Analysis of Thin Films, Coatings, and Engineered Surfaces
  • Coatings and Processes for Biomedical Applications
  • Coatings for Energy Conversion and Related Processes
  • Digital Transformation through Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Simulation, and Data Science in the Thin Film Industry
  • Electron Beam Processes
  • Emerging and Translational Technologies and Applications
  • High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS)
  • Large Area Advanced Packaging and Integrated Photonics
  • Large Area Coatings
  • Optical Coatings
  • Organic and Perovskite Electronics
  • Photonically-Induced Transformations of Thin Films and Surfaces
  • Plasma Processing and Diagnostics
  • Process Monitoring, Control, and Automation
  • Protective, Tribological and Decorative Coatings
  • Quantum Computing
  • Thin Film Contributions for the Hydrogen Economy
  • WebTech Roll-to-Roll Technologies and Innovation
  • Exhibitor Innovator Showcase

The Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST is significantly involved in shaping the technical content of the 69th SVC Technical Conference.

 

Keynote:

Monday, April 27, 2026, 9:30–10:10 a.m.

Sustainability and Life Cycle Thinking as Innovation Drivers for Surface Engineering

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Herrmann

 

 

Pitch:

Monday, April 27, 2026, 2:10–3:20 p.m.

Colloquium: The Challenge of Transitioning to Sustainable Surface Engineering Practices

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Herrmann

 

Monday, April 27, 2026, 3:40–5:00 p.m.

Colloquium: The Innovation Spiral of HIPIMS Towards Industrialization

Dr.-Ing. Ralf Bandorf

 

 

Presentations:

Monday, April 27, 2026, 7:30–8:30 a.m.

High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HIPIMS)

Dr.-Ing. Ralf Bandorf

 

Monday, April 27, 2026, 2:00–2:20 p.m.

Time-Resolved Investigations on Ion Fraction, Ionization Degree, and Plasma Composition within a HIPIMS Pulse

Dr.-Ing. Ralf Bandorf

 

Monday, April 27, 2026, 4:00–4:20 p.m.

Going Large - Prediction and Optimization of Layer Thickness Distributions in Large-Area Magnetron Sputtering

Eric Volkhardt

 

Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 7:30–8:30 a.m.

Energy Conversion and Storage

Dr. Volker Sittinger

 

Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 10:10–10:30 a.m.

Replacing Ti Plates with Ti-Coated Steel Substrates for PEM Electrolyzers

Dr.-Ing. Ralf Bandorf

 

Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 10:10–10:30 a.m.

Thin Film Contributions to the Hydrogen Economy

Dr.-Ing. Ralf Bandorf

 

Thursday, April 30, 2026, 10:10–10:30 a.m.

Faulty Process State Detection and Optimization using Machine Learning

Holger Gerdes, M.Sc. in Physics

 

Thursday, April 30, 2026, 7:30–8:30 a.m.

Surface Engineering for the Hydrogen Economy

Ralf Bandorf, Ph.D. in Engineering

 

Thursday, April 30, 2026, 7:30–8:30 a.m.

Digital Transformation of Industrial Deposition Processes

Dipl.-Phys. Holger Gerdes

 

Thursday, April 30, 2026, 2:10–2:30 p.m.

Optical Measurements of Large-Area Diamond Coatings on Silicon Wafers for Refractive Index Determination and Uniformity Control

Dr. Volker Sittinger

 

Thursday, April 30, 2026, 6:00 - 7:00 PM

Coatings for Thin Film Photovoltaics

Dr. Volker Sittinger

 

Digital Transformation through Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Simulation, and Data Science in the Thin Film Industry

Holger Gerdes, M.Sc.

 

Coatings for Energy Conversion and Related Processes

Dr. Volker Sittinger

 

 

Tutorials:

Sunday, April 26, 2026, 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Sputtering

Ralf Bandorf, Ph.D.

 

Sunday, April 26, 2026, 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Deposition Process Simulation

Holger Gerdes, Dr. Dennis Barton

 

Wednesday, April 29, 2026, 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Application of Reactive Sputtering

Dipl.-Phys. Holger Gerdes, Dr.-Ing. Ralf Bandorf

 

 

Posters:

Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 10:10 AM – 10:30 AM

Simulation Toolbox for Thin-Film Coating - From Plasma and Gas Flux to Sputtered Particles, Masking and Layer Thickness

Eric Volkhardt