Page:CIA-RDP01-00707R000200110022-9.pdf/20

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R00020011022-9


Ilmenau, and Magdeburg, and the University of Rostock. Since 1967 the amount of metallurgical research at the higher technical school in Karl-Marx-Stadt has increased markedly. Considerable research, both fundamental and applied, has been conducted on thin metallic films. Studies have been done on the growth of sulfides and oxides in thin cadmium and zinc films, the growth of thin silica films, and the conductivity and magnetic properties of thin films. The higher technical school in Ilmenau has done work on plasma arc welding, internal stress in vapor deposited metallic films, and the use of ion exchange in electrometallurgy. The Otto von Guericke Higher Technical School in Magdeburg has directed its research toward the adhesive bonding of metals. Researchers at the University of Rostock have concentrated on structural applications, including the effect of plastic deformation on transformation and hardening in metastable austenitic iron-manganese-nickel steels. Other research institutes conduct research on the production of very-high-purity metals, the basis of which is the advanced capability of the East Germans in vacuum technology. Dr. Manfred von Ardenne is a renowned expert in electron-beam and vacuum technology, and the Von Ardenne Institute is a leader in the field of electron-bream melting, micromachining, and thin-film deposition. Excellent research on very-high-purity metals has been conducted at the Institute of Metal Physics and High Purity Metals. The Central Institute for Welding Technology in Halle is well known for its welding research. All phases of welding technology are studied at the institute and its capabilities are excellent. Its research is somewhat more theoretical than that of the Soviet or Czechoslovak facilities. Much of the research at the institute in Halle has concerned weldability, flame-sprayed coatings, and the welding of dissimilar metals. The development of welding electrodes and wire for joining ferrous and nonferrous alloys has been undertaken at this facility. Relatively little metallurgical research is done in plant laboratories and the little effort undertaken is directed toward the solving of production problems.


b. Physics and mathematics

Almost three-fourths of the physics research effort is in solid-state physics. Most of the remaining research is in nuclear physics, which a small effort devoted to relativity and gravitation, plasma, quantum electronics and optics, optic instrumentation, and vacuum technology. East Germany lags behind West Germany in nearly all subjects of physics research.

Most of the solid-state physics research is concentrated on spectroscopy and optical properties of solids, structures and mechanical properties of semiconductor materials. Facilities of AW and Karl Marx University are the most active participants in solid-state physics research. Limited applied research is conducted by various VEB facilities and technical colleges. A sizable portion of solid-state research is devoted to developing high-quality laser materials. The facilities of AW and Karl Marx University conduct most of the solid-state physics research. Among the specific research projects underway at AW institutes is the study of the effect of selenium and tellurium donor levels on the properties of gallium and arsenic, which indicates an interest in Gunn oscillators and control devices. Research on silicon and other semiconductor materials involves investigations of electron and hold drift velocities in silicon at low temperatures, optical constants of silicon, germanium, and selenium, as well as study of interface states of semiconductors for establishing free electron and binding models. In an effort to improve East Germany's capabilities in manufacturing field-effect transistors, the AW is examining the magneto-conductivity of carriers in many-valley silicon semiconductors. Some of the AW solid-state physics research overlaps into metallurgy, especially in relation to high strength and corrosion-resistant steels. Much of the work involves the study of mechanical properties of metals. Attempts are being made to detect properties by determining the nature of inhomogeneities in metallic substances.

Research in solid-state physics at the universities is more basic in nature than that undertaken in AW institutes. Work at the Karl Marx University on spectroscopy and optical properties of solids has included studies on nuclear magnetic resonance and relaxation phenomena for the various groups of semiconductors and optical transitions in highly doped and impure semiconductors. In crystal growth technology, vacuum specialists at the university are engaged in some research dealing in single crystal synthesis for the properties of lithium-gallium, lithium oxide, and mixed compounds to improve their capabilities for growing crystals from fluxes. Most of the research associated with magnetic properties of solids, powder-core, and films is pursued at the Karl Marx University, although some specific areas are explored by the AW and Humboldt University. Other universities and technical colleges engaged in solid-state physics research include the Friedrich Schiller


15


APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R00020011022-9