Many of you have probably been familiar for many years with the conference series “Arbeitstagung angewandte Oberflächenanalytik - AOFA”, held alternately in Kaiserlautern and Soest (formerly Jülich) and the conference “Festkörper-Analytik - FKA”, held alternately in Vienna and Chemnitz and have come to appreciate these two conferences as thematically relatively broad conferences with a familiar character and always good participation by young scientists.

Due to many thematic overlaps and personal contacts, these two conferences have now been very successfully joined into the new DACH conference series “Applied Surface and Solid State Analysis” AOFKA and made even more attractive by offering special workshops and tutorials for young scientists.

The new AOFKA presented itself for the first time in 2021 with its premiere in Chemnitz / Freiberg.

The current AOFKA2025 conference marks the 50th anniversary of the event this year. The predecessor events AOFA and FKA can both look back on 20 successful conferences of their own.

For four decades, the “Applied Surface Analysis” (AOFA) conference has been the important and established forum for all developers, operators and users of modern surface analysis methods.

The twenty conferences were held every two years, usually alternating between Kaiserslautern and Soest (formerly Jülich). The last conference under the title AOFA took place in Kaiserslautern in 2018 under the organization of the "Institutfür Oberflächen- und Schichtanalytik" IFOS GmbH in cooperation with the German Vacuum Society DVG e.V. with the support of the Technical University of Kaiserslautern.

The scientific program deepened the exchange of experience and information on the applications of physical methods for surface, layer and depth profile analysis, highlighted current problems and presented new developments in these areas. The conference presented progress reports from analysts, materials scientists, solid-state physicists and chemists on analytical-methodological developments and scientific-technological solutions to problems.

In addition to the invited lectures, the conference program also included short presentations and posters. The conference language of the AOFA was German.

A brief overview over the 20 conferences held during the last 40 years is shown in the following list:

• • AOFA 20 (2018) Institut für Oberflächen- und Schichtanalytik GmbH Kaiserslautern, Chair: Michael Kopnarski
  • AOFA 19 (2016) Campus Soest der Fachhochschule Südwestfalen, Chair: Stefan Schweizer
  • AOFA 18 (2014): Kaiserslautern im Institut für Oberflächen- und Schichtanalytik GmbH, Chair: Michael Kopnarski
  • AOFA 17 (2012): Stadthalle Soest, Chair: Karl-Heinz Müller
  • AOFA 16 (2010): Kaiserslautern im Institut für Oberflächen- und Schichtanalytik GmbH (IFOS), Chair: Michael Kopnarski
  • AOFA 15 (2008): Stadthalle Soest, Chair: Karl-Heinz Müller
  • AOFA 14 (2006): Universität Kaiserslautern, Chair: Christiane Ziegler und Martin Aeschlimann
  • AOFA 13 (2004): IFW (Leibniz-Institut für Festkörper- und Werkstoffforschung & Technische Universität Dresden), Chair: K. Wetzig
  • AOFA 12 (2002): Universität Kaiserslautern, Chair: Christiane Ziegler und Martin Aeschlimann
  • AOFA 11 (2000): Universität Leipzig im Institut für Chemie und Mineralogie, Chair: R. Szargan
  • AOFA 10 (1998): Universität Kaiserslautern, Chair: Hans Oechsner
  • AOFA 9 (1996): KFA Jülich/Aachen: Eurogress in Aachen, Chair: H. Lüth
  • AOFA 8 (1994): Universität Kaiserslautern, Chair: Hans Oechsner
  • AOFA 7 (1992): Kernforschungsanlage Jülich (KFA), Chair: Hubertus Nickel
  • AOFA 6 (1990): Universität Kaiserslautern, Chair: Hans Oechsner
  • AOFA 5 (1988): Kernforschungsanlage Jülich (KFA), Chair: Hubertus Nickel
  • AOFA 4 (1986): Universität Kaiserslautern, Chair: Hans Oechsner
  • AOFA 3 (1984): Kernforschungsanlage Jülich (KFA), Chair: Hubertus Nickel
  • AOFA 2 (1982): KFA-Jülich, Chair: Hubertus Nickel und Hr. Walz
  • AOFA 1 (1974): Kernforschungsanlage Jülich (KFA), Chair: Hubertus Nickel

The conference “Festkörper-Analytik” FKA took place every two years alternately in Vienna and Chemnitz.

It had a very strong interdisciplinary character with a focus on the scientific exchange between analytical-methodological developments and scientific-technical problem solving, covering all areas of solid state research through invited lectures and contributions as well as poster presentations. This broad range of topics in combination with the familiar character of the conference has made the FKA unique in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as well as among participants from neighboring countries, for four decades and was highly appreciated in the scientific community.

The conference covers all topics related to characterization of solids and their behavior, including both basic research and technological applications.

• Elemental and compound analysis: micro- and nano-analysis, surface and interface analysis, trace analysis
• Structural analysis
• Chemical reactions in solids and on solid surfaces
• Dynamic behavior of solids: transport phenomena, diffusion, segregation
• Application to material science: metals, semiconductors, ceramics, glasses, polymers, composites, nano-structured materials, biomaterials, functional layer systems (micro/nano-electronics, opto-electronics, photonics, adhesive- and anti-adhesive layers, self-assembled layers)
• Theoretical and chemometrical aspects
• Quality assurance
• New instruments & methods

For each edition of the FKA conference, contributions on highly relevant current research topics were requested. All contributions to this special topic, which ranged from theory to experiments and covered both fundamental and applied aspects, were coordinated by the program committee with the other topics of the conference and the overall program.

For a long time, the conference language was German, but in order to meet numerous requests in the past and to facilitate the participation of non-German-speaking scientists, for the 20th anniversary of the conference in 2019 all lectures were held in English. Nevertheless, the unique interdisciplinary and intimate character of the conference was maintained, but at the same time made more accessible for all interested parties to experience this unique and inspiring atmosphere.

A brief overview over the 20 conferences held during the last 40 years is shown in the following list:

• • FKA 20 (2019) Wien, Chair: G. Friedbacher
  • FKA 18(2015) Wien, Chair: G. Friedbacher
  • FKA 17 (2013) Chemnitz, Chair: M. Hietschold
  • FKA 16 (2011) Wien, Chair: G. Friedbacher
  • FKA 15 (2009) Chemnitz, Chair: M. Hietschold
  • FKA 14 (2007) Wien, Chair: G. Friedbacher
  • FKA 13 (2005) Chemnitz, Chair: R. Holze
  • FKA 12 (2003) Wien, Chair: G. Friedbacher
  • FKA 11 (2001) Chemnitz, Chair: G. Marx
  • FKA 10 (1999) Wien, Chair: G. Friedbacher
  • FKA 9 (1997) Chemnitz, Chair: G. Marx
  • FKA 8 (1995) Wien, Chair: M. Grasserbauer
  • FKA 7 (1993) Chemnitz, Chair: G. Marx
  • FKA 6 (1990) Chemnitz, Chair: G. Marx
  • FKA 5 (1987) Karl-Marx-Stadt, Chair: G. Marx
  • FKA 4 (1984) Karl-Marx-Stadt, Chair: G. Marx
  • FKA 3 (1981) Karl-Marx-Stadt, Chair: G. Marx
  • FKA 2 (1978) Karl-Marx-Stadt, Chair: G. Marx
  • FKA 1 (1975) Karl-Marx-Stadt, Chair: K. Danzer