IKZ expertise in AI-supported crystal growth gains international recognition

This year, the Fundamental Description Section at Leibniz-Instituts für Kristallzüchtung (IKZ)  has already successfully completed two doctoral dissertations and one bachelor’s thesis dedicated to precisely these forward-looking topics.

Under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Matthias Bickermann (advisor) and Dr. Natasha Dropka (section head), and with the support of Robert Menzel as co-advisor for Lucas Vieira’s doctoral thesis, the following projects were successfully completed:

• Lucas Vieira (Ph.D., TU Berlin, March 2026)
  “Multiphysics Modeling and Data-Driven Analysis for the Understanding and Optimization of Floating-Zone Silicon Growth”
• Gagan Kumar Chappa (Ph.D., TU Berlin, May 2026)
  “Process Intensification of Bulk β-Ga₂O₃ Crystal Growth Using Traveling Magnetic Fields and a Reactive Atmosphere”
• Xiao Le Ye (Bachelor’s thesis, TU Berlin, 2026)
  “Data-Driven Study of Aging in Czochralski Growth of Y₃Al₅O₁₂ (YAG) Crystals”

These studies impressively demonstrate how methods of artificial intelligence and numerical modeling contribute to making crystal growth processes more efficient, developing new materials, and further optimizing existing processes.

In addition, the paper “Data-Driven Cz-Si Scale-Up under Conditions of Partial Similarity” by N. Dropka et al. was honored as a “Top Viewed Article” in the Wiley journal Crystal Research and Technology. This recognition underscores the growing interest of the international crystal growth community in data-driven approaches and AI-supported methods.

These successful achievements also demonstrate the IKZ’s scientific expertise in the field of digital crystal growth as well as its commitment to training the next generation of scientists.

Contact

Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung (IKZ)
Dr. Natascha Dropka
Phone: +49 (0) 30 / 246 499 520
Email