Metallic properties (think e.g. of mechanical, magnetic or chemical properties) are to a large extent dependent on the microstructure of the metallic alloy. According to a well-known definition, the microstructure is the ensemble of all lattice defects on the scale of Å to mm. Henceforth, microstructural control represents in essence the managements of lattice defects such as point defects (vacancies and solid solutes), line defects (dislocations), area defects (grain boundaries) and volumetric defects (precipitates or inclusions).

The microstructure is created during thermo-mechanical processing (i.e. the metal manufacturing process), which involves liquid-solid and solid-solid state transformation including solidification, solid phase transformation, plastic deformation and thermally activated recovery processes. The precise control of microstructures in industrial processes can only be obtained through a profound understanding of the metal physics phenomena occurring during processing. The particular approach of my research group is to deepen our understanding by describing microstructures as statistical objects. Orientation and phase contrast microscopy (both with SEM and TEM) is an indispensable tool in this activity.