was born 1973, studied Physics at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen/Nuremberg, Germany and received his diploma in 1998. His work focused on preparation of metastable ironsilicides and phase characterization by LEED. In 1998 he joined Fraunhofer IST for his PhD thesis. Ralf Bandorf received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 2002 from Fraunhofer IST / Carolo-Wilhelmina Technical University Braunschweig, Germany. His thesis focused on sub-micron tribloogical coatings for electromagnetic microactuators. Ralf continued at Fraunhofer IST as a scientist, specifically as Project leader in Group Micro and Sensor Technology with a Focus on PVD and PACVD coatings. He worked in the field of plastic metallization for flexible circuits, piezoresistive materials (especially based on DLC), electrical conductive and insulating coatings as well as magnetic thin films. In 2007, he became Head of Group “Sensoric Functional Coatings” and since 2015 he has been Head in Group “PACVD and hybrid processes” at Fraunhofer IST. His focus is on PACVD with different excitation, plasma sources, hollow cathode processes, especially gas flow sputtering, and HIPIMS.

Ralf Bandorf is internationally recognized expert in the field of HIPIMS. He was session chair of the HIPIMS session at ICMCTF, US from 2009-2012. He has served as assistant TAC Chair at the Society of Vacuum Coaters since 2009. Ralf is the conference Chairman of the International Conference on Fundamentals and Applications of HIPIMS and Action Chair of the COST Action MP0804: Highly ionized pulse plasma processes (HIPP processes, 2009-2013), a European scientific networking activity gathering experts worldwide in the field of HIPP plasmas, especially HIPIMS.