Founded in 1962, IUVSTA is an interdisciplinary Union, the current member organizations of which represent more than 15,000 physicists, chemists, materials scientists, and engineers worldwide.

Many applications involve vacuum as an environment and concern areas including:

• Surface Science and Applications
• Thin Films and Interfaces
• Coatings and Vacuum Metallurgy
• Nanometer Science
• Electronic Materials

These professionals are active in:

• Forefront Basic Research
• Applied Research and Development
• Manufacturing and Marketing
• Education

The scope of IUVSTA ranges from the production and characterization of vacuum to a myriad of scientific and technological applications. These include processing, surface and interface analysis, optical coatings, electronic devices, plasma, and fusion reactors.

The IUVSTA is a Scientific Associate of the International Council of Science Unions and has operational relation status with UNESCO.

IUVSTA Awards and Scholarships

• Science and technology prizes awarded triennially
• M.W. Welch Scholarship for international research awarded annually

IUVSTA Key Activities

• The organization of a triennial vacuum congress and exhibition,
• which concerns all areas of activity of the Union
• The organization of a triennial conference on thin films
• The co-organization, together with the European Physical Society, of the Annual ECOSS series of conferences
• The co-organization of the biennial European Vacuum Conference series
• The organization of workshops on frontline research
• An education program applicable to both technically developed and developing countries
• A Web page and Web news bulletin including information on activities, conferences and educational programs
• Interaction with the International Standards Organization on the establishment of international vacuum standards
• The awarding of international scholarships and prizes
• The IUVSTA-Elsevier student awards for participation at scientific conferences

IUVSTA Divisions

• Applied Surface Science
• Electronic Materials and Processing
• Plasma Science and Technique
• Nanometer Structures
• Surface Science
• Thin Film
• Surface Engineering
• Vacuum Science and Technology