Journal profile · Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING
ISSN 0947-8396 · eISSN 1432-0630 · Springer Berlin Heidelberg · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1973
APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING: CAS Zone 4 · Materials Science (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.02; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,790; median 100 days to acceptance (190 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: 85%; 1,021 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING is published by Springer Berlin Heidelberg and is in Zone 4 of Materials Science in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Laser Material Processing Techniques, ZnO doping and properties and Semiconductor materials and devices, together about 21.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Materials Chemistry and Electrical and Electronic Engineering. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Applied Physics A was founded in 1973 and is one of the leading international, peer-reviewed journals featuring original experimental and theoretical results in applied physics and material science. Applied Physics A appears monthly in issues of varying size and publishes regular articles, rapid short communications, and invited papers. Applied Physics A emphasizes topics contributing to a better understanding of applied physics aspects of materials science. The journal is concerned with scientific research on fundamental properties of functional materials, advanced characterization techniques used in material science, as well as with material processing and application-related research in devices. Applied Physics A is aiming for novel materials with new properties which have been prepared by innovative, non-conventional techniques. Material classes covered in Applied Physics A range from nanomaterials to semiconductors, from magnetic materials to biomaterials and from advanced metals and alloys to organic and carbon materials. For a complete list of material topics, please refer to our keywords list (which can be found under Submission Guidelines or here). Processes and processing include all type of directed energy interactions with materials, with a focus on laser interactions with materials to structure, analyze or to deposit materials (also with other techniques, such as ions, electrons or plasmas) with all involved processes. Modelling and computation in applied material science, i.e. from the atomic scale to nano- and microstructure modelling, is also a topic of interest to Applied Physics A when it addresses material science aspects elucidating the relationship between the structure and the properties or the functions of materials. Important other subject areas include nanostructured materials with special and novel properties and nanolithography methods, interface properties of materials, metamaterials and plasmonics, amorphous solids, oxides for electronic, sensor and photonic applications, carbon nanotubes/graphene-based devices, magnetic/ferroic/multiferroic and superconducting materials, conjugated polymers and organic semiconductors with a special emphasis on applications in electronics, optoelectronics and solar cells, semiconductors (e.g. compound semiconductors and topological materials), biomaterials and other materials for energy applications. Research work focusing purely on material synthesis and related standard characterization, or r
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Editor-in-chief Thomas LippertPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 6%); most named United States 5, Germany 5, Taiwan, China 4, Mainland China 2, Poland 2 (32 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Laser Material Processing TechniquesEngineering7.9%
- ZnO doping and propertiesMaterials Science7.8%
- Semiconductor materials and devicesEngineering6.1%
- Laser-induced spectroscopy and plasmaEngineering5.3%
- Gas Sensing Nanomaterials and SensorsEngineering5.1%
- Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric MaterialsMaterials Science4.9%
- Diamond and Carbon-based Materials ResearchMaterials Science4.6%
- Multiferroics and related materialsMaterials Science4.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Materials Science Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Physics, Applied | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Materials Science Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Physics, Applied | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Materials Science Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Physics, Applied | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
EI CompendexINSPECCASCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Astrophysics Data System, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 3.02LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.2LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.47LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.74LetPub ·
- h-index
- 137LetPub ·
- h-index
- 200OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 12,560OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.35OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 3.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 10.4%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 1,026LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 1,600,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 25,575 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1,040 | 147 | 537 |
| 2025 | 1,021 | 148 | 3,351 |
| 2024 | 971 | 156 | 6,277 |
| 2023 | 855 | 130 | 7,523 |
| 2022 | 1,128 | 131 | 12,808 |
| 2021 | 1,066 | 109 | 15,519 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
100 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 72 days – 129 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 11 days (190 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 116 days
- Sample
- 190 articles with submission and acceptance dates (2,310 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 3.9 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 85%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 22 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,790 / EUR 2,890 / GBP 2,490 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers2, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted13
- brief reportThe Journal publishes Regular Papers (Research Articles), Rapid Communications and Invited Reviews Regular Papers (Research Articles) - the manuscript being sub…Length not stated
- commentaryThe Journal publishes Regular Papers (Research Articles), Rapid Communications and Invited Reviews Regular Papers (Research Articles) - the manuscript being sub…Length not stated
- comments and repliesComments and Replies - Comments and Replies include discussion and commentary addressing significant aspects of the original paper but without a) representing e…Length not stated
- editorialThe Journal publishes Regular Papers (Research Articles), Rapid Communications and Invited Reviews Regular Papers (Research Articles) - the manuscript being sub…Length not stated
- invited reviewsInvited Reviews - Reviews are submitted by invitation from the editorial board, and encompass recent important scientific discoveries.Length not stated
- original paperThe Journal publishes Regular Papers (Research Articles), Rapid Communications and Invited Reviews Regular Papers (Research Articles) - the manuscript being sub…Length not stated
- original researchThe Journal publishes Regular Papers (Research Articles), Rapid Communications and Invited Reviews Regular Papers (Research Articles) - the manuscript being sub…Length not stated
- rapid communicationThe Journal publishes Regular Papers (Research Articles), Rapid Communications and Invited Reviews Regular Papers (Research Articles) - the manuscript being sub…Length not stated
- regular paperThe Journal publishes Regular Papers (Research Articles), Rapid Communications and Invited Reviews Regular Papers (Research Articles) - the manuscript being sub…Length not stated
- regular papers (research articles)Regular Papers (Research Articles) - the manuscript being submitted must consist of original research performed by the authors and the research must include new…Length not stated
- research articleThe Journal publishes Regular Papers (Research Articles), Rapid Communications and Invited Reviews Regular Papers (Research Articles) - the manuscript being sub…Length not stated
- reviewThe Journal publishes Regular Papers (Research Articles), Rapid Communications and Invited Reviews Regular Papers (Research Articles) - the manuscript being sub…Length not stated
- review articleThe Journal publishes Regular Papers (Research Articles), Rapid Communications and Invited Reviews Regular Papers (Research Articles) - the manuscript being sub…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
4-6 keywords required Model summary
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
Data transparency Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
COPE member Model summary
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
Open access publishing available Model summary
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Applied Physics A, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Reviewer suggestion/exclusion allowed Model summary
Authors are welcome to suggest suitable reviewers and/or request the exclusion of certain individuals when they submit their manuscripts.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprint policy
Posting of preprints is not considered prior publication and will not jeopardize consideration at Springer journals. Manuscripts posted on preprint servers will not be taken into account when determining the advance provided by a study under consideration at Applied Physics A. Our policy on posting, licensing, citation of preprints and communications with the media about preprints of primary resea…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1973
- ISSN
- 0947-8396
- Electronic ISSN
- 1432-0630
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING
What CAS zone is APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING is in Zone 4 of Materials Science, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Materials Science, Multidisciplinary / Physics, Applied. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Materials Science. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.02; CiteScore 5.2, h-index 200.
How long does peer review take at APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING?
Based on the dates recorded on 190 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 100 days (interquartile range 72–129 days); authors report an average review time of about 3.9 months; the community-reported acceptance is “85%”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Suggested reviewers: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING based?
Of the 32 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 6%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (5), Germany (5) and Taiwan, China (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, INSPEC, CAS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING open access, and what is the APC?
APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,790.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .